The San Francisco call., 1897-03-18

rendered valuable assistance. The cap
tain of the Alden Bessie instead OF drop
ping anchor, however. kept on and got
foul of the British tramp steamer Amara-
poora. No damage was done, and the
tide and wind carried the two vessels
apart in lew minutes.
The Active was the next on the scene,
and she was followed by the quarantine
hoats George NJ. Stern berg and Governor
Perkins, tugs Sea Queen, Sea King and
Millie and the launch Amy. The steamer
Mon ticello, also bound for Vallejo, stood
by, and Captain Hatch had his boats
manned and was ready to send assistance
at a moments notice.
The steamer Hope, which also belongs
TO the Piper, Alden, GoodaIl Company, was
on her way 10 Berkeley, and she also went
to the rescue. While there were no lives
to be saved, nevertheless a considerable
quantity of wreckage was picked up. The
SunoPs piano was found and hauled
aboard the Hope. while one OF the horses
was found in the custody of Jack Healy
and Dick Hughes; the boatmen, and was
hoisted aboard the steamer.
When the Sunol was struck and before
the passengers got aboard the Olympic,
some one let go the anchor and thirty
fathoms of chain was run out. In that
event no one can claim treasure trove.
Joe Bulchart, a railroad man who was
passenger on the Sunol, was taken to the
Receiving Hospital last night. suffering
from submersion and q sprained back.
81 was on the lower deck" he said,
"when the collision occurred. 1t seemed
to me as if our captain thought he could
get clear of the other vessel and did not
imagine she was coming so fast.
"The men on the lower deck, when they
saw collision was inevita BILE, ran up the
steps. but thought there was better
way to escape. | was thinking about 1t
when there was q sudden crash and ter
rife noise OF escaping steam, In which l
was enveloped, so / ran 70 the side of the
steamer and jumped overheard.
81 saw that the 9th vessel had cut
through the Sunol, and as | looked dp
from striking the wafer | saw the men
clim bing from the steamer to the other
vessel.
aAs l went down 1 was struck on the
back by the other vessel, which almost
knocked the breath out of me. l had .
desperate struggle to get clear OF her, and
when / rose to the surface was nearly
exhausted.
II am a fair swimmer, so struck out
and managed to keep myself afoat till two
men in boat picked me up. l saw them
first and shouted to them. They rowed me
to tug and put me on board, and the tug
took me to Washington street wharf.
lost, but consider had narrow escape
II. F. Stahl, managing editor of the
Vallejo News, was also PASSENGER. 1T
looked 10 me like an unavoidable acci-
dent" said he. NV hile the Olympic had
some sail set she did not appear to be
moving through the water and it looked
as though we would easily clear her. We
discovered our mistake too late. however,
and the bark rushed into US. Including
the crew there were about sixty people
aboard and everything was in turmoil
in moment. The steam pipes were broken
and the escaping steam added to the
turmoil. One man had his hand scalded
and mum Der of others were slightly in
jured We all lost our baggage and the
crew lost everything they had ABOARD"
When the Sunol sailed for Vallejo Mrs.
H. Johnson and her children we're abroad.
The husband and father had seen them on
their way and was watching the steamer
out of sight when the accident occurred.
He was almost frantic Tor few seconds
and then fell in a swoon. When the
Sternberg broucht the passengers ashore
he was there tC meet her, only to find that
mis- wife and children were missing. Then
he tainted again, and on being brought to
was told that some other passengers had
been landed by the tug Millie. He went
to where that vessel had docked and there
found mis- loved ones.
1T was sad accident" said Captain G.
Brokaw. "My tug, the Reliance, was tow
ing the Alden Besse from sea and We
were almost abreast OF the Olympic when
l remarked to my mate, Watch that
steamer. She is going to have q
close CALI Then I saw the Sunol back
ing and noticed that she couldn't gather
sternway. and l again remarked to the
mate. It's all up; there's going to bs 8
collision and a bad one.' Then began
signaling the Alden Besse to let go the
hawser and anchor, because 1 thought it
was my first duty to save life. When the
Reliance got alongside I found that all
the passengers had been saved. and Cap
tain Gibbs of the Olympic asked mo to
take him in tow, as his vessel was leaking.
Her martingales were gone and the
bowsprit twisted, and she looked as