Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1901-12-04
FERRYDOATS COLLIDE IN FOG
TWENTY PEOPLE DROWNED.
San Francisco the Scene of n Terri
bic OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Fog over
Eyer knOwn-Great Excitement in
the City-Other Accidents.

San Francisco, Dec. 1.-The ferry
boats San Rafael and Sausalito col
lided tonight in dense fog and the
San Rafael sank in between 10 and
Is minutes. 1t is thought that not
more than 20 people were drowned,
although the San Rafael carried be-
tween $50 and 200 passengers.
The Sausalito was not seriously in
jured and after rescuing all the pas
sengers on the San Rafael that she
could find, proceeded to San Francisco
under her own steam. The Sausalito
and San Rafael belong to the San
Francisco & North Pacific Coast Rail-
way. They ply between San Francisco
and Sausalito, suburb across the bay
in Marin county. At Sausalito train
connects for Ross Valley and San
Rafael, where many San Francisco
business men make their summer and
winter homes.
The San Rafael left San Francisco
at 6:15 p. m. with between $50 and 200
passengers. There had been a dense
log on the bay all day long and as
night fell it seemed to thicken. Cap
ain Mckenzie of the San Rafael sent
mis- ship along under a slow bell.
He was somewhere near Alcatraz
sland when the Sausalito, coming
from Sausalito to San Francisco
crashed into her. There were but few
passengers on the Sausalito, but they
were badly scared and for few mo
ments it looked as if both boats were
going down. When it was seen that
The Sausalito was not badly injured
she stood by the San Rafael, and Off
GERS, crew and passengers engaged
in the rescue of the unfortunate pas
sengers of the sinking vessel.
Both boats are side wheelers and
ordinarily carry many hundred pas.
sengers. Fortunately this was the
winter season and the last trip, so
there were not so many passengers
Is usual.
Marin county, from Sausalito to San
rafael, distance of 20 miles, is lined
With homes of wealthy people. During
he summer the ferryboat traffic is
very heavy, but in the winter it light
ems and there are comparatively few
people who travel on the boats during
he winter season.
News of the disaster did not reach
he city until 9 o'clock and the news
'pread with great rapidity. There was
intense excitement at the opera house,
where an immense crowd was listen
'ng to Calve in Carmen" Many peo
ole left the house and rushed to the
newspaper offices to obtain informa
ion about friends and relatives who
night have been on board of one of
he vessels.
Never has the fog been thicker in
San Francisco and on the bay. II
vas a day and night of anxiety. Ir
he early hours the fog came up "as
hick as mush," and tonight it was
Utmost impossible to see a boats
'ength.
The steam schooner Arctic ran down
he French bark Edmond Rost, and
in the early morning hours the En-
oinal and Albatross came together in
The fog. Many a vessel had narrow
Escape and the fog signals were blown
Il all directions.
Most Of the ferry steamers escaped,
but one or two of them got into trou-
BILE. The Tiburon had to make a
second attempt at her first landing.
The Encinal was nearly half an hour
reaching her dock and the Piedmont
had similar experience. The Oakland
and the San Rafael came very near
colliding when they reached this city
at o'clock in the evening. Each boat
missed her slip, one going too high
and the other too low.
The Kimball Steamship company's
Arctic arrived from Nome and way
ports early in the morning. On her
way down the coast she stopped at
Astoria and after leaving the Colum-
bia river was caught in a southeaster
and had a very rough experience.
Making port in the fog, Captain Erick-
son decided that it was better to come
to anchor. The Arctic was according
ly hove to and the anchor dropped,
When she swung with the tide, how
ever, she was right in under the quar-
ter of the French ship Edmond Rost.
The latter was raked and the Arctic
suffered considerably about her upper
works and rigging, but apart from that
she is as sound as dollar. The Rost
may have to be sent to dry dock for
overhauling.
Captain Mckenzie of the San Rafael
was the last one to leave the boat. AS
she was going down he seized rope
flung to him from the Sausalito and
was pulled ON board. He thinks that
most of his passengers were saved, as
many of them jumped to the Sausalito
and others went on the gangplank run
between the two boats to safety. The
list of those lost will probably not be
available tonight. 1t is safe to say,
however, that those lost were all
people in the community.