The San Francisco call., 1904-06-08
PACIFIC MAIL FREIGHT STEAMER ALGOA STRIKES
ON THE JAGGED ROCKS OF REEF AT POINT BONITA

That the Pacific Mail freight steamer
Algoa. Captain Lockett, is tied up at
Greenwich street wharf is due 10 the
fact that she has stanch watertight
compartments. FOR she struck On the
rocks OF Point Bonita yesterday morn
ing and came down the bay with thir-
teen feet OF water in her hold and
pumps playing as hard as steam would
drive them.
The Algoa left Yokohama seventeen
days ago and had good weather all the
way across the Pacific. When she ar
rived at the entrance Of the Golden
Gate yesterday morning the weather
was clear. There was a strong ebb tide
flowing and Captain LOcKett, who has
been her commander for several years,
hugged the north shore 10 make the
bay. This placed the freighter in an
awkward position IN the event Of meet
ing any outward bound vessels. AS
The AlgOa rounded the point the three
masted schooner COmpeer, going to sea
in charge Of a tugboat. came tearing
along The COmpeer was bearing to
me StarboarQ and IL meant a collision
II the steamer maintained her course
Captain LOckett was on the bridge,
but the pilot had not yet come aboard
Bells were sounded. and as the for
ward headWay of the ship was checked
The ebb TIDE swung the freIghter's bow
toward the rocks. Breakers were
throwing their foam within a few feet
of the Algoa. Both anchors were let
SO. The starboard anchor held, but
the cable parted and the port anchor
failed 10 check the freighter's head
way. AS her bow struck the rocks,
panic seized the Chinese crew and
there was wild rush for the Ifeboats-
knives were pulled from their scab-
bards and before the officers could in
terfere the demoralized Mongolians
were cutting away the boat lashings
and making ready for hasty launch
ing
chief Onoer Nichols, armed with
lead pipe. and Second Officer Stevens,
swinging ropes end, drove the Celes-
uals 10 their posts.
During the five minutes that the
Algoa was pounding in the swell. Pilot
Reed boarded the freighter and as
sumed command He found nothing
more 10 DO than see the orders prev
iously issued by Captain Lockett car
ried out Full speed astern was the
instructions 10 the engine room and full
speed il was.
The Algoa was heavily loaded above
the water line and there was some
fear that she might turn turtle. With
q heavy swell running, the officers
thought she might turn broadside TO
The shore and in that event there would
be 10 possibility Of saving her.
Captain Lockett contends that he
gave all the right OF way necessary
for the COmpeer 10 pass her, but in
order 10 protect his ship he had TO
head toward the shore. After the
C00lfe crew had been sent back to their
posts, heading was made down the bay.
n 2 Of
the ship, Custom-hOuse and quaran-
tine boats followed in her wake.
Captain LOckett's statement is as fol-
lows:
when 7 saw the schooner heading toward me
to keep out Of her way II may be pos
s-hle that I too close IN shore at the
tine. but was taking advantage Of the tide
ocndirious and used the north channel 70 enter
when found that 1t was matter Of steer
ing clear OF having collision, steened clear
Otherwise we would have been smashed or
the ComDeer would have been cut down
ne reef. becaase T thought we were beyond
f. As quickly a. We struck ordered the
snip stopped and fuIi steam astern That
was. however. not sufficient 20 check the
neGlWag and I ar once called out 70 First
officer Nichols o. let 80 both anchors We
had a. that tine such headWay that, even
though the propeller was working astern, We
could not check The forward motion We struck
anc pounded until the propeller secured actioh
in backing out and we became clear. By that
time Pilot Reed vas aboard and took com
mand.
First officer Nichols made the fol-
lowing explanation Of the accident:
Yes we struck the rocks and in the time
have been aboard the Algoa this Is the first
accident that have known ] was on deck
when We saw the schooner cutting across our
bows Whether or not she would have struck
US Is a question. but ] think she would The
moment We hit the reef and the ship began
no pound in the swell the Cinnamon on deck
and below came Pi1ng up 10 the lheboats
They wanted TO cut them away. but Second
offcer Stevens and ordered them back 70
We have aboard at this time cargo valued
az about 800 o0o
Second officer Stevens, who was on
deck al the time of the accident, says
there was no possibility of the steamer
takinE any other course than she did
when the schooner attempted to cross
her bows.
shortly after the Algoa was docked
Captain T. D. K. Wilson was on the
wharf arranging for the speedy dis
charge Of the vessels cargo. This work
win be carried on day and night until
The vessels holds are empty. She will
then be placed on the Hunters Point
drydOck for inspection and repairs
So far as could be ascertained yester-
day the cargo is unchanged. The leak
was confined 10 the forward ballast
tanks and a stout bulkhead held the
water from the freight.
The Algoa's cargo was large. varied
and valuable and had the vessel been
wrecked beachcOmbers from San
Diego 70 Alaska would have had a
summer supply Of Oriental odds and
ends.
She brought in all 1925 tons of
freight, which was made I'D Of 1OO.O05
packages and valued at $500. 900. The
cargo included 3O,229 bags of rice,
$685. boxes Of tea, 4752 bags Of sugar
and cOnsignmeuts. large and small, Of
oil, gunnies, hemp. jute, nutmegs, silk
goods, pepper, coffee. spices, mating,
curios, ginger, sulphur, peanuts and
chow.
RnrI- IIoIIicr..r.,.h cr.ol-l-.