The San Francisco call., 1901-12-01
DINERS
THROWN
TO FLOOR
Prov of Vessel Scat
ters People in the
Restaurant.
j. L. Torbert Says the
Sausalito Ran at
Full Speed.
Says She Should Have
Kept Straight on
Her Course.

J" " !: ! ! ! :: ! !; J J ]. J :
NE Of those aboard the San
Rafael who was saved and
who himself helped save the
lives OF others was j. L Tor
bert Of Honolulu, who Is vis-
tting in San Rafael with his
wife and child. Mr.. Torbert
belongs to the Myrtle Boat
Club at the Hawaiian capital and Is con-
sequently pretty much at home aboard
vessels. He gave a very clear account OF
the accident and the rescue Of the pas
sengers. He says he Is convinced that a
number of persons were drowned, and
declares that some jumped overheard
without life preservers. Mr.. Torbert
said:
We left the slip in San Francisco about $40
and had been gone about twenty minutes
I think Our boat blew one whistle and then
stopped. The Sausalieo blew one whistle. We
couldn't see her light till she was almost on
The sausalito seemed to be coming almost at
full speed and swung to starboard. heard
a-starboardr, She came fast 1 was standing
outside on the lower deck and the coll
angles. Yes. 1 am sure OF that. She came
straight at US and not glancingy- Had she
kept straight ahead the course she was first
on she would not have struck us.
ne San !. KaIsel was nit Just s where her din
the coffee counter at the time were knocked
on the stools and some OF them were injured.
Inc wheel was wrecked. too. and portions OF
the paddles we've thrown all over the dining
room door.
The San Rafael seemed to hang on to the
nose Of the sausalitO. A line was thrown to
US Immediately and made fast. The ladies' on
the upper deck began pouring over on to the
out.
saw some people IN their excitement jumD
overheard without life preservers. I am sure
The ladies' were cooler than the men One
woman broke open case containing life pre-
servers and began passing them out to the
other ladies and advising them to put them on
Inc crew OF tne san Rafael tried 10 lower
70 get them down quickly I got in one OF
made two trips from the San Rafael to the
Sausalto with boat loads. Then we rowed to
the bow Of the sinking ferryboat and asked II
there were any more ladies there. Some man
shouted No" and We got aboard the Sausa-
The San Rafael sank sidewise ana toward
the side next the boat that had rammed her
and the passengers were nearly all on that side
The vessel went down gently and there was
little swirl above her. Bow and stern wers
about on a level when she sank
were drifting and I heard some one say We
where the San Rafael sank. but II must havs
been long way from where she was struck.
Q of-s.sssssssssss+s + : : : : I. n
panic on board the sausalito. for we did
not know Just what had happened. Some
about to jump overheard when they were
restrained by the cooler-headed ones T
secured hfe-preServer at once not
knowing what would happen next
All OF a sudden the passengers ON
board the San Rafael began clambering
on board the Sausalito and we assisted
as many of them as we could reach to
reach a place OF safety. 1t may have been
fifteen minutes before the San Rafael
sank, but 1t did not seem to me that long.
Many Of the San Rafael passengers had
jumped In the water. for they were SWIM
ming all around U.S. 1 believe that most
of these were picked up, but 1t was very
difficult to see for certain on account OF
the density Of the fog and the almost
total darkness which prevailed.
II heard the faint cry Of little infant
in the water and this was the means OF
rescufng the little one and her father and
mother who were struggling in the water
with their ffe-preservers. Had the baby
not cried out II is quite likely that the
three would have been swept away before
| assistance could reach them. was un-
able to ascertain their names
when the Sausalito started for THU
side, after picking up all the passengers
In sight, another steamer hove in sight
and was within an ace Of running us
down. We, on the Sausalito, who were
nearly frantic with our experience danced
about the deck like crazy people. We
yelled to the oncoming steamer to back
away, which she did and we Just grazed
her side 1t Is an experienced L shall not
easily forget and would not care to du-
plicate IT. brought the Hfe-preserver to
my hotel to preserve as a memento of the
unfortunate affair"