WRECK AND DISASTER. Explosion of Forty Tons of Giant Powder. CONCUSSION IN STRIKING CAUSES IT TO EXPLODE. Chiff House Shattered by the Explosion.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 191, 12 February 1887, Page 2

WRECK AND DISASTER. Explosion of Forty Tons of Giant Powder. CONCUSSION IN STRIKING CAUSES IT TO EXPLODE. Chiff House Shattered by the Explosion.

About midnight, on January 15th, the pchooner Parallel went ashore just under Point Loboe, San Francisco Heads, and a quantity of powder on board the vessel exploded and caused great destruction in the vicinity. The Parallel sailed from San Francisco on Friday morning, under command of Captain Miller, having a cargo of general merchandise on board bound for Astoria, Oregon. Reaching the offing, outride the heads, the wind died out, and being caught by a strong tide, the schooner was carried on shore at the South end of Point Lobos and inside of Seal Rocks. The schooner drifted on the beach, broadside to, close up to the rocks, and was landed on a rocky bottom, the beach at this point where she landed being well broken with rocks, over which the surf breaks on the calmest day. It was 930 o'clock when she struck The life-saving station people were at once notified, and proceeded to the scene of the wreck to render such assistance as lay in their power. They were working there up to the time the explosion occurred, which was evidently caused by the concuapion when the vessel pounded upon the rocks. | The explosion was a tremendous one, its force being felt for miles around, buildings as far away asSansome-etreet, San Francisco feeling its effect. The house of the station at Point Lobos was utterly demolished. The life-saving station met with a like fate while the west side of the Cliff House was bJown completely out and every window-pane in the building phattered. All th*) window class within a radius of a mile was broken. Three members of the llfe-eaving crew are reported to be severely Injured. The crew of the schooner abandoned her when they saw she was doomed, and, taking refuge in the small boat, made the best of their way up the harbour. The Parallel waa a craft of 142 tons. The Parallel's cargo consisted of forty tons of giant powder, a quantity of coal, kerosene oil, pig irou and bay— rather a dangerous kind of cargo to be near when the craft was pounding on the rocks. Mr Petersen also stated the crew consisted of eight men.

THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER. The Parallel went ashore (with all sail hoisted but flapping, with no one guiding her helm) about 200 feet north of the Cliff House. Her lights still burned dimly through the misty atmosphere as she approached the wave dashed rocky shore, and the lifeboat crew were notified. Their boat and apparatus were speedily run out along the beach, and the crew went on board, but finding the schooner deserted, they again went ashore. They and others gathered upon the bluff north of the Cliff House and watched the doomed vessel as she thumped upon the rocks and dashed to piece?. On the shore were found boxes containing dynamite, etc. It was 11.30 p.m. when the lifebpat men left the schooner, and about a quarter to 1, while the men and a number of, spectators were in the vicinity, a tremendous explosion occurred that spread consternation among thotfroup,BtunningBome,an|iljio]uringotheris,

The schooner was blowD to atoms, tb« Cliff House was shattered throughout, and a lot of the vessel's standing 1 rigging shot skyward over the ruined building, landing upon the other side. On Sutro Heights the handsome conservatory was converted into a wreck, while the windows in the mansion were dashed to pieces. Nofr only were the windows about the park railroad station dashed to pieces, but even tb* glass in the lifeboat station, a mile aw«y» was blown out, or rather in. As far a» could be ascertained nobody was killed, but two members of the lifeboat crew were injured.