The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 17, 1896, Page 1

ito be taken from | the Library,¢+«¢+ VOLUME LXXX.—NO. 47. SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 17, 1896. PRICE FIVE CENTS. QUEEN-LIK Yourcorrespondent boarded the wrecked Colombia yesterday evening, intending to go ashore after learning her condition and abou: how long she will probably hold to- gether in her uneasy bed. The rising tide lifted the after part of extreme forward portion resting on the reef. When the tide is high she pivots, as it were, on her strong stem, which grinds | nd grinds into the ledge and keeps the H E D I | her body clear of the rocks, leaving the The Colombia, Cruelly. Bat- tered, Is Slowly Breaking Up. NO HOPE OF SAVING THE VESSEL. Night Scenes Aboard the Wreck on the Reef Off Pigeon Point. GRINDING HER LIFE OUT ON THE ROCKS. Captain Clark Ordered the Abandoned Wednesday Night at 10 0'Clock. Ship ON BOARD P. M. 8. 8. COLOMBIA, ashore off Pigeon Point (via Pescadero), July 16.—To write with the deck buckling under one’s feet and the long saloon table twisting like & thing in mortal agony,with | the pointed rocks gnawing deeper into the shattered hull at every hurl of the long ground swell, is not an easy matter, not | To hear the great | for even a brief period. steel frame of the ship groan and grind on its rivets as she wallows woundedly like a living creature of the sea, to hear the wild and useless blows she strikes at the cruel reef that holds her in iis never- loosening grip, is apt to make one think disjointedly and wordlessly, and when the writer knows that the big metal hull, | under the mighty strain, may break in two, letting more or less of the crew and possibly a reporter drop, finished story, down among the splintered plates and beams, where the incoming sea can slosh him around carelessly and prob- ably stranele him before the sharp frag- ments of wreck have worked him an in- jury, he is liable to become imbued with a longing for country life and the stability of the everlasting, ever stationary hills, Y. with an un- | water in that locality thick with mud, broken shells and torn-up weeds. That ismal crunching can be heard sounding out of the sea night and day. The doomed Colombia struggles hard and rends the | rocks in her dying. Then she rolis—not | the smooth, graceful swing of the ship in- a heave, a jerk and a heavy shock that booms dully through her frame. There is a twist in the hull, caused by the motion of the floating stern under the strokes of the waves. ' If one is carelessly sianding near a longitudinal bulkhead heis fetched up standing against it, and if he is close to a thwartship partition he catches that too. Often he gets them both. From the wide rents in the bottom the water has come in, filling the forward held flush between decks and washing off the hatch covers. In this hold were stored cases, large and small, of merchandise. By the bumping of the vessel the boxes were dislodged and broken open, and the violent churning of the mass of water did the rest. No name can be given to that mixture of broom-handles, gayly painted | children’s toys, canned vegetables, pack- | ages of underwear, tinware, baskets, rolls | of pap'r, straw and thousands of splint- | ers. Tases of limes were ground to frag- | ments, and the odorous contents squashed and squeezed among the debris. hold is a veritable lejjonade bowl, and the pungent citric smell of its contents per- vades the whole ship. A large consignment of ochre-colored | footballs float merrily in the big tank, and the writer got several duckings in his | frantic efforts to secure one as a memento During the afternoon several of the crew engaged in the rather perilous pastime of fishing for articles over the hatch comb- ings. To Lave been thrown among that mass by the jump of the hull and washed under the deck by that rushing whirlpool | wonld have been destruction to the fisher. i As the tide rose the motion of the vessel became freer and more violent. The | grinding under the sea and the fall of the | great hulk onto the rocks makes one feel earthquaky—that cold sensation about the heart which is always apparent when sub- | terranean tremors come up one’s legs and | spread over the nerve centers. The steel | bulkheads began to buckle and roll into ridges like a canvas screen, and the strong | | decks, braced to the metal beams, ran in | waves fore and aft. | chinery in the engine-room” would spring upward fully six inches and swing from starboara to port, while massive boilers | facing each other would ‘appear to almost clining to the sloping send of the sea, but | That | The ponderous ma- | knock together. Then everything would settle back in place during the short in- terval of gniet, with not a rivet started, not a glass globe shattered. When Roach & Sons bammered the Colombia into form four years ago they builded better probably than even they knew. She is as flexible as the blade of & rapier and as fibrous as a watchspring. With all the cruel battering, twisting, wrenching and bending that noble frame comes splendidly back into the lines her designer drew. As she lies there, her shapely bow to the sunny shore and her stern to the blue sea, she will sail no more —she dies like a queen. She yields to the stroke that destroys her, and in death she triumphs. - And her master, Captain Clark, whatever the error that led his splendid vessel out of the safe open‘into the little 'horseshoe bay that | will be forever associated with her name, be it the fog thatobscured and bewildered, the chartless current that deflected, or the iron environed compass that deviated and threw the Colombia into the teeth of the reef that is eating her life away, conscicus as he is of the grave ever yawning beneath his keel, bends always his every effort to the salvation of his ship. And ships and sailors, too, are oftimes lost. Captain Clark’s manner since the dis- aster has brought him into prominence, has stamped him a cool, clearheaded man. He quieted his passengers, held his crew in hand, and while the rocks were ripping the sheets of metal from his vessel sent the travelers down to oreakfast. Now he walks the decks, while the reef grinds and grates under him, destroying both the snip and her master—a quiet, courteous gentleman. At dark a heavier swell began to roll in and the pounding of the huik on the reef grew aiarming, atleast to the newspaper man. The big smokestack pulled hard at its guy ropesand the masts whipped in their steppings iike fishrods. The interior of the vessel ‘creaked ominously as the steel bulkheads bent to the awful pressure | of the sea without and the .water within. There was twenty feet in the forward com- partment and six feet aft, while the mid- dle compartment was clear. This left the engine and.fireroom dry, butit was ex- pected every roll that the bulkheads would go and flood that space, “and so drown the dynamo and leave the ship in darkness. As a precantion all the' lanterns were lighted and well secured where their globes would not be shattered. Glass has a pre- carious existence in the’ jump ana plunge of the laboring hulk. As the night came on the situation grew more dismal and horrible, - A person walk- ing along the unlighted upper deck could not tell how the vessel was going to roil in a swing, then go the other way, to fetch up. with a bump on the. rocks. She bumped on both sides and in the middle, and always there was that dreadful saw- { Continued on' Fourth Page. or which way. She would slope halt over | I HABANDONMENT OF THE WRECKED STEAMER COLOMBIA OFF PIGEON POINT. Yesterday after the men had all left the ship the Captain came down the gangway and silently seated himself among his'crew. They pulled away, leaving the steamer to wallow on the reef, her lamps gleaming from the cabin windows. wrl MARY LIVES ALST N THE CHANNEL Cleveland the Scene of One More Most Appalling Disaster. FERRY-BOAT CAPSIZED. About Twenty Men Drowned During the Fearful Struggles of the Victims. CROWDED ON AN UNSAFE CRAFT Loaded to the Gunwale by Living Freight the Vessel Is Easily Swamped. CLEVELAND, Osro, July 16.—The most appalling disaster which has ever occurred in Cleveland, excepting only the Viaduct horror last winter, when & loaded street- car plunged 100 feet into the river, oc- curred to-night at 8 o'clock. While a flat- bottomed ferryboat, loaded with between forty and fifty laborers, was crossing the old river channel it was capsized and all the men thrown into the channel and be- tween fifteen and twenty drowned. The bodies found thus far are those of: Charles Sproeke, married, seven children; William Saunders, married, one child; August Hasten, married ; Michael Lynch; Fritz Bortels; Chrie Gerlach; — Prokup; Charles Bohermeister, married; Julius Erkhe, married; Chris Gehren, married; unknown man at Gallagher’s morgue; un- known man at Hogan & Sherer’s morgue; Charles Kraus, widower, three children; Edward Ryan, married. The accident ‘was dve to a panic on board. The boat was loaded until the gunwhale was only three inches above the water, and a passing tug made waves which came into the boat. At once there was a rush to the other side and the boat went under. The men were members of a gang of ore handlers and were coming home from work. The scene in the river was one of a wild strug gle for life. Men grappled each other and went down in their fierce struggles, while cries for help struck horror to the souls of witnesses. Lines and life pre- servers were thrown from the tug and the steamer London, which was also passing, and many were pulled aboard. Others of the unfortunates were rescued by small boats and some swam ashore. The life-saving crew was summoned and the work of searching for bodies at once began. Within a short time seven of the unfortunates were brought to shore and taken to the Morgue for identification. Those who escaped scattered in every direction and it is uncertain just how many lives werelost. Twenty men are re- ported missing and thedragging of the channel 1s stillin progress. The crowding of the boat was due to the THE FAMILY LIBRARY. on the less the cost to the passengers. The men mostly lived on Gauge street and Sel- den avenue which lead down to the docks and shipyards and the scenes there were indescribable. Men. women and children ran about screaming and much disorder prevailed. By 11 o'clock to-night fourteen bodies bave been recovered and taken to the various Morgues. Among those who were rescued was Richard Masten, engineer of the new steamer Sir Henry Bessemer, which was lying at the ore dock. When he saw the boat was turning he jumped, but was caught under the scow when it turned over, and working his way underneath the boat, getting air by rising in the overturned craft, he managed at last to dive clear of the wreck and swam to his own vessel and was pulled aboard. He was the only passenger aside from the ore-handlers. An immense crowd soon gathered on the banks of the river watching the work of the boats conducting the search. Among them was Wilham Benlow, a pressman. In moving about he lost his footing, fell into the river and was drowned. The scenes enacted by the undertakers were disgusting in the extreme. They al- mosi came to blows in their anxiety to gain possession of the bodies, and the po- lice had to interfere in the interest of de- cency. FAREWELL, PEARY, The Lieutenant Starts on Another Foyage of Exploration. SYDNEY, C. B, July 16.—The steamer Hope with Lieutenant Peary’s Arctic ex- pedition on board, sailed from here (o-day on her northern voyage of exploration. Lieutenant Peary thinks the Hope will return the latter part of September. GUARDED BY THE TROOPS Non-Union Men Having a Hard " Time at the Brown Hoist- ing Works. Jeering Crowds Charged by the Militia and Many Men Are Wounded. CLEVELAND, Osmio, July 16.—The strike situation at the Brown Hoisting ‘Works assumed so dangerous a phase this afternoon that three more companies of troops were hurried to the scene just be- fore quitting time and are now encamped at the works. Early in the afternoon crowds began to assemble and stood about sullenly, defiant of police orders to move on. There was so much evidence of a prear- ranged plan, every street leading to the works having its own division of the mob, that the authorities in hot haste sent for more troops. When the sixty-three men who bad been at work were placed in vans to be driven home from the works it was found necessary to charge the mob twice before a passage could be made for the wagons. The drivers had refused to leave the stables with the vehicles and police- wen did the driving. During the melee jeers and threats were hurled at the non-union men, police and military, and some stones thrown. The severest fighting was on Hamilton street, and in the' charges about forty strikers were pricked with bayonets. After a pass- age had been opened the military had all fact that the ore gangs pay just-so'much | it could do to keep the howling mob from per trip on the ferry and the more that got | chasing the wagons. NOW AFRA BRIBERY. Straight Populists Who Will Battle Against Bryan. OPPOSED TO FUSION OR INDORSEMENT. Middle-of-the-Road Men Declare the Party Should Act Independently. CLANS GATHER SLOWLY FOR THE CONVENTION. Meanwhile the Democracy Continues to Fall to Pieces on the Money Question. HOTEL LINDELL, ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 16. Delegates to the Populist and Silver conventions are oozing into St. Louis very slowly. There are not more than two dozen here yet, and these are reticent on the subject of the Demo- cratic indorsement. Most of them be- lieve that silver is the only issue before the people. Dr. Shattinger has opened a middle- of-the-road headquarters, and gives his reasons why a Populist should be a Populist and not a tool of the corrupt Democracy. The opinion is gaining ground here that there will be a sufficient number of honest and conscientious delegates in the convention to defeat any propo- sition looking toward fusion or indorse- ment. The Democracy continues to fall to pleces. Here it is tumbling into the black waters of the Mississippi, sev- eral notable defections having taken place within the past hours, THE CALL’S HEADQUARTERS, } twenty-four JOHN PAUL COSGRAVE. 8T. LOUIS, Mo., July 16.—The Demo- cratic bolt from the anarchist trouble put up at Chicago is going on merrily. Old Missouri has swung into line, and yester- day on the banks of the Mississippi de- nounced and renounced the platform and the candidates put up at Chicago. The bolters are some of the mostrepresenta- tive business men and citizens in the State, including Colonel James G. Broad- head, ex-Minister to Switzerland; ex-Gov- ernor David R. Francis, Judge H. 8. Priest and others equally as prominent in the councils of the Democracy. Their plan is not to put up a third ticket, but to make the fight on Presidential Electors, Congresemen and members of the Legis- lature. They are in favor of anything that will beat the Chicago ticket. The Jefferson Club will follow. This body is in St. Louis what the Iroquis Club used to be in San Francisco. The mem- bers of the Merchants’ Exchange Club are indignant over the report published ina Bryan paper that the club had invited Mr. Bryan to speak in St, Louis. They have repudiated Mr. Bryan and Governor Altgeld’s platform and will support Mc- Kinley. After the adoption of the crank platiorm at Chicago the club declined to bulletin the remainder of the proceedings in its place of business. Its membership, composed of solid business men and the first citizens of St. Louis, is a unit for sound money. So from other States all along the line come reports of Democratic disaffection, and the noise of the falling party is londer than that which was heard when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. These honest Democrats regret the course which they are taking, but they say thatit is necessary for the party to be purified, no matter what the sacrifice may be, and that whether the party survives or perishes the warning will accomplish much good here- after and the people of the United States will be saved from anarchistic rule. The few early Populist delegates who have al- ready arrived in St. Louisare silver men. Every one of them declines to be inter- viewed as to his sentiments on fusion with the Democracy or indorsement of its nomi- nees. It is apparent that if they were straight, middle-of-the-road Populists they would not only kave no objection to declare themselves assuch, but they would glory in the fact and proclaim it from the housetops. Their reticence can therefore be susceptible of two interpretations only—either that they have not yet made up their minds and are waiting to take the pulse of the majority of the delegates, or that they are in favor of indorsing the Democratic ticket and do not like to men- tion that fact sosoon. Not one of them will talk except on glittering generalities, They have surrounded themselves with the mysterious paraphernalia of a con- spiracy. But the straight Populists are out in the open and are declaring their sentiments boldly. They can’t be turned by argu- ment, nor can they be moved by threats or cajolery. The only problem to be solved in their case is as to their number. How many are there of them? This fact can’t be satisfactorily ascertained until the greatest part of the delegates arrive on the ground and a careful canvass has been made. There is one thing that the true friends of Populism have to fear, and thatis the corruption in its own membership. There are as corrupt scoundrels in the ranks of the Populists as there are in any other. party. These may be bribed with the combined sack of the Democracy and the silver men, if any bribery is to be at- tempted, and that is a matter that will be watched keenly by the honest men in the party. Ihad a talk this morning with Dr. C