The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-08


The survivors bitterly criticise Cap.
tain Faria for holding them on the
vessel as she lay on the rocks all day
yesterday, refusing 10 permit them to
land when they insisted upon II and
when langing could have been effect.
ed without peril to anyone. Finally, say
the survivors, driven desperate by the
rising gale yesterday afternoon, the
passengers named q deputation head
ed by J. ID. Collins and Edward Mont
rose, OF San Francisco, which threat
ened Capt. Faria unless he allowed
them to land. With the wind and sea
rising alarmingly. Faria yielded, they
declare.
few minutes later. the steamer
split and she Immediately began to
break up.
The steamer at daylight today was
FAST breaking up Late last night the
vessel broke amidships during a fierce
gale.
Second Mate Hewson and Seamen
Fred Jensen. Ed. johnson and John
Stiffer, put on In lifeboat. Their
boat was swamped quickly and all
perished The passengers declare the
loss OF life would have been appalling
had not the breeches buoy hoated
ashore where II was made fast by
ranchers. and railroad laborers, the
2S0 passengers being dragged through
the surf by the crowds lining the
beach.
Charles Miller. OF San Francisco.
who swan ashore through three hun
dred yards OF sur. from the Santa
Rosa, declared today that he saw a
woman with o baby In her arms 60
down and +. a. Fairbanks, OF San
Diego, and John Tufts, of Auburn, cor
roborated this statement.
The sentries were posted along the
beach near the scene OF the. wreck
today to watch for bodies that were
expected to float ashore.
All the passengers were drenched
during the trip from the weeck to the
beach and II IL feared some will die
as the result OF the exposure. Seven
We're taken to hospitals In a serious
condition today.
J. d. Collins made this statement to
the United Press:
breaker cracked the vessel amidships.
At s o'clock she split In two. The
people aboard her were tLen huddled
In the forward section.
Even thenSwe had difficulty In fore
ing the captain to land the passengers
and II was 1920 before the last mem
ber of the crew was taken from the
!, vessel In the breeches buoy. II had
had a gun. I certainly would have
shot the chief officer and several Of
his assistants.
There was no occasion for such un-
reasonably delay. The water was
smooth for hours early In the after
noon and the passengers could have
/. landed without the slightest risk. In
stead the captain waited until the ves-
sci was certain wreck and then the
excitement made the work extremely
hazardous.
"Tbe passengers begged the captain
to land them but he was obdurate and
refused. At 5 o'clock q number OF
passengers went to him and practi-
caIly forced him to give orders for
the landing. At 5:45 four sailors were
detailed to take line ashore Their
, lifeboats mounted the breakers and
disappeared and neither II nor the
sailors ever reappeared.
The line washed ashore, however,
was picked up and made fast and the
work OF removing the passengers con-
tinued from o'clock to $3.50. Half
an hour after the captain came ashore.
the cable holding the boat snapped.
She was lifted up. hurled out to sea
and sank In several fathams OF
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