The San Francisco call., 1898-03-17
THE CoXA ON THt ROCKS OFF BAxA POINT

twenty widows, all of whom were bound for the Klondike.
 The latest news from the Columbia Is that the money to pay for her repairs is not forthcoming from the agents in New York, and the vessel is being held for the debt, while the Klondikers are prac- tically stranded in Valparaiso.
 Passing Baxa Point, in the Straits of Magellan" continued Mate Spinney, i've saw the wreck of a steamer about a half mile from shore. We ran down to it, and found 1t to be the steamer Coya., from New York for Valparaiso. She Is owned by the New York and Pacific Steamship Company, but was under charter to Grace & Co. of New York. The rock on which she struck is the only one in the vicinity and there is IS feet of water on that at low tide. Had she gone 100 feet on either side of it all would have been we'll Instead of that, however, she could not have struck it squarer if she had been trying to find it, and the result is the total loss of an almost brand new steamer. From what we could gather the Coya had got a little off her course being too close in shore She was being hauled up on it again when she struck on the rock and at once began to fill. The crew took to the boats and landed at Delgado Point. When we were there wrecking schooner was working on the
 
 they could get at. The cargo was being stored at Delgado Point"
 The Coya was steel steamer built l in 1895. She was 3040 tons gross burden, | 322 feet long, 42 feet inches broad and | IS feet inches deep. She was splendidly | fitted throughout and was one of the f1n- | est steamers running between New York and Valparaiso.
 While we were in Montevideo," con-
 
 Millward of the British steamer Mataura, and he told us of the loss of his fine yes sel on Desolation Island, so we were pre- pared to sight another wreck before we got through the Straits of Magellan. The Mataura had been run ashore in Sealer Cove, and both vessel and cargo were a total loss. From what we could gather from the captain and crew, the vessel had made good time all the way from New Zealand except for a slight delay caused by an accident to the machinery. She was going full speed when she struck on Desolation Island. She struck twice, and made water rapidly, the carpenter reporting two large leaks. She was run into little sheltered bay called Sealer Cove and the anchor was dropped. As the steamer was sinking rapidly, the boats, with provisions and all on board were landed on the beach, The weather was rough and cold, and there was a heavy rain for two days, and everybody suffered a great deal, particularly two lady passengers, Mrs. A. J. Park and her daughter.
 For two days the bad weather con- tinued but directly it moderated the five boats made a start for Punta Arena The captains boat parted from the others during the night, and the other four were compelled to put back to Sealer Cove Later the captains boat, with the two lady passengers in it, was picked up by the steamer Hyson and landed at Punta Arena. The four other boats put to sea again the day after the captain was picked up, but they also parted company In the fog, and the chief officers boat was picked up by the Chilean surveying vessel Toro which later on also picked up two more of the boats. The remaining boat was picked up by the Yanez, an other surveying boat, so the whole crew, sixty-two souls in all, were once more united at Punta Arena, having suffered terribly from the exposure.
 "Sealer Cove, where the Mataura was wrecked, is on the western section of the straits-that is, the half between Cape and the Pacific Ocean. At this part of the straits the set and change of he tide are very uncertain, owing to the meeting of the Jerome Channel tides with those of the straits. On the west side of the Jerome Channel are two coves, Wood Cove and Sealer Cove, the latter being the place where the Mataura was oeached. A very heavy fog had hung over the straits for some days, and Cap- ain MillWard of the Mataura stated that