The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-15
MAIL CoMPANF DISASTERS.
The Loss of the Colombia the Last of
Series of lMisfortunes.

The Loss of the Colombia the Last of
Series of MisfortUnes.
Disaster still follows the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company.
OF all the concerns that make money
and pay dividends to Eastern st0Skhold-
ers ii surely is the most unfortunate.
Steamer after steamer has gone ashore
and become a total loss. Others have
gone ashore and after great expense were
got off. while in one instance the vessel
capsized in midocean and the loss of life
was appalling.
As the com pany carries its own insur-
ahce, it can easily be seen that its losses
during the last five years must have been
enormous.
The first of the company's recent losses
was the Granada. After leaving Manza-
Milo she went ashore at Point Tigupau.
All on board got away in safety and Cap
tam Deering was acquitted. Next came
the Nicaragua. She came here from New
York after being launched and fitted out.
She sailed for Panama on her maiden trip
in command of Captain Nickerson, but
ran on a hidden reef, which extends few
miles out from Point Romidias, San Sal
vador.
The next was the City of New York.
Owing to mistake in judgment the pilot
ran her on Point Bonita and she became
total loss. The passengers and crew were
saved. 1t will thus be seen that so far
the company had escaped with the loss of
their vessels, but when the unfortunate
Colima went down in a storm there was
weeping and wailing from all parts of the
country. The story of this terrible disas-
ter is still fresh in the minds of everybody
| and damage suits are now pending in the
New York courts.
Of the vessels that did not become total
losses there is the Rhode Janeiro that went
ashore near Yokohama, but was eventu-
ally got off and taken to Hongkong for re-
pairs. Then the San Juan went ashore
near Point Sur, but was saved, the City of
Picking that broke down IN mid ocean and
made port under sail and the Rio de
/ Janeiro that ran out of coal and had to
| burn her deck houses in order to reach
| Honolulu.
| On the top of this series of disasters
comes the news that the fine new steamer
Colon bia went ashore at Pigeon Point
| yesterday at A. NJ. in fog and will prob
ably become total loss. She was on her
| way here from Panama with full cargo,
but Captain William Clark lost his bear
ings in dense fog and ran his vessel on
the rocks. The latest dispatch from the
wreck received Dy the Merchants Ex-
change yesterday afternoon reads: IVES
| SCI ChIc0uluR. AdlcSI IcpOIlS say IDdI SIG
is humping badly on the rocks and if not
/ hghtened is liable to go to pieces. One of
! her compartments is full of water. The
| Colombia has on board SO cabin passengers.
70 Storage passengers and crew of 80
men all told"
As soon as the news reached the City the
| tugs Active and Reliance of Spreckels line
and the Sea King of the Shipowners and
Merchants line were at once dispatched to
| the scene of disaster. Later they were fol-
lowed by the Spreckels' tug Vigilant and
the steam schooners Jewel Newsboy, Bes-
sic K and Noyo. The Jewel will take
down lot of pumps and the Vigilant
some wrecking gear. Captain Metcalf, as
the re representative of the underwriters, and
General Manager Schwerin of the Mail
company also went down on the tug to
s1perintend the work Of unloading the
cargo and the attempt at getting the vessel
of the rocks.
Shippers at this end will not suffer any
! inconvenience, as the company at once
chartered the Oceanic Steamship Com
! pany's Zealandia, and she will take the
/ Colomb bias place for the time being.
The Colombia is a new ship and is one
OF the latest additions to the company's
feet. This was her maiden voyage on this
| side. She sailed from San Fran cisco May
10 and arrived June IS at Panama. She
was scheduled TO arrive here yesterday.
The Colombia was built in Chester, Pa,
in 1892, and is of 1916 tons burden. Her
dimensions are: 927 feet long, As feet
broad and Is feet deep. She is a sister
ship to the Peru now running in the
| China trade.
Pigeon Point is a rocky projection,
rising abruptly fifty feet above the
sea, with low neck of half that
elevation inside the point. Behind it
rises the ridge of mountains of the PENN
sula OF San Francis 20, and al the bend of
the land to the eastward and about $50
yards northeast of the light is small boat
landing which is available only in good
weather. The sea breaks there when the
wind is westerly or northwesterly. A
chute with booms and derrick attachments
is maintained, as the whalers frequently
go ashore at the spot 1t is thought that
the Colombia's passengers were rowed to
this landing IN boats and put ashore in
safety. Ali freight from coasters is
usually unloaded from surfboats.
The shore Line from Ano Nuevo to Pig