Year: 1870

From the Alta California of March I'd. .


On BOARD THE STEAMER COLORADO,


February 2Gth, 1870.


The steamer Golden City left San Fran
cisco the 18th. of February, with about
800 passengers. The weather was pleas.
ant, and everything promised pleasant
voyage. We had been out from port
about thirteen days and nineteen hours,
and had run about 1000 miles, when on
the morning of the 22d the first passen-
gers on deck were alarmed at finding the
steamer running head on in thick fog,
and hearing the heavy roar of the breakers
apparently in close proximity. 1t was ev
idcnt We were dangerously near the shore,
while right ahead it was still more apparent
to old sailors on the coast The density and
blackncss of the bank of fog hanging over
Point Lazaro, were unaccountablc to us,
who knew nothing of the coast. 1t was
night intensified. Looking over the other
bow, north and west, we could see a smooth
sea and clear horizon Shortly before
A. NJ, just as the tables were let down to
breakfast the steeragc passengers, the ship
was felt humping against the bottom with
no great violence. but it sufiiccd to cause
rush on deck. She rode over this obstruc-
ton and carecrcd on with slightly dimin
ished speed. She kept on her course
without any change of position for about
two minutes, when she struck again with
great force. 1t seems as if it was intend
ed to drive her over this. but all efforts to
clear it only drove her further on. The
engines were then reversed with view to
backing her off, 1t was too late, she was
hard aground. Her fate was sealed at
this iuncture she carecncd from side to side
with fearful! force. sending men, women
and children into PROSTATE maascs over the
decks.


POINT LAZARO.


The exact location of the wreck is about
ten miles north of Point Lazaro, which is a
mountain range of four miles in length.
and varies in height from 500 to POO
feet, forming the northern boundary of
Santa Maria Bay, Il retreat of whales we'll
known to whaling men. This bay is about
twelve miles north of the Margarita group
of islands, whereon the steamship Iadpend-
encc was wrecked years ago.


Cape La2aro is in latitude 24 deg. 40
min and it projects due south into the
Pacific Ocean, the general course of the
peninsula being south southeast aud
north northwest. It's distance from San
Francisco is about 900 miles, and from
Cape St. Lucas 225 miles.


TIE FRIGHT OF THE PASSENGERS.


1t was dreadful sight enough to cover
the braveSt heart Women were calling
to their husbands, chidren screaming for
their mothers, and others praying God to
save them, in a manner beyond any ade
quate description. Presently the third
mate came forward and begun pulling the
pile Of life preservers asunder. The men.
who had until now been quite calm. broke
loose, and such charge was probably new
cr seen before In less time than it takes
to tell it, the heap was cleaned off to the
floor. In the confusion, such havoc en-
sued that more than half the coveted arti-
cles were rendered useless. The fog which
intervencd between us and the shore was
gradually clearing off, and by the time we
were equipped with lfe-preservers, put on
hurriedly and in all styles and positions
the eager faces turned shorewarl to
measure the distance to be overcome before
taking the dreadful plunge, saw the land.
1t was less than half mile from the i'll.
fated vessel. It caused much casincss
among the people, calming the terror
stricken, giving promise of safety. The
first officer then came among the passen-
gers and called FOR a force to haul the
kedge anchor aft to the stern of the ship
for the purpose of carrying it into deep wa
ter in order to make an effort to get her
off. A gang readily offered their services,
and after some unavoidable delay, succeed
ed in lowering it over the quarter into the
charge of the second officer Hart. He car
ried tout short distance, and everything
being ready, the cable was bent around the
capstan and put. in notion The work
continued about 20 minutes, with no sue
cess She would not bulge an inch. The
Golden City, from the time she came to a
final stand, had been carried or rather
driven, by each succeeding swell, into the
current of the breakers, and its was now
beyond the power of any human agency to
save her. Every change of position Of
her furrowed sand-bed would be followed
by tremendous heaving aud lurching
from side to side, threatening to pitch
overheard any who did not have firm
hold Of some support.


GOING ASHORE.


Previous to lowering the life-boats, the
first officer, (Gcrrick) who worked heroic
ally to save the ship, called for order
among the crew assembled around the
stern he told them it was determined to
take to the boats; he required their help,
aud if they would keep cool all would be
saved. lie appealed to them to behave
like men, to stand by him until the women
and children were safely landed, and final
ly, that he would shoot any one who at
tempted to get into the boats till that was
fully accomplished. When they put of
many feared they would meet with loss in