Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-22
IS PICKED UP BY
REVENUE CUTTER
PARTY TAKEN FROM MALlBU
TO SAN PEDRO
SHIPS CARPENTER TELLS STORY
OF CATASTROPHE
Unable TO Explain Origin of Fire
Which Destroyed the ST. croix.
Receives Severe Blow on
the Head
Especial to The Herald ]

SAN PEDRO, Nov. 21-The United
States revenue cutter Perry, in COM
mand of Captain Haake, returned to
port at 3 o'clock this afternoon. having
on board fifteen of the survivors of the
steamer st. Croix, most of the party
being members of the crew who were
the last 10 get away from the impro-
Vised camp on the seashore at the
Malibu ranch.
The Perry found the oil tanks of the
steamer still ahoat, and shot explosive
shells into the derelict, finally removing
every trace of the passenger steamer.
The shots sounded like a bombardment
to the stranded passengers still at the
ranch, but they could not see the boat
Among the little company who came
off the Perry here was Sidney Finley
the waiter who jumped overheard and
rescued a woman and her baby when
the tackle broke. .spilling those in the
ships boat into the water. Finley was
caught between the boat and the side
of the steamer and his left wrist was
broken. He was made as comfortable
as possible on the revenue cutter, and
on arrival here was taken on a stretcher
to DR. Weldons quarantine office. where
his injuries were cared for. He was
then taken to a room in the Admiral
hotel and left for a quiet sleep, which
! lie greatly needed.
Ship Carpenter Hurt
One other in the party who was in
| tured was r. p. German, the ships
carpenter. He was in the small boat
! when IL was being lowered and was
struck on the head by the block when
| the tackle gave way. German suffered
considerably with his wound last night,
but since 1t was dressed today he has
| felt much better.
He gave a graphic description of the
accident and the night ashore His
version of the accident Is the same as
| that of the others He knows of no
cause for the fire or the exact spot II
| started, excepting that il was well aft
! German was in tho first boat which
reached shore just behind Captain
| Warner. He said:
eve made camp where we landed
and stayed there until midnight, when
! the captain ordered us 10 move farther
up the beach. Those injured and the
women were carried by buggy or on the
gasoline car over the railroad track up
to the Malibu ranch. 7 was with the
last Of the party and did not make as
fast time as the others. We continued
our tramp early this morning toward
Santa Monica, Finley being carried on
stretcher.
Revenue Cutter SienaIed
"I don't know what became of the
rest of the party, but about fifteen OF
us were together, and about o'clock
this morning we saw the revenue cut
| ter. We made a fire and signaled to
| the vessel. She saw the blaze and rec
ognized us by the white coats of the
walters, and came in close to shore
| taking us aboard in her small boats
1--WE were mighty glad to get aboard
and all II us feel very grateful to the
| officers and men of the Perry for their
! kind treatment of us. We had a hard
night We carried wood two miles tc
keep up the fires and had carried Fin
| ley four miles along the beach this
morning. The steamer sank at o'clock
After that we saw nothing and heard
nothing until the Perry fired into the
| tanks"
The survivors at San Pedro are:
! Frank Warner. third officer (brother
of Captain Frederick Warmers r. p
German, carpenter; Sidney Finley
| waiter; ]. Marin and J. La Forte, sail
ors; Biorne Blekum, second officer; J
| Pennington, waiter; J. Noon, second
| cabin steward: Fl. Morgan, waiter: T.
| Carey, painter: E. Evans, waiter: First
Assistant Engineer F. p. Whitehead
! Charles Tollar and two quartermasters