Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-08-15
BOILERS EXPLODE;
FOUR ON STEAMER
DEAD; A SURVIVE
Accident Occurs at Night While
Vessel Is Off Coast of
MendoCinO
FIRE SWEEPS SINKING SHIP
Life-Saving Crew at Point ARA
See Distress Rockets and
Rescue Sailors
IRE SWEEPS SINKING SHIP
tAss. dated Press,

POINT ARIA, Cal, Aug. 14.-Four
men We're killed late last night when
the boilers of the steam schooner Phoe-
nix blew up at sea about ten miles
north of Point ARA lighthouse, off the
Mendoeino coast. Two of them, Chief
Engineer Thomas Houston of Berkeley
and Second Mate Andrew Rasmussen
of San Francisco, reached shore with
the survivors of the vessel, but died
this morning from their injuries. The
bodies of two firemen, Chris Hansen
and William Nicholson of San Fran
cisco, were found in the engine room
of their ship as she fioated at sea.
The accident occurred last night
shortly after 9 o'clock. The Phoenix,
loaded with bark for San Francisco,
was making her way slowly southward
against a brisk wind in choppy sea.
Hansen and Nicholson were stoking
below, and Houston and Rasmussen
were chatting at the engine room door
when suddenly there was roar from
a boiler. :
OFFICER HURLED OFF BRIDGE
The mate and the engineer were
hurled TO the floor toward the fire
boxes and First Officer Louis Carson
was thrown from his position on the
bridge and his body sent through the
air thirty feet to the deck below. The
yersen, seated in his cabin, were tossed
about in their quarters by the force
of the explosion, and confusion reigned.
With her bow we'll out of water and
careening to starboard, the Phoenix
was settling. Pump crews We're sta
toned and some of the sailors were
sent into the engine and boiler rooms
to discover whether the ship was on
fire The men, working amid the tan
70 On kissing
came upon the PROSTATE forms OF
Houston and Rasmussen, who were
carried to the deck, still alive but
fatally injured. Nicholson and Hansen
were never seen after the explosion
Sky rocket distress signals flashing
through the air attracted Captain
Stitt and his crew of the Point ARA
life saving station, and the rescuers
nut off in the life boat. They returned
at midnight with Rasmussen and
Houston and several members OF the
crew. Captain Halvorsen and the
others remained aboard the vessel Al
daybreak the skipper and those who
had stayed with him made their way
through the breakers to the shore IN
the ships boats after making frultiess
efforts to beach the Phoenix.
VESSEL DRIFTS DOWN COAST
An effort was made by the tug Her
culeS to put line "oout the Nessel "
day. but the heavy seas made this I'M
possible. AS darkness fell tonight the
phoenix was making her way down
the coast, kept afloat by her deck load.
when last-seen by the lookouts she
was ten miles below the Poipt ARA
lighthouse and was standing about
two miles out from the rock.
Houston and Rasmussen died this
morning. They were attended by DR..
a. u. Pitts of Point ARA, who was
powerless to save them. Captain Hal
vorsen and the thirteen survivors OF
the crew left here today on the steam
schooner Brooklyn, bound for san
francisco. Besides Larsen, who was
only slightly hurt, the only others
aboard to receive injuries were Eric
Olsen and ole Nicholson, both OF whom
sustained decorations and contusions
about the legs and arms.