The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-22 00:00:00

TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT COLLISION IN

DOVER BAY.
GREAT 1.0:43 OF LIFE.

- -
A dreadful collision between two steamers Drumm'
in Dover Bay on Thursday afternoon, resulting in the
sinking of the Glasgow steamer Strathclyde, Captain
Eaton, and the loss, it is feared, of many lives. The
Strathclyde was an iron screw steamer of 1 255 tons
register, 1901orfs3 power, and belonged to Messrs.
Buren and Sous, 141, Buchanan-street, Glasgow. She
left London on Wednesday, Isiund with a general
cargo to Bombay. had landed her pilot in Dover Bay
at about four o'clock, and was about to proceed on her
journey, when, SO far as can lie ascertained, she was
run into by the Bremen steamer Franconia, bound
from Hamburg to Havre and New York, and was so
aerbiusly damaged that she went down in eleven
fathoms of water, a mile from the Admiralty Pier.
As the Strathclyde sank her boilers appeared to have
linr,t, as the sound of an explosion was distinctly
heard from the shore, and a cloud of steam was
observed to arise from the vesseL Before she ills.
ailieared the boats of a barque and a pilot cutter,
which were near the scene of the collision, were
immediately lowered, and it is understood that the
former saved four men and two women, whilst it is
probable that the Nugent that at once left the shore
picked up others of the twenty-six crew and the thirty
passengers on board. The chief mate of the Strathclyde
and four of the crew saved themselves by getting on
board the Franconia, awl they were subsequently
landed in Dover by the steam-tug Palmerston. The
Franconia has pniceeileil to the Downs, her bow being
seriously damaged.
On Friday morning intelligence was received that
the captain and 29 of the passengers and crew of the
Strathclyde have been butileil at Deal.
In addition to the foregoing a more circumstantial
narrative has been obtained from Charles James
Chescoc, the pantry steward. He says: "I was
below in the pantry reading a paper when I heard
great confusion on deck of people running about and
crying out. lat once ran up, and in doing so felt the
shock of the collision ; and on going up the stairs I
could see the black hull of the German chip over ours
when I got on deck. Most of the passengers and
crew appeared to be there, and the passengers were
all running about in great agony and fear—s nue
stretching out their arms and crying for help, others
tearing their hair, Anil laming their heads in their
hands in despair. I saw all this at a glance, and I
saw, too, that the only chance of life was to jump for
it. I leaped on to the German ship, and, getting safe
on board. I at once turned my attention to thsir
Isiats. No one ml the vessel seemed to be trying to
launch the boats. The thief mate went to the bridge
and spoke to the captain, and he also sang out to the
crew, saying, 'lf there is anyone here that understands
English, conic forward and help to get these boats
launched.' Then we saw the other three men of our
crew who had elimbed up the side of the ship, and we
tried to I. di the I seized a hatchet and cut
away :it the nos... It es , eytbing was SO stiff, and we
were strange to tlw ship, a, that before we got a boat
loose our shill was ,foing eh own. I saw the handrail I m
her port side under water just AM we were getting the
first boat free. We eventually ilia not launch any
boats. After "or vessel sank the German vessel
steamei away to the Downs, when we were put on
board the tug soil brought to Dover.