Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-10
CAPS1ZES IN PORT.
Remarkable Disaster in the San
Francisco Harbor.
ooNB1HAT1oN OF WIND AND TIDE

0v0rtafn0 and Sinks . Stounch Vessel
while Resting 1t Anchor and Provides .
Steel Coma for Six % Her Crew, who Go
with Her Seven Fathoms Down-Csse Of
shs Ainsss Imprisosed in the Hope
Mise IL Hopeless
SAN FRANCISCO, April 10-No stranger
disaster ever happened to . vessel than
tho accident which bcfell the British ship
Rairmorc ct z o'clock yesterday morning.
While riding at anchor in Mission bay
the vessel was struck by . violent squall
which, tcgstifer with the swift food tide.
threw the craft on her starboard side, cap
sizing her completely and sinking her in
less than fifteen minutes Fifteen sea-
men struggled In the water. Six were
confined In the hold and were probably
pinned down BY tho falling dunnage used
70 hold the ships ballast in place. The
Imprisoned sextette never reached tho
dock as did their comrades engaged with
them in handling the ballast below. and
the bodies Of the six are imprisoned in the
steel hull The Blairmore's masts lie
level with the bay bottom under seven
fathoms of water, and not q sign OF the
sailors sunken tomb Is visible above the
waves.
names Of the Six Dead Men.
Here and there on the surface of tho
water near the scenc Of the calamity is a
piece Of the drift from the wreck, but be-
yond this the vessel and the six men
have been completely swallowed up. The
unfortunatcs vino lost their lives were:
T. Ludwig. first mate; Henry Clark, sea-
man; Roland Siegcl, apprentice; g.
Rsinbaum, seaman; II. Sinstrand, watch
man; Sam Kerry, steward. The latter
was shipped here and is n native of Brook
Ign, n. Y. The balance of the men ON
board were those scamen usually held to
stand by the vessel after she has dis
charged her cargo and Is awaiting a new
one. The squall that caused the disaster
was the most severe experienced on the
south arm OF the bay for many years. The
wind was SO severe that n number OF ships
anchored near the Blairmore signalled for
tugs to move them up the bay.
He Waited a Little Too Long.
Tho flood-tidc working at the keels Of
the ships had q tendency, being coun ter
to tho wind, to upset those whose bulls
were not weighted with cargo. The Blair
towboat captain hailed her and asked
Captain Cav, her commander, if he did
not wish a tow to the north end Of the
bay. Meanwhile the squall blow its hard
est, the sea was heavy and rain fell in tor
rents. Captain Cav did not think his
vessel had bravcd the perils of number
of ocean voyages to be wrecked in the bay
of San Francisco, So he refused tow, say.
ing he would hold OF a little longer. The
tug had scarcely drawn away when the
Blair,norc gave a sudden lurch, dipped
her yards and fell prone on her srarboard
quarter. The water rushed into her hold
in torrents. The rapidly escaping air
from the hold blew the water fountain.
like as high as the lower yards,
Picking Up OF the Survivors.
The men scrambled wildly out. A pass
ing tug with another vessel in tow dropped
her lines and blew for help to speed the
rescue, but i. was too late. A boat was
sent from the British ship Ycoman, 1,OUO
yards ahead of the Blairmorc. In three
minutes this boat was alongside the up
turned vessel and picked up the men
clinging to the Blairmore's sides Two
men hal struck out for shore and were
picked up by the British ship Cromdale.
Tie Yeoman picked up several, including
Captain Cav. Captain Cav reported i'm
mediately to his agents and to the British
consul He said the wind was blowing
ms stiff1y as he had ever seen 1t at sea.
Both Of the Blairmore's anchors were
out and he thought they would hold her
all right.
Captains Brief Story Of the Disaster.
''Thc tide was ut flood and squalls were
blowing from the southwest" said the
captain. 'It was a nasty combination,
the water broadside on the ship and she
light, with squalls bearing her over hard
to starboard She went over in twink.
ling. The first thing I knew she was
sinking beneath me with five of my poor
men in the hold and one thrown over.
board. The second and third mates and a
number Ut the men had reached the rails
and were waiting boats from the ships
Cromdale and Yeoman." The loss on
ship and furniture will exoeod &l25, 600
Tho task Of raising tho Blairmorc will be
pxnensi