Historic Shipwreck Profile
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| Steamer St. Paul stranded on the rocks at Point Joe (1896). Credit: Arthur Bolton, photographer. |
St. Paul |
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Passenger Cargo Steamer - Barkentine |
Casualty Location: Point Joe, Del Monte Forest, Monterey County, California, USA
Location Status: Located (see Important Note)
Casualty Date: 1896 (Aug 8)
Owner: Pacific Coast Steamship Company
Home Port: San Francisco, California, USA
Length: 197.8 feet Beam: 31.0 feet
Gross Tonnage: 889 Cargo: calves and sheep
Builder: William Cramp & Sons
Launched: 1875 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Official Number: 115423
Description: The passenger cargo steamer St. Paul, en route from San Simeon to San Francisco, experienced thick fog and ultimately struck a rocky reef south of Point Pinos just after 11 o’clock in the evening. The sharp rocks pierced her bottom in several places and the water began to come into the amidships compartment, flooding the fire and engine rooms. Captain Downing ordered the lowering of the boats and to make their way to Monterey. All passengers and crew safely landed ashore. The St. Paul was heavily laden, having among her cargo 5000 sacks of grain besides a great quantity of butter and cheese. More than 100 head of calves were also on board; 20 of them drowning. The freight steamer Santa Cruz traveled from San Francisco to remove cargo. Captain Downing was put on trial; ultimately losing his license as Master and Pilot.
Nature of Casualty:
Source: San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), 10 Aug 1896, p. 1 (cols. 1-6), p. 2 (col. 5).
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Transcription:
FAST ON A SUBMERGED REEF,
The Steamer St. Paul Goes Ashore Near Point Pinos.
GUIDED TO DESTRUCTION DURING A FOG.
Passengers Safely Removed in Small Boats to the Beach.
SMALL HOPE OF SAVING THE STRANDED VESSEL.
Water Fills the Hold and the Cargo Is a Loss — The Colombia Disaster Repeated.
(...continue reading full article text here)
Additional Information: Wreck Event
(click headline to access full article)
Source: The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), 11 August 1896, p. 3, col. 5-6.
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Transcription:
The Wrecked St. Paul Has Sailed on Its Last Cruise.
FAST ON THE REEF.
Work of Dismantling Begun After an Investigation by a Diver.
LITTLE OF THE CARGO SAVED
A Portion of the Livestock Aboard Drowned in the Stranded Vessel's Hold.
Source: The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), 12 August 1896, p. 2, col. 4-5.
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Transcription:
Stripped of Her Valuables, the Ship Is Now Tenantless.
LITTLE FREIGHT SAVED.
Damage to the Owners, Outside of the Insurance, Will Be $40,000.
ENGLISH UNDERWRITERS LOSE.
Startling Condition of the Southern Pacific's So-Called Aids to Navigation.
Source: The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), 15 August 1896, p. 9, col. 2.
Courtesy of California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside.
Transcription:
The Captain of the Wrecked Steamer St. Paul Tells How the Casualty Happened.
Source: The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), 26 August 1896, p. 9, cols. 1-2.
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Transcription:
Downing of the St Paul Loses His License as Master and Pilot.
Supervising Inspector Bermingham Gives Some Good Advice to Other Captains.
Additional Information: Vessel
(click headline to access full article)
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA), 15 September 1875, p.2, col.4
Courtesy of Newspapers.com
Transcription:
LAUNCH OF THE STEAMSHIP "ST. PAUL" FOR THE ALASKA COMMERCIAL COMPANY OF SAN FRANCISCO — DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL.
Referenced and Additional Resources
- Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. 1905. Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1905-1906, Volume 1. London, England.
- Reinstedt, R.A. 1975. Shipwrecks and Sea Monsters of California’s Central Coast. Ghost Town Publications, Carmel, CA. 168pp.
Important Note: Section 922.132 of the sanctuary regulations prohibits or restricts several activities in order to safeguard sanctuary resources, including: Moving, removing, injuring or possessing historical resources.
For a complete “official text" of MBNMS regulatory prohibitions, see Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 922.132 published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.