The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-09
1y Associated Press.

Surf, Calf, July Son the rocks 900
feet off the sand dunes surrounding the
mouth of Honda Creek, the Pacific
Steamship Company's steamer Santa
Rosa, which was stranded yesterday,
lies tonight wave-battered wreck.
Somewhere near the broken, sub
merged hulk are the bodies of Second
Officer z. Heusen and three sailors
Fred Johnson, e. w. Febson and John
Psiffer, who drowned last night while
rigging life buoy lines by which the
passengers and crew were transferred
to land.
All of the 200 passengers are saved,
according to the chief steward, but
contrary reports say many perished.
Captain Faria, commander OF the
wrecked steamer, made a statement to-
day. He placed the blame for the
stranding of the steamer and the
known loss of four lives upon the
shoulders of Third officer Thomas, who
was officer of the deck when the Santa
Rosa plunged upon the rocks before
dawn yesterday.
Thomas, in defense, stated that he
"over-read" the ships log and thought
he was off Point Conception.
The loss of life among the pas
sengers is still in doubt, as passengers
left here on various trains and COM
pIete check is hardly possible. Some
of the ships company assert that from
three to eight perished. The vessel iF
q total loss and little Of the cargo car
he saved
II is supposed that powerful search
light being used by a gang Of railroad
laborers who were working near the
wreck is the cause of the vessel leaving
its course, the quartermaster mistak-
ing it for the light of the Point Ar
guello light house shore. When the
steamer struck the injury did not ap-
rrar to- be serious and Captain Faria
believing he would be able again tt
float the Santa Rosa, made no attemp
to land the passengers. A sharp wind
rising soon after 4 o'clock threatened
to further wreck the vessel and hast!
preparations were made to take tn
passengers and crew ashore. At 5:3'
O'Clock a heavy swell cracked the YES
sci amidships and at o'clock 1t spill
in two.
There were 275 persons on board
most of whom had taken refuge in tn
forward section, as the stern Of tn
boat had received the brunt OF tn
waves.
Third Engineer c. w. Brown carrie,
a line to shore in a boat and when h
had effected a landing after desperat
battle with the waves aid had arr1ve'
on shore. A net was rigged on tn
shore line and the women and childrel
first were taken from the founderin
LIFEBoAT BREAKS IN TWO.
The disaster In which Second ONCE
Heuson and three seamen lost thei
lives occurred Just before the vesse
yielded to the assault of the wave
and broke in two. A life boat carryin
five men had just put out. Heavy sea
sent it crashing against the hull OF tn
vessel Oscar Patterson, a seaman
succeeded in swimming ashore but hi
four companions perished.
A craft containing 20 women cap
sized off the bow of the Santa Ross
Darkness had fallen and the search
lights on shore lighted the scene s
irnperfectly that II could not be deter
mined whether all the women wer
rescued.
The relief train bearing the rescue
messengers of the wrecked steamshi
arrived in Santa Barbara today an
discharged a pitiful freight of hysteri
cal women and half clad, shivertn
men. Suffering and privation wer
written plainly on the faces Of all, an
II win be weeks, and in some case
months before the victims recover. A
had been drenched to the skin 1
coming ashore in the breeches buoy ]
the high surf and none had anythln
to eat since the noon hour yesterda
on board the ship, except hasty lunc
and a cup OF coffee provided by tn
sympathetic farmers who thronged {
the beach from their nearby home
when the vessel began to break up.
Many were too weak to leave tn
cars unassisted and half dozen ha
to be carried from the train on streach
(Conttnued on Page EleyenO