Ogden Daily Standard | 1909-03-22 | Page 6 | Steamer a Total Wreck

STEAMER A TOTAL WRECK. San Francisco, March 21. The coasting steamer R. D. Inman, which sailed in ballast from this port yes- terday for Portland, was driven upon Duxbury reef during the severe storm last night and is a total wreck. Her crew of twenty-ona men and officers were rescued. The vessels was ownod by the Loop Lumber company, Duxbury reef, upon which many vessels ves-sels have stranded, lies off Bollnas Ba, about twenty-five miles north of the Golden Gate. The accident was caused by 'Captain Lancaster mistaking a brush fire on shore for a ship on fire; which he endeavored en-deavored to 9uccor by altering the course of his vossel. Running close In to see If he could te of any assistance and unable to make out the closo proximity of the shore In the heavy weather, Captain Lancaster soon found hlnwlf Inside of a line of Jagged reefs and a few minutes min-utes later the Inman was driven on the rocks within a few hundred feet of the short line, A heavy 9ea began to break over the vessel, whose back appeared fo bo broken by the Impact, and Captain Lancaster and his crew reached the shore In rowboats. It was only then. It is said, that the skipper found that what he took to be a burning ship was a brush fire on shore.