The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-26
OCEAN LINER ON A LEDGE
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE ALLAN
 STEAMSHIP CALIFORNIAN.
Goes Ashore Just Outside Portland, Mc., Harbor-Her Condition Last Night Uncertain but Hopes Arc High That She Will he snvod-The Weather Rough but nrodornting-Passn Rem fan hnn nrH
Rem nin AbOnrd.

Rough but nrodernting-Passnn Remain Ab0nrd.
 Portland, Me. Feb. 25.--The big Allan Line steamship Californian, which left
 her dock at midnight, went ashore on
 Ram Island ledge, just outside of the
 harbor, a few minutes after her pilot left here this morning. All the passen- gers are safe, although still aboard. The condition of the vessel tonight is un- certain. Most of the local seafaring
 men are of the opinion that the rocks
 have penetrated the bottom of the ves-
 sel in several places and they doubt
 very much if she can be saved. Tta
 master of the Californian Is Captain
 John France, one of the oldest and
 most capable employees of the line.N
 There are six cabin, five intermediate
 and ten steerage passengers beside a
 crew of seventy-fve men. The cabin
 passengers are MT. and Mrs. Hatton,
 Montreal; MT. and Mrs. D. Wilson, To-
 ronto; Miss Bailey. Ottawa and Mr.
 Browell, Esquimalt, B. c. It is inpos-
 sible to secure the names of the others. as there are only two lists, one on board the ship and the other in the mails for
 Montreal.
 The Californian was, in charge of Pilot Edward l.. Parsons, and at the time he left her the wind was blowing, hard from the southeast and was ac- companied at the time by heavy rain. Pilot Parsons left the ship on reaching the bell buoy off Cushings Island Point, after he gave the officers of the ship the correct course. Ten minutes later the Californian was hard and fast aground on Ram Island ledge. This is a reef which runs out from Ram Island and the ship had gone several points off her course when she struck.
 As soor as she struck bombs were fired, rockets set up and colored lights burned. The rockets were observed by the patrolmen at the Cape Elizabeth life saving station, but on account of the severe gale and high sea they were unable to row across in their boat and render the steamer any assistance. One of the sentinels at Fort Williams, which is directly opposite where the steamer went ashore, telephond the affair to the city Soon after a boat from the Cali fornian commanded by the second offi- cer arrived, having rowed in from Ram Island. Captain Barclay, the shore caps tain of the Allan line, and MT. Wain- wright, the general manager, were ini- mediately notified. Captain Barclay chartered the ocean tug Piedmont to , get to the grounded steamer and render any assistance possible. Such a heavy sea was encountered that the tug was compelled to come to anchor fully a half mile from the steamer. This fore noon the life saving boat from the Cape life savers, seven miles away, launched a boat and put off for the steamer intending to transfer the pas- sengers desired to be transferred, but on seeing the manner in which the life boat pitched and rolled they decided not to leave the ship.
 The ship is laying under the lee of Ram Island on the ledge and although the waves are breaking with great force the long ledge acts as breakwater and protects the ship. The wind is now blowing strongly from the westward and the sea is rapidly subsiding.
 The passengers will probably be taken off tomorrow morning without danger and if the sea is smooth the work of removing the cargo will com nence. The local officials feel confident hat the ship can be 1oated. They will wreck the ship themselves Tonight here is westerly wind and the condi- lions are favorable. This is the third rip the Californian has made this sea- son from this port. She was bound to Glasgow by way of Halifax. She ar- ived in Portland the latter part of last week. Her cargo is about 5000 tons and vas valued at $300,00O. The vessel was aunched at Glasgow in 1891 and is val- led at $3,000,000.