The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 22, 1899, Page 1

4 VOLUME LXXXV— NO. PRICE FIVE CENTS. PA SMALL CHANCE OF SAVING STEAMER oxeg *o e DG e beie THe- MANACLE RocCr s CAPTAIN WATKINS D o R S e o S o L S ol I ] Captain ithampton and York, struck At ndering pas- were ob- that his t1 in smooth the sel’s light grating ond look- time to reverse ship had gone on th )0 yards from the shore. Assi . was summornied by means of roc S, nd the coast guards promptly telephoned to the life- saving statioh for boats, A majority of the passengers were not aware that an accident had hap- pened until they were called up by the stewards. On ching the deck they found the ship’s boats in perfect readi- b for their reception. The s was actly calm, and the only discom- that the passengers experienced as caused by the slight rain that w fal g at the time. Owing to the calm- ess of the sea, the boats could be man- aged with entire safety. Perfect order prevailed aboard the Captain Watkins stood on the iving orders, and his perfect and calmness of assuring effect upon In accordance with the struc the captain, the women % .4 children were the first to be taken Such perfeet order was nger described fon.of off the ship. d that a pi ne as simply a slow proces maint the women and children walking in single file to the boats. At daybreak the position of the el could be better discerned. The brilliant St. Anth light, at the entrance of Falmouth harbo: could be disg® hed plainly through the mistygs 1 the*still standing masts of ted Mohegan could be seen T said that a Falmouth’ pilot . warning signal to the Paris, ling the captain that he would put vessel on top of the Mohegan if he not alter the course of the ship. warning, however, came too late a4 the Raris struck on a ridge to the stward of the manacles. is suggested that as this is only ir second trip from Cherbourg, the s of the Paris were not familiar th the cour: The crew of the Paris » still aboard the vessel, s believed that the steamer has a rent in her bottom in the forward of the ship. Tu are standing nd will assist in an effort to get her off the rocks. Further details of the disaster show when the vessel struck the were summoned on deck. The sengers appearing were met in the ompanionway with comforting words ind assurances of their safety, Ex- ceptional coolness was shown on all eides, the stewards distributing coffee and stimulants to all who dedired them. Captain Watkins had his gig lowered Gebes s e et de- | i P D R S o | and rowed ashore in order to ascertain whereabouts and to telegraph to Falmouth for tugs to assist his ship In the meantime rockets were sent up | and signal guns were fired When dawn broke every one on board was relieved to find the shore on one side and lifeboats lying near by on the other. The vessel lay with her head to the southwest, the er en- gines having put her adside on to | Happily the sea was smooth as no wind. Otherwise there would probably have been a dif- ferent tale to tell. The dangers of the vicinity e strikingly brought home to ,the pas- sengers and crew by the masts of the wrecked steamer Mohegan, which are sticking out of water, and by a the m ible bell buoy, which tolls 2 constantly as though sounding a death kmell When Captain Watk returned his trip ashore he learned was already considerable nost 18 from th water in the hold, and the tugs which had ar- rived stood by in readiness for any emergency. All the passengers were transferred to the tug Dragen, but be- yond the cloth they wore they took g with them. They were landed mouth shortly after 7 o’clock, the agents of the American line m them and providing them with v care and quartering them at the various hotels and the Sailors’ Home. When the Paris struck the tide was within an hour of the flood, and th proved insufficient tc raise her off the rocks. Hundreds of people visited the scene during the day. The passenge are lavish in praise of the admirable behavior of the nothin, at F ing eve officers and crew, and declare that it was due to their self-possession that no accident occurred to any omn Per- fect discipline, they say, W main- | tained throughout. It the that they Paris were so perfectly confident pu ing the proper vessel was steaming an hour were the nineteen knots struck. course that eighteen when the, There will be little danger to the steamer if the long calm continues, but | should the wind veer to the east or southeast, the consequences might be serious. The tugs left the scene at about b o'clock. In connection with the accident to the Paris it will be of interest to | mariner and travele r that persistent agitation < of the Mohegan has at induced the | Trinity brethren to act, and last week | they promised te erect a gas-lighted, “automasic sound-producing buoy on the \ manacles in place of the useless bell buoy now there. Gangs of men on light- | ers have gone to the stranded steamer | to take off the belongings of the pas- | sengers. It is reported that two for- | ward compartments of the Paris are full of water. Thomas Allen of London, a pa on the Paris, on his way to Ne says: “I was in bed when the accident happened. I heard a grating sound, and then several hard thumps-on the rocks shook the ship. The vessel then seemed to stop dead. A few minutes later I heard some one calling, ‘All hands on deck.’ I roused my chum, who was still asleep, and we went on deck. We were told to secure our life belts, and we returned below and got them. We were not allowed to return to the deck at that time. ' All were kept waiting | below. After the first summons a few of the passengers appeared in their night clothes, but as scon as they dis- covered that there was no danger they returned to their rooms and made themselves ready to leave the ship. The passengers all behaved in the best possible manner, There was no screaming on the part of the women. that | their | tated that those in charge of | | and the | RIS ON THE ROCKS, - PASSENGERS RESCUED R R TF @ * OXO* * @ showing a slack lookout. + been had. e e ° bebec e e e @ T4 P OO *Pee P e ae i LONDON, May 22.—All the morning papers comment editorrally on the accident to the Paris, calling attention to the strange comncidence with the Mohegan wreck, in which the foss of all the officers left the position of the ship, so far out of its proper . course, unexplamned, the verdict only The Morning Post and the Daily Mail call attention to the “mysterious and treacherous currents in the channel,” urge an improved system of buoys and call for a postpone- ment of judgment until the fullest investigation shall have LIVERPOOL May 21.—The American line agents here have been informed that the prospects of salvage are good as long as the wind keeps moderate from the west or north. D QOXOROKDHPRD % OXOHOROX O - NEAR THE WRECK ® » * OF THE MOHEGAN RORORO X OROROROROROROO Pox DROFOADK: >@ @ % * .. R SRR SRS . @ . + L4 THE WRECK : OF THE MOHEGAN oo DeDeOeb o . R I S S S e o S O e ] most perfect order was main- tained. We were kept waiting below for an hour. Coffee and biscuits were served and then we entered the ship's | boats. Steam tugs brought us to Fal- mouth.” Among the passengers of the Pari were many poor female emigrants mostly foreign hcused in the Sailors’ Home here. One of the women described her ex- perience as follow “I was awake when .the - vessel struck. 1 heard a dragging sound and felt a shocl then the engines stopped. T went upstairs to find out what the matter was. see ‘the land quite plainly. I thought the ship had stopped to take on pas sengers. I did not think there was any. thing wrong and I returned to bed and stayed there half an hour. Then a steward told me to get up. I said: “There’'s my baby; don't wake him." The steward replied: ‘If you want to save your baby, get up.’ I got up and dressed myself and the baby and went on dec ‘We were much but there was no confusion. They treated us in the kindliest jnanner and finally brought us here on a tug.” Mrs. Batcheler, a sister of United States Senator Vest of Missouri, who embarked at Cherbourg, says the weather was wet and nasty when they left port. She retired early, and at about 1 o’'clock was awakened by a tre- mendous erash, which at first seemed to arise from the machinery. Then every- thing became so quiet that she did not leave her berth. Soon afterward however, she was arcused by a stew ard, who urged the pas and go on deck immediately. Putting on a few things Mrs. Batcheler hurried above, and found hundreds of half- dressed passengers there before her. The officers were busily engaged in preparing the boats for launching and calming the passengers, though there was comparatively little excitement, as it was evident that the ship was not sinking, and at daybraek all were as- sured by glimpses of the shore. M Batcheler said that some of the passengers asserted that they heard Captain Watkins say:- “I am unable to understand how this happended.” There was no fog when Mrs. Batcheler went on deck, but only a misty rain. The worst trouble, she says, arose in transferring the passengers in small boats to the tugs. “The officers and crew,” she observed, “worked like Tro- jans in getting the old people and chil- dren off, and they certainly deserve great praise.” > PASSENCERS TELL HOW THE ROCKS WERE STRUCK FALMOUTH, May 21.—H. W. South- worth, one of the Paris’ passengers, an Englishman, says: ‘The Paris had good weather most of the evening, the moon being about three-quarters full All have been safely | 1 could | frightened, | engers to dress | i | | water forward | changed her course in and at the zenith at 9 o'clock. The weather was misty but not foggy. When the vessel struck most of the passengers were asleep. She seemed to ., then quivered, grated over the slight list to port. The shock suggested striking a derelict or a small vessel, and the po: sibility of being on the rocks therefore was not suggested until the stewards were heard crying, ‘All hands on deck— captain’s orders.’ Many came on deck in their nightclothing. One man wore his. underclothing. and his wife's fur cape, but his appearance caused so much smiling that his wife sent him down to dress, which he did in the music room to the equal amusement of all. There were no signs of panic. The soundings showed nine fathoms of and fourteen aft, but the ship rested on a flat rock, while the rocks rising. on each side held her al- most erect. The officers’ log deter- mined -the position of the Paris, and the position of the wreck of the Mohe- gan shows that the Paris was even more out of her course than the Mohe- gan, she having passed between the Mohegan and the shore, and then, when the mistake was discovered, having the hope of clearing the rocks thus miraculously escaping: the manacles.” Captain G. W. McCallum of Pittsbure says: ‘I heard a tremendous crash, and as a steamboat man I knew we were on the bottom and that if she slipped from the rock we would be in Queer street. Hurriedly putting on my clothing I went upstairs, where I met the steward, who was shouting, ‘All hands on deck.” As I reached the deck I could just make out the masts of the Mohegan. Officers and crew worked hard to restore confidence, and the women seemed calmer than many of the men. As soon as the tugs arrived 1 knew we were all safe, as the sea was calm and there would be no trouble in transferring us.” Captain Scott of the ship Kinross says: “I was bringing my vessel into Falmouth harbor when the accident to the Paris occurred. St. Antheny light was clearly visible for five or six miles, and I heard the bell of the manacles buoy as we passed. A misty rain was falling, but there was no fog, and I saw the line nearly all the way from the Lizard. It is impossible for me to un- derstand how the Paris got into that position any better than the Mohegan. The possibiltiy of mistaking the St. Anthony light for the Lizard light is ridiculous, as the former is a revolving oil light, low down, and the Lizard light is two fixed electric lamps on a e, rock and stood still with a | high cliff.” Mrs. A. G. Spauling of Chicago says: “I was well forward and felt the shock. ‘When I aroused my maid she insisted upon staying in bed, exclaiming, ‘If we must drown, let us drown inbed.’ It was i Continued on Second Page. 5 | he had heard nothing about the mat- REPORTED SINKING OF A GUNBOAT i Nicaraguan Vessel San Ja-| cinto Said to Have Fired on the Detroit. w | s o THENSENTT0BOTION e While the Story Lacks Confirmation 1t Is Probable, Owing to the Friction at Bluefields. | — Special Dispatch to The Call. | | COLON, Colombia, May 21—A rumor | which has reached here from Bo: del | Toro states the Nicaraguan gunboat | San Jacinto fired at the American | cruiser Detroit, and the latter replivd,i | sinking the gunboat. The report lacks | | confirmation. Bocas del Toro is a town on the island | | adjacent to the southern entrance of | the great Chiriqui lagoon. This en-| | trance also called Bocas del Toro | (bull's jaw, from its peculiar shape). | The town has about 3000 pegple and is | |in Costa Rican territory, as is Chiriqui lagoon. The cruiser Detriot is of 2089 tons ¢ acement and 18.7 knots speed. She car ten five-inch rapid-fire guns, her main battery and also eleven six-pounder and smalter guns. No in- formation as tc the size or armament | of the San Jacinto is obtainable, but it | s known that naue of the Central| American States has a war vessel able to cope with even an unprotected cruiser, such as the Detroit. WASHINGTON, May N 2 confirmation of the reported engage- | ment between the United States cruiser | | Detroit and the Nicarguan gunboat San Jacinto had been received by the | naval authorities up to a late hour to- | ies | | night. Secretary Long had retived and | could not be s but Charles H. Allen, | f Assistant Secretary of the Nav aid | ter. The Detroit is commanded mander James H. Dayton. She has been stationed Bluefields ever since | the beginning of the existing troubles | between American merchants and the | Nicargyan Government over the pay- | ment of duties on goods which had al- | ' ready been taxed. The Detroit recently | went to Colon, Colembia, to coal and to communicate with the Navy Depart- ment, messages from Commander Day- ton having failed to reach Washing- ton. She has just returned, or is re- turning, from Colon to Bluefields. Standard books on naval subjects do | not contain any reference to the San | Jacinto, but she is probably a very | | small vessel converted from a yacht | or tug and not an actual man of war. The existing difficulties in Nicaragua | are the outgrowth of the recent rebel- | lion in the Department of Zelaya, of | which Bluefields is the capital. Colo- | nel Reyes, head of the revolutionary | movement, opened the Bluefields Cus- | tom-house and proceeded to levy .duties at the rates charged by the |'g8overnment. There are large Ameri- [x‘an interests at Bluefields, chiefly in | the hands of the Bluefields Steamship | Company of New Orleans. American | merchants paid duty to Reyes on con- | signments of goods received during the revolution, and after it had ended through a mutual agreement between Reyes and the government the latter insisted that the American merchants should pay the duties over again. The merchants refused to pay and were subjected to persecution by Colenel Torres, the new Governor of the de- partment, who had once been removed after the Corinto trouble on the de- mand of the United States. Torres hates the Americ did_not hesitate to show e. Mer- chants were advised by the United States to pay the extra duties under protest and trust to the refunding of the money through diplomatic means, but declined, and, sealing up the ware- house in which the goods were stored, raised the stars and stripes over the bulldings. Colonel Torres then called the attention of the merchants to the law of Nicaragua that no foreign flags should be flown except over legations and consular offices or on national hol- idays. The merchants said they did not give a rap for the law and kept 0Old Glory on the poles. Torres was evidently afraid to open the warehouses forcibly while the American flag was floating over them, and the goods were not seized. Final- ly it was arranged between Nicaragua and the United States that the duties should be paid over by the merchants to the British Consul at San Juan del Norte or Grevtown and held by him pending diplomatic adjustment. This was satisfactory to the merchants, and the matter is now being discussed dip- lomatically. The feeling engendered by these in- cidents has been bitter, however, and Americans are not popular in Nicara- gua. Owing to her draft, the Detroit has been unable to get within several miles of Bluefields, and the converted by Com- | ous bulldings were a mass of leaping, | explosion of a ker | drunken debauch in a disorderly house | | a few doors from the opera house. yacht Vixen has just started from Hampton Roads for Bluefields to give CRUISER DETROIT, Repo L R e rted to Have Sunk the raguan Gunboat San Jacinto. HUNDREDS MADE HOMELESS BY THE FIRE AT DAWSON Hardly Enough Provisions Saved to Prevent a Famine in the Klondike ICTORIA, B. C., May 21.—The immense conflagration _ which wiped out three-quarters of the entire area of Dawson, the Klon- dike capital, on April 26th was a terrible and awe inspiring sight. Tok- as, the mounted police driver, who ac- companied the adventurers, L. F. Hume and Thomas P. Reilly, who brought out the news of the fire as far as Bennett. with'the intention of selling it, says the scene was almost indescribable. In an incredibly short time after the fire originated, the whole area occupied by what is known as the water front strip, Front street from Timmins’ Royal Cafe to the Fairview Hotel, the area between Front and Second streets and contigu- crackling flames, which lighted up the ow-clad ranges at the back of the city as though a whole range of vol-| canoes had suddenly erupted. This district considered the very heart of | the business section, and in a few hours | after the fire began all that was left of the one hundred and eleven buildings and mercantile establishments which | stood there was a heap of costly debris | and charred embers. | The cause of the fire was the same as | in the majority of the fires which have | taken place at the Yukon capital—the ne lamp during a Two | of the female inmates, Toklas says, had a fight in the house and in the scuffle a | lamp was dashed to the floor. Before | their liquor-confused brains could grasp | what had happened the cabin was in flames. Pedestrians passing at 3 o'clock in| the morning saw flames shoot from the windows of the building, and a moment later several women and four | drunken miners rushed into the street, two of the unfortunate females with their ciothing on fire. In another mo- ment the cabin was a sheet of fire, and the strong north wind then prevailing caught up the fire and fanned it against the adjoining buildings. Soon the block was a sea of dancing flames, which roared like a furflace as the heavy winds, blew them along the street. Those who were on hand when the fire broke.out from the cabin where it had its origin, instead of calling out the fire brigade, made an abortive at- tempt to subdue the fire: Thus a dis- astrous delay was occasioned, which allowed the fire to gain considerable headway. When the fire brigade ar- | rived the conflagration was beyond control. With the scanty supply of wafer available and the insufficient appara- tus the citizens were powerless and be- came demoralized. For a few mo- ments they stood aghast, watching the fire rushing along the streets ~- the heayy gusts of wind swept down from the mountain ranges back of the city and drove it along in sheets and clouds rather than flames. When they rallied they soon saw that itwas as useless to endeavor to stay the CLOSNONOLURONGLORORONONON O RN OO0 ORI NINONOR more immediate protection to Ameri- cans and their interests. Granting that the report fron? Colon is true, it is not likely that war be- tween Nicaragua and the Unijted States will result. If the San Jachto fired first, as reported, this Govern- ment will probably demand an imme- diate apology and the payment of heavy indemnity, and will permit the matter to pass with that. Nicaragua is not likely to make a commotion over the incident. LONG’S INSTRUCTIONS _TO GUNBOAT VIXEN Navy Department to Be Constantly Informed of Conditions in Nicaragua. NEW YORK, May 21.—A Washington special to the Herald says: Under in- structions given by Secretary Long to Lieutenant Commander W. W. Kimball, commanding the gunboat Vixen, now on her way to Bluefields, Nicaragua, that officer will maintain constant telegraphic communication with the department. This order is in addition to that requir- ing him to protect American interests along the Central American coasts and is for the purpose of preventing any inter- ruption in communication between the department and men-of-war of the United States cruising in Central American wa- L R e e e B e S e e e e e — L e L o i S Capital. conflagration, which rushed along like pent up waters released by a broken dam, as to endeavor to pump out the Pacific, and they devoted their time to the salvage of property and efforts to remove buildings in the path of the ad- vancing tongues of fire, to thus stay its progress. The excitement was awful. When it seemed that the town was doomed panic ensued. Halfecrazed men and women ran backward and forward, scarcely knowing what they were do- ing in their terror. Then the frightened citizens joined in a niad stampede. Hundreds fled to the snow-covered hills, where they stood watching the flames eating up all they possessed except the clothes they stood in. Nothing could be done, for when the fire had gained con- trol it was dangerous to approach. At Intervals explosions occurred, hurling the logs from the burning buildings as though by a whirlwind. Several men were injured by the flying logs, one be- ing struck on the head. His skull was fractured and he may die. As far as can be learned the fire did not cause any loss of life, but Toklas says rumors were going the rounds when he left Dawson the morning after the fire that several persons had been burned to death. The rumors could not be veri- fied before he and his companions left. The names and descriptiens of the buildings destroyed, further than those given yesterday, could not be learned. The damage will amount to over $4,000,000, about $1,000,000 of which is in gold and paper money lost in the de- struction of the two Canadian banks. There is little if any insurance. Much of the gold will be recovered, however, by the banks. Toklas says they are panning and sluicing the ashes. Be- fore the embers had time to cool the | managers of the banks had engaged miners to wash up the ashes and the debris was panning out ricHly.- Great suffering will be caused by the fire. Hundreds are destitute. Fortun- ately, though, says the mounted police- man, the two big stores of the com- mercial companies escaped untouched with their contents. The stocks of these companies /ill be severely taxed in meeting the demand for necessities, all private stores of food and clothing within the radius of the fire having been destroyed. The companies have not advanced the price of provisions, being determined to do all they can to relieve the general distress. Until the river opens it is useless to think of re- building, for there is not over 3000 feet of lumber in the entire district and there is a dearth of all building sup- plies. D. Carmody has left Lake Le- barge with four barges of supplies. The steamer Flora is on her way through the ice’ She was fast at Hootalinqua when the trio of couriers passed. The women who upset the lamp which caused the catastrophe and the other inmates and occupants of the house have beeen arrested. It is ex- pected that they will be severely dealt with. ters. The gunboat Marietta and latterly the cruiser Detroit experienced consider- able difficulty in forwarding messages to the department and receiving instructions, due according to the explanation of the Nicaraguan Government to an ‘“Interrup- tion” in land lines. Lieutenant Com- mander Kimball will send frequent dis- patches relative to the situation and the department therefore will be kept con- stantly informed of conditions existing on the Céntral American coast. It is not at all certain that the cruiser Detroit will leave Central American wa- ters even upon the arrival of the Vixen. Her departure is entirely dependent upon the condition of affairs at Bluefields at the time the Vixen is spoken. and should the situation be quiet, the department may deem it advisable to dispatch two vessels to Honduras to expedite the payment of the indemnity for the murder of an American named Frank Pear: ARCHBISHOP IRELAND DINES WITH LEOPOLD BRUSSELS, May 2L—Last evening Archbishop Ireland, accompanied by Bel- lamy Storer, United States Minister des- ignate to' Spain, and Mrs. Storer, dined at the Royal Palace at Laeken with King Leopold, Queen Marie Henriette and the other members of the royal family. His Majesty ‘was most courteois, showing great interest in the Archbishop. Before going to the palace Mgr. Treland preached in the collegiate church of Saint Gudulo, Belgium, before a distin- guished audience, including the Countess de Flandro, mother of Prince Albert of Belgium, the heir presumptive. On his arival here last Thursday Mgr. Ireland dined at the United States lega- tion, where he met the papal Nuncio, the president of the Chamber of Representa- tives, M. de Beernaert, Comtesse Delie de Korko, and Marquis Imperali, secre- tary of the Italian legation. On Wednes- day he dined with Mr. and Mrs. Storer at _the palace of the Comte de Flandro. On Thursday Prince Albert dined at the United States legation, it being the first time he had paid such a compliment to a foreign diplomat. Others present were Comtesse de Grune; Barpn Lamberment, chief secretary of the Foreign Office; Comte de Merode, former Belgium Min- ister of Foreign Affairs, and Comtesse de Merode, who was Princess de Croh, and Stanton Sickles, secretary designate of the United States legation at Madrid. Yesterday the Archbishop addressed the students of the universiti'. The hall where the address was delivered was crowded by distinguished representatives of the diplomatic -corps, the scientific world and society. As he entered, the entire audience arose and cheered him. Later he dined at the United States lega- tion with a number of diplomats of note. Eugenie in Good Health. ROME, May 21.—The reported death of Eugenie, former Empress of France, is entirely without foundation. She is well and to-day recefved her nieces on her yacht off Naples.