Federal ocean scientists have released images of the wreckage of a steamship that sank in San Francisco Bay in 1888, a disaster that killed 16 people.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s James Delgado said Wednesday that the sinking of the City of Chester was the second-worst shipwreck to occur in the bay.
Three-dimensional images of the wreckage showed the mud-covered ship sitting upright but split in two by a collision with another vessel.
The Chester set off in thick fog on August, 22, 1888, eventually colliding with the Oceanic, a steamer more than twice as large.
News reports at the time placed blame on the Oceanic crew for failing to help victims on the smaller ship.
But Delgado says testimony during the accident investigation revealed many members of Oceanic’s crew acted bravely.