Port Townsend, BC (near) Steamer PACIFIC Collision, Nov 1875 - The PACIFIC Disaster
THE PACIFIC DISASTER.
The Captain of the Orpheus, which collided with and sank the steamer PACIFIC, will have to rise and explain that transaction more favorably for himself, or receive the condemnation of the civilized world for his behavior on the occasion of the disaster. The latest accounts place him in a very unpleasant position, and one from which it will be difficult for him to extricate himself. One of the seamen of the Orpheus, named CHARLES THOMPSON, has made a sworn statement before a Notary Public which charges the Captain of that ship with having been the cause of the disaster. He says that on raising the lights of the Pacific, he was ordered by the second mate to head for it, and a few minutes after the Captain came on deck and ordered him to again put the ship on her course, and about three minutes afterward he was ordered by the Captain to let her luff, which he did. After this the Captain signified his intention to speak the steamer, for which purpose the light was kept dead ahead, until the two vessels collided. Then the steamer followed the ship, the people on board shouting and calling on the captain of the Orpheus to stop, and rescue them, but he did not heed the cries, kept on his course, and the steamer was soon lost to view.
Oakland Tribune California 1875-11-24
Listing of Passengers and Crew of the Pacific:
MR. T. ALLISON; MR. WILLIAM AMMISS; MR. E.P. ATKINS; MR. GEORGE BIRD; MR. GEORGE BRYSON; MR. J. CAHILL; MR. P. CANTY; MR. WILLIAM CHAMPION; MR. P.I. CHAPMAN; MR. C. CHISHOLM; MR. H. CLINE; MR. JOHN COCHRANE; MR. RICHARD COCHRANE; MR. J. CONGDON; MR. CONWAY; MR. J. CREDEN; MR. J. D. CROWLEY; MR. C. B. DAVIDSON; MRS. DAVIDSON; MR. J. W. DOYLE; MR. C. B. FAIRBANKS; MR. J. T. FERRELL; MR. W.J.
FERRY; MR. J. FITZGERALD; MR. ADAM FOSTER; MR. J. FOSTER; MR. A. FRAZER; MR. FRANCIS GARESCHE; MR. B.F. GRETZ; MR. G. GRIBELL; MR. FRED. HARD; MR. JOHN HAVERLY; MRS. HAVERLY; MR. J. HELLMUTH; MRS. HELLMUTH; MR. GEORGE HERNE; MR. R. HUDSON; MRS. HURLBURT; MR. R. T. JAYNES; MR. HENRY JELLY; MR. J.F. JOHNSTON; MR. G. JOURNEAUX; MR. DENNIS KANE; MR. H. KELLER; MRS. LIZZIE KELLER and child; MR. JOHN KENALLEY; MR. J. KENNEDY; MR. A. LANG; MRS. LAWSON; MR. W. LAYZETTE; MR. JOHN LEE; MR. JAMES LENNINGS; MR. RICHARD LYON; MRS. MAHON and child; MR. CAL MANDEVILLE; MRS. BELLA MANDEVILLE and child; MR. WILLIAM MAXWELL; MR. D.C. McINTYRE; MR. J. McLANDERS; MR. J. McLAUGHLIN; MR. JOHN McCORMACK; MR. O. McPHERSON; MR. F. E. MEYER; MR. C.N. MILES; MR. SEWELL P. MOODY; MRS. ELIZABETH MOOTE; MR. GEORGE MORTON; MR. S. NICHLESON; MR. A. B. OTWAY; MISS FANNIE PALMER; Captain OTIS PARSONS; MRS. JENNIE PARSONS and child; MR. J. PETTIER; MR. WILLIAM POLLEY; MR. EDWARD H. POOLEY; MR. WILLIAM POWELL; MR. WILLIAM POWER; MR. WILLIAM PURDARY; MR. A.L. RAINEY; MISS A. REYNOLDS; MR. A. ROBBINS; MR.
T. J. ROBINSON; MR. JOHN SAMPSON; MR.
EDWARD SHEPHARD; MR. GEORGE SKIPPON; MR. CHARLES SMITH; MR. THOMAS SMITH; MR. C. SOMERS; MR. M. SOMERS; MRS. S. STYLES and child; MR. J.H. SULLIVAN; MR. JOHN TARNETT; MR. J. THOMPSON; MRS. ALICIA THORNE; MR. JOHN G. TODD; MR. RICHARD TURNBULL; MR. H.C. VICTOR; MR. J.T. VINING; MR. RICHARD WALDRON; MR. W. WALDRON; MR. JOHN WATSON; MR. JAMES WEBB; MR. ISAAC WEBBS; MR. S.J. WEBSTER; MR. WILLIAM WILLS; MR. M. WILSON; MR. V. WOOD; DR. YOUNG.
Six members of the ROCKWELL and HURLBURT Equestrienne Troupe.
20 to 25 passengers boarded at Victoria but names were not recorded.
40 unnamed Chinese were among the Second Class passengers who perished. No listing of Second Class passengers survived.
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