The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-24 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE BORUSSIA.

The Italian barque Giacomino, Captain Bonifazio,
from Aberdeen, wnich arrived at Baltimore on the
3rd of January, landed there five passengers and six
of the crew of the British steamer Borussia, abandoned
at sea on the 2nd December. The names of the pas-
sengers, who were all steerage, are—John S. Sullivan,
formerly of County Cork, Ireland, but for the past
thirty years resident in America; Owen M`Cabe, of
County Cavan, Ireland, for the past nine years a re-
sident of New Orleans; Rosandro Gonzalez, a
Spaniard; Gretano Cetral, an Italian; and D.
Fronde, a Frenchman, who embarked at Liverpool.
The names of the crew are—E. W. Sutherland. of
Glasgow, second engineer; J. Lirsen, quartermaster;
Bernard Garrity and William Fisher, seamen; and
Patrick Saver and John Callahan, firemen.
They give a more vivid account of the abandonment
of the steamer than that which has already been pub°
lished. The experience of those on board, as de-
scribed by the survivors, was of the most thrilling
nature. The first intimation received that anything
was wrong was in the morning of December 1, when a
large leak was discovered in the
engioe•room, which
rapidly increased, and the water in the hold of the
vessel soon began to accumulate with alarming rapidity.
The whole of the crew were put to the pumps, and
i were urged on n their work by the officers, who appre-
ciated the danger. The water gradually gained on
them, and coon flooded the engine-room, extinguishing
the fires and stopping the engines. The situation of
the steamer by this time was critical in the extreme.
The heavy weather which had been prevailing during
the day gradually increased to a hurricane, and by
night the sea swept over the decks, M. Rosandro
Gonzalez, one of the passengers, who says that he was
on deck the whole time, describes the scene as
appalling. The steamship was repeatedly swept from
stem to stern by the sea. She would rise on the crest
of a wave, and as their position was revealed to them
by a vivid flash of lightening, her bow could be
seen to suddenly drop and the hull to plunge into the
waves.

An accident which caused a thrill of horror occurred
at midnight. The officers of the vessel had insisted on
the lady paseeLgera remaining below decks, which
they had apparently quietly submitted to. At the
time named a group of male passengers and seamen,
who were clinging in a half•drowned condition
to the bulwark aft, were horrified to see one of
the lady passengers appear at the head of the stair.
way leading from the cabin, carrying in her arms a
child apparently about five years old. The vessel
was pitching and rolling at a tremendous rate, ren-

dering the woman's position extremely perilous. Four
or five seamen and several passengers, about 15 men
in all, started to her assistance. When within a few
feet of her the bow of the steamship again sank, a
great volume of water bore down on the woman and
her rescuers, all of whom were borne towards the side
of the vessel. The next instant the shrieks from the
entire group rose above the roar of the waters as they
were swept away in the darkness. A desperate offort
was made by those on board to rescue them, but it
only resulted in two more seamen being swept over-
board. This was only one of the many heart-rending
scenes which occurred during the night.
When daybreak appeared, the condition of the
Borussia was found to be such that arrangements were
made for abandoning her. By nightfall the small
boats that had not been destroyed were got ready and
the crew and passengers embarked, leaving the vessel
to its fate. Mr. Sutherland, second engineer, says
that the party was in the metallic lifeboat No.
3, They got into the boat about five on the
evening of December 2. Lorsen, the quartermaster,
and Garrity, boatswain's mate, took charge alter-
nately in steering and managing th 3 beat which
was well provided with crackers, canned meats,
and water. After leaving, the gale increased,
and during the night, which was pitch dark, the sea
ran very high, and the boat drifted at the mercy ol
the wind and waves. On the following day, Decem-
ber 3, the gale continued. At about three o'clock in
the afternoon a barque was seen about seven or eight
miles distant, crossing the bow of the boat, and
blankets were raised on oars and other signals made
to attract attention, hut she passed on without dis-
covering the signals. No other sail was seen on that day.
When night came on it was still blowing fresh hour the
west with a high sea, but at midnight the wind ceased
and the sea calmed down. At this time they supposed
the boat had made about 120 miles to the eastward,
and they were steering for Fayal. From midnight
until day break of the morning of the 4th the sea con-
tinued to calm and the temperature to moderate.
During the entire day, the 4th, it was very calm and
the sea smooth. No sail was seen. The party took
off their clothes and dried them in the sun. A num-
ber of sharks followed and kept near the boat, and one
made a rush and struck her violently, and they did
not leave until one was pierced by a boat-hook,

The night of tho 4th closed in with clouds, fog, aud
heavy mist, and at about midnight a fresh breeze
sprang up and continued until daybreak. For the
past twenty•four hours they supposed that about 80
miles had been made. On the morning of the sth the
wind blew very bard from the east. Their course was
changed and the boat ran before the wind to the west-
ward, and so continued until four o'clock in the after-
noon, when a sail was discovered about eight miles off,
bearing directly towards their boat. The blankets used
for sails were lowered, and a signal, made of four
pocket handkerchiefs, was hoisted on an oar, and the
coat pulled for the barque. At,about five o'clock the
boat was seen by the look•out on the barque, which
proved to be the Giacomino, and they were taken on
board. As the captain of the barque did not have room
for the lifeboat, on which they were saved, it was cast
adrift.

All the rescued men speak in the highest praise of
the kindness of Captain Bonifazio, who supplied every
one with clothing and other necessaries.