Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-07-08
REPORTED OVER TWENTY
PASSENGERS PEIslSIIED

| surf Cal, July Twenty or more
| passengers and members of the crew
Of the wrecked steamer santa Rosa
| of the Pacific Coast steamship COM
pany were drowned In the surf at
dusk this afternoon while trying TO
escape from that vessel which
stranded near Point Arguello, six
miles south OF here, before dawn to-
day
In two frail lifehoats they left the
ship. plunged into the roaring surf.
and In moment were floundering in
the broilng waters. The lives OF
some were pounded out against the
rocks, while others sank to the bot
tom. Several bodies were washed
ashore.
At 0.30 o'clock tonight the Santa
Rosa was almost submerged and fran
tie efforts were being made to save
the rest OF the two hundred passen-
gers left aboard her. At that hour
the government wireless station at
Point Arguello reported that the ves-
sci had broken amldship and that the
immense breakers were dashing over
her. The ship will be a complete
wreck and Il seems virtually certain
that the number Of dead Will amount
To many.
The doom of the steamer was seal
ed shortly after 4 o'clock this after
noon, when a rising wind stirred up
IA high sea ana forced the abandon
ment of efforts to transfer the pas
sengers Of the Santa Rosa to the
steam schooner Centralia. which.
with the schooner Helen T.. Drew had
previously made abortivc efforts to
float her
tip to that time no apprehcnsions OF
danger were entertained by the offi-
GERS and crew of the stranded vessel.
II was thought that she could be cas-
ily floated In fact Captain Faria an
swered wireless queries with the state
ment that his ship apparently was
living enslly and would he floated at
the crest of the tide tonight. But as
the afternoon wore on danger rap
idly increased, and by nightfall u be-
came certain that desperate efforts
would be necessary to save any one OF
the ships company.
Early In the day the Centralia ana
the Helen p. Drew had passed haw-
sers to the Santa Rosa, but the rising
wind was too strong for their limited
horse power, and at dusk the Santa
Rosa swung broadslde to the break
ers.
Immediately she began to break up.
The crash of the breaking tmhers
and overstrained steel could be heard
by the wireless men Mt Point Arguelio.
The first lifeboat was launched al
dusk, after every effort had been
made to establish boat eommunlca-
ton with the Centralia.
The shore line lay only 800 feet
from the broken ship. but the life.
boat could not make Il. II hohbed
like n cork on the crest of the noun
tAinous breakers and the next IN
stant was submerged There were
sixteen persons in this boat. eleven
passengers and five Of the crew.
An were dashed TO death against the
rocks or drowned.
Another boat was launched by the
frantic people aboard the steamer.
It met the same fate. There we're
about nineteen persons In this boat
Fifteen managed to reach shore alive,
aud most Of them uncon-
sciDus
Scores Of persons, ranchers from
the vicinity of this place, railroad lah-
orers and men from the wireless sta
ton and lighthouse stood upon the
-. Sl.s..-
drowned before their eyes.
In the offing, just outside tho fatal
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