Coulter -- Schooner Phoenix Runs Into Ferry Steamer Oakland -- September 19, 2023

San Francisco Call, 26-October-1905

From the 26-October-1905 San Francisco Call. WA Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper. This is one of his paintings.

Ferry Oakland, rebuilt from the riverboat Chrysopolis, sailed for the Central Pacific Railroad and later the Southern Pacific until it burned in 1940. Phoenix was a steam schooner that operated up and down the coast. Goat Island is now called Yerba Buena Island. 

SCHOONER PHOENIX RUNS INTO

FERRY STEAMER OAKLAND.

Collision Occurs During a Heavy Fog.

Passengers Make a Rush for Life Preservers.

Thick Weather Paralyzes All Bay Traffic.

The steam schooner Phoenix ran into the Southern Pacific Company's ferry steamer Oakland yesterday morning during a heavy fog. Panic seized the Oakland's passengers, who rushed for the life preservers and prepared to face the worst. Captain Anderson of the ferry steamer and his crew soon calmed the excited people and the Oakland later reached the mole with all onboard alive and uninjured.

The Oakland was on her 9:20 a. m. trip from this side and fortunately was not particularly crowded with passengers, the tide of travel at that time of day being mostly in the other direction. The Phoenix, Captain Hendricksen in command, left the Oakland long wharf shortly after 9 o'clock for Jackson street wharf and apparently soon got lost in the fog, for she was far out of her course when she ran into the Oakland.

The collision occurred after the Oakland had passed Goat Island. Captain Anderson heard the Phoenix whistling and, being unable exactly to locate the sound, brought his vessel to a standstill. When the collision occurred, says Captain Anderson, the Oakland had no headway. The Phoenix came out of the, fog with a sudden rush and struck the Oakland on the starboard side, just forward of the paddle box. The people on the Oakland declare that the Phoenix appeared to be going at full speed and the hole in the Oakland's hull in a measure confirms their opinion.

According: to Captain Hendrieksen, however. th« Phoenix was going full speed astern at the time of the collision. What really did happen will not be known until the United States inspectors finish their investigation and place the responsibility.

After the collision the Phoenix disappeared in the fog. The Oakland proceeded to the mole under her own power, landed her passengers and was turned over to a repair gang. The Piedmont was put on the run in her place.

The fog paralysed traffic on the bay until nearly noon and there were many narrow escapes. As usual, the ferry steamer Berkeley, probably the most unmanageable of bay craft, figured in many of the complications. She nearly cut down the steamer Newark on one trip and on another narrowly escaped collision with the Key Route steamer San Jose.

The Cazadero stopped on one trip from Sausaliio just in time to save herself from being cut in two by a steam schooner, which went whizzing across her bows as though there was no such thing as a fog.

Several times during the morning ferry boats, steam schooners and other craft bunched up in dangerous tangle off the ferry slips, but except for the mishap to the Oakland no serious accidents were reported.