DANGERS OF THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8039, 29 January 1906, Page 3

DANGERS OF THE SEA.

SAD CATASTROPHES CAUSED M FOGS. NOBLE SHIPS OAST AWAY. The steamer .Alameda, of the Oceanic Line, suffered a sorry experience at the mouth of San Francisco Bay on September 30. Tho vessel sailed on shedule time for Honolulu with a full cargo of freight and many passengers. One halfhour later the vessel was fast on the rocks at Fort Point. The passengers were immediately taken ashore, as curiously enough tilio fog lifted ten minutes after the ship struck, showing the shore to be but 130 feet distant. There was no excitement among the passengers, and the members of the crew performed their tasks as quietly and effectively as if such occurrences were but affairs of routine. Tho extent of the damage to tho vessel was at first believed to be more serious than was afterwards demonstrated. The Alameda' hung on the rocks a week, during which time the weather was unusually favourable. Captain Dowdoll remained on tho dock of tho ship and, with tJho aid of his officers, superintended the, taking off of the entire cargo. Tiiis work completod, with ballast and a- -remnant of the cargo carefully trimmed, the ship was towed off the rocks by two powerful tugs and taken to her wharf. Later she went to tho dry dock at Hunter's Point, whore she will be repaired. It was believed during tho week in which the steamer remained on the rocks she would be lost and tho underwriters would suffer

a large part of the loss, though tho vessel was not insured for full valuo. It is now believed the repairs will cost less than a hundred thousand dollars, but tlio underwriters must bear the expense as they did that of salvage, etc. Thousands of peoplo visited points from which the Alameda could be viewed during her imprisonment, and the soldiers at Fort Point cheered heartily when the vessel slid off the rocks and started on her way to port. The vessel was in charge of a pilot when the accident ocsonting the local underwriters, and Captain Motca'if, representing tho British underwriters, were in charge of the salving, but the credit of saving tho ship goes to Captain Piilsbury, who worked both day and night during the week the ship was fast. The disaster to the Alameda was the first in a series of accidents on the coast. The steamer Santa Barbara went out at the Golden Gate in the fog which caught the Alameda, only to crash on a reef closo in shore of Mendicino County. Sixteen passengers (five being women) were landed within half an hour, though the surf was heavy.

More serious was tlie disaster to the steamer St. Paul, of the Alaska Commercial Compcuy. The vessel left San Francisco for Portland on Wednesday morning, October 4, experiencing litUo fog till she reached Point Corda, early on Friday morning, October 4. The first iramlug the officer on deck* received was the roaring of tho surf on the shore. The courso was immediately changed and tho ship struck a moment later. The fog was thick and tho shore could not be 6een. There were eightyseven passengers, and these were not alarmed when the vessel struck. This was at 2.30 a.m. Seas were breaking over the ship, and neither the capta'n nor the other officers believed the vessel would remain afloat two hours. It was then impossible to launch boats, but an hour later a heavy rain boat down the waves, so it was determined to launch the boats. This was done, and three boat loads of passengers, including women and children, were tossed about by fearful seas twelve hours before being picked up by tugs. The courago of the crew is warmly praised by the survivors, but Miss Florence Mataulay, a little maid of twelve, whose homo is m London, England, was the heroine of that wild night. The captain had ordered the first lifeboat to be manned, and though the crew stepped out without flinching the passengers told off for this boat drew back, believing no boa* could livo a moment in that sea. Women sobbed and men were silent till Miss Florence, quiet and self-possessed, said, " Come, mamma, we must be brave and it will be all right." These twe then took their places in the boat, and the others followed. Tlie little girl spoko words of cheer to the men in the boat, which was quickly loworcd away to meet the hungry waves. A great sea cau-ht the boat. Land watohers groaned, the boat went into the trough of tho sea and shippod so much water that it was not beliovcd she could float, but the men managed to pull away and then to halo out tho water. Soon after two other boats were launched in tho samo fear, but tho remnant of the passengers remained on the ship. In tho morning help came from the shore, but tho passenger in the boats floated about until three in the afternoon, when they reached the lightship, whence they wero later token off by tho steamer Pomona. Tlio St. Paul was a fine steamer, which has made many successful trips to Nome and other Alaskan ports since the discovery of gold in the Northland. She oarried a cargo of more than a thousand tons of freight, and this has been abandoned with the ship, which cannot be saved, and is expected to go to pieces in the next storm.

A hundred eyeless fi.sli liavo boon brought to the surfaoo from one of the well of tlio Crude Oil Company, Whittier. California. A German publicist, who spm,l a pan of July in a boarding-house at Toignmouth, discourses in tho " Frankfurter Zeitung" on the cookery and conversation of English seaside boarding houses, as exemplified by his own experience. Of fcho former he speaks well; the table at his lioufio was inclined to be monotonous, but tho food was good and plcntiiul, and the charges wore moderate. Tho conversation of his fellow guests, however, suffers severely at his hands. '' English scasido visitors." ho remarks, " display remarkable mental ingenuity in sustaining a lengthy conversation founded on no other topic but the weather. When this is exhausted tlioy turn to their aches and pains; eacli individual adduces some striking example of bodily suffering on his or her part, and tho combined ailments of the company afford themos for endless discussion."'