The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-07-13
29 DROWNED FROM
STEAMER POUNDED
TO BITS ON ROCK
Attempts to Escape in
Life Boats Prove
Disastrous
29O ARE SAVED
Passengers Blame Captain for
Not Leaving Ship Earlier
In the Day

III lllC lay
santa Barbara, Calit.-lHOur scuucu
and Twenty-Five passengers lost their
IlVes In the wrecking of the steam
or Santa Rosa, off A.rgucllo. accord
Ing to a statement made by the rest
OF the 200 passengers. The passcn-
gers say that all could have been
saved, but Captain Faris refused ia
allow them to land until it was too
late. Several more are in a critical
condition from exposure and if is
feared they cannot recover.
All Taken on.
San Francisco, Calif.-Sccond Of
nicer e. Hewson and three members
OF the crew of the Santa Rosa were
the only II es drowned when she
hroke up last night, according to tho
latest advices received at the Offices
of the Pacific Steamship company
here. These men lost their lives
while trying to put a line ashore.
The removal of the passengers and
crew began at 5:43 y. M. and was
completed at 1920.
Drown in Surf.
Surf, Calif.-Twenty or more pas
sengers and members of the crew of
the wrecked steamship Santa Rosa
We're drowned in the surf at dusk
last evening while trying to escape
from the vessel which stranded ON
Point Arguello, six miles south of
here, be fore dawn yesterday.
In two frail life boats, they left
the ship, plunged into the roaring
surf and in a moment were founder
ing in the boiling waters. The lives
OF some were pounded out against.
the rocks, while others sank to the
bottom. Several bodies were wash
ed ashore.
The doom of the steamer was seal
ed shortly after a o'clock yesterday
when a rising wind stirred up a
high sea and forced the abandon
ment OF efforts to transfer the pas
sengers from the Santa Rosa to the
steamer-schooner, Centralia, which
with the schooner Helen p. Drew,
had previously made efforts to float
her.
Up to that time there was no ap-
prehension of danger among officers
and crew of the stranded vessel.
1T was thought she would be feat
ed easily. In fact the captain ans
wered wireless messages with the
statement that the ship was lying an
parently easy and would be loated
at the crest of the tide last night,
put as the afternoon wore on tho
danger rapidly increased and by
hlghfall 1T became certain that des-
perate efforts would be necessary to
save anyone of the ships company,
Swings Against Rocks.
S - liz way luc aOcnITHl1a
and the Helen P. Drew had passed
to the Santa Rosa, but he
rising wind was too strong for their
limited horsepower and at dusk. tho
Santa Rosa swung broadside to the
breakers. Immediately she began
break up. The crash of breaking
timDerS and Ovprstrainod rtooI ,o,la
be a by the wireless men at
Arguello.
The first life boat was launched
at dark after every effort had been
made to establish boat communica-
ION with the Centralia. Tho shore
Inc lay only three hundred feet
rom the broken ship; but the frail
little craft could not make it.
The lifeboat bobbed like a cork on
he crest of the great breakers and
me next instant was submerged.
There We're sixteen persons in this
'oat, eleven passengers and five Of
he crew. All were dashed to death
lgalnst the rocks or drowned. An
the boat was launched by the fran
lc people aboard the steamer. 1t
net the same fate.
There were about nineteen per-
ons in this boat. Fifteen managed
o reach shore alive, battered and
lost OF them unconscious.