The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-15 00:00:00

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aretitontinuall brougb
o are nc is , said, this.
The entaia_tve Jite-, i _th_QHtilg _ltye 4.9Wa...._ lAucled_else where._ Thi.
eto 1- the, II 1- - f th dr

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id
panic.
not hoJ

not be.
Forty
id half

)w, it

ot ie toctor was among those identified,
but thtat of-the-captain is not yet- picked—up) thou&
diligent search - has ' been made. It IS feiA•ed that
comparatively few of the bodies can be identified.
Flho.'efficers can only be exp6cted'td e acquainted-
with the crew, having known the passengers since
the vessel left New York too short a time to become
well acquainted with so large a number. The greater
number of the bodies picked up, as well as seen float-
ing; had life belts on, and it is highly satisfactory Vol
know that the Schiller was so well provided in this
particular that there was. a rifel)elt in every berth,
and the first act done,' under the orders of the cap-
tain, when the danger of the vessel was 'seen, was
to supply all the women • .with them. The
heavy -sea, however, rendered all these well-meant
efforts unavailing. Some of the saved appear to have
a terribly vivid recollection of the terrors of the fatal
night. They say they..:c,aMiot get the shrieks of the
helpless vi omen and children out of their ears,. and, ex-
hausted as they ire, 'hake' 'thiable to Sleep in conse-
quence." . l? C• -r .

(From Tuesday's Daily News.) P-

•
A telegram from St. Mary's, Scilly, Monday evening,
says—' "This morning a steamer was chartered for Scilly.
It is the first that has left since the morning of the
wreck. The voyage was sadly eventful. Just past
the Rundlestono small pieces of wreck were met with
and shortly afterwards a mail bag of New Zealand
papers was recovered. Proceeding on, the the wreck in-
creased, until suddenly the order to stop was given.
A dead body had '?een sighted. A boat was lowered,
and the body of ,11 man, who, judging by his clothes,
was formerly steward of the Schiller, was brought on
board. A life-belt was still attached to the body. One
hundred and forty dollars were found in the pockpts.
On we went, our ensign flying at half-mast in-
dicative of the sad evidence of the catastrophe we had
on board. Soon it was believed two more bodies were
sighted, but the boat failed to reach them. At Scilly
we found all the masts with their flags half-mast high,
and a heavy gloom seemed to be settled over the isles.
St. Mary's pier was crowded. Close by, in a spacious
courtyard, preparations were being made for the
decent interment of bodies that have come ashore.
A careful inventory of all property and other
means of identification has been taken by Mr.
Hanley, Receiver of Wrecks. Some of the bodies
had been placed in coffins before our arrival, but
the closing of them had been deferred in the hope
that we might bring further means of identification,
two stewards of the Schiller being with us, they
having been brought back for the purpose. Mr.
Hall, magistrate, who acts as coroner, had formally
opened the inquest, and this afternoon all the bodies
except of those few whose friends had telegraphed a
request that they might be kept till their arrival were
buried at Hugh Town, the capital of this island. The
funeral was singularly impressive. All business was
suspended, and the whole of the inhabitants attended.
The islands cannot boast of hearse or mourning coach,
and to have carried 14 hand thirty-seven bodies would
have been more than the limited male population
of St. ellary's could have accomplished. And yet
the spectacle was exceedingly solemn. It moved
the stoutest to tears. The coffins were borne on
little two-wheeled carts, drawn by the shaggy ponies
of the island. Each pony was led, and so slowly did
the procession Oeve in single file that it was long ere
the thirty-seventh cart passed out of the spacious
courtyard. All the coffins were painted black, and
every one was bestrewn with flowers gathered from the
blooming gardens of the Scillonians. Though far
away from their homes the deceased were not
buried without some token of loving care. Mimi.
Reiderer, one of the saved, followed behind- the
coffin containing the bodies of his wife and -child.
Around one coffin were gathered the Good Tem-
Oars of the island; some token found on the
body revealed to them that the deceased be-
longed to that order. Amongst those who followed at
the end with the inhabitants were Mr. Dorrien Smith,
the landed proprietor of the Scilly Isles ; Mr. Ban.
field, German Consul; Mr. Hall, the magistrate; Mr.
Stevens, owner's agent, from Plymouth; and the
whole of the survivors who still remain at Scilly. The
funeral service was impressively read by the Rev.
Mr. White, Mr. Smith's chaplain. The place
of interment was a mile away from the pier,
M the churchyard of the former capital. The way
to it lay over a rugged road, commanding a view
of the sea all round. In the churchyard two
large graves had been dug, and into them the coffins
were piled. Two interments had taken place pre-
viously • but in view of the large number of bodies to
be bnried, it was found impossible to have single graves
for all. Whilst the funeral was proceeding a message
was received, requesting that two of the bodies should
be kept uninterred till friends arrived. These bodies
were accordingly teturned to the pier."

"Mrs. Jones, who was saved, was thrown into the
boat by her husband, and when the boat was swamped
she was one amongst those rescued in the complete
darkness by another boat. The engineers and stokers
did a very plucky thing. After the ship had struck
they went below, shut off steam, and put out
the fire so as to prevent an explosion. Perhaps
this goes some way to explain how it is that no
engineer and only one stoker is amongst those
saved. The manner in which the women clung to the
captain was most heartrending, and when duty com-
pelled his attendance in another part of the ship, he
had to use main force to clear himself of them. Many
believed that the ship, being new, would hold together
till help came; but the sea was too heavy for the
strongest iron vessel. Several made the mistake of
lashing themselves to the iron masts and rigging, so
•that when the masts went the people were carried to the
bottom without any chance of rising. Mr. Stern, one
of the saloon passengers saved, had lashed himself by
a slip knot, and when he felt the mast going he re-
leased himself. Notwithstanag-tfiii he was carried
to the bottom, but, being free, he soon rose, and,
fortunately, close to a life-buoy and,* spar, with
which he supported hinaselflill picked up by the boat
of St. Agnes." _ _

The following are the depositions on oath taken in
this case by the Receiver of Wreck at the Port of
Scilly, in pursuance of the 448th section of the Mer-
chant Shipping Act, 1854, which applies as well to
foreign as to English vessels that may have been in
distress on the coasts of the United Kingdom. The
persons examined were the mate, the fourth mate, and
Mr. Henry Stern, a passenger '
"Henry Hilliers, being duly sworn, deposes as follows :--
That he is mate of the steamship Schiller, of the port of Ham-
burg, of the register tonnage of 3,600 tons ; that the ship was
owned by the Eagle Line Mail Company, of Hamburg, in the
country of Germany ; that the ship was rigged as a brig; that
she was built of iron at Glasgow in the year 1873. That the
crew consisted of 120 hands, including deponent.; that
the ship had oh board a general cargo, shipped by various
parties of New York, &c., and consigned to various parties in
Germany that the ship had on board, in addition to the
cargo aforesaid, 264 passengers ; that the ship proceeded
from New York on her intended voyage on the 27th day of
April last, at noon, the tide at the time being flood, the
weather fine, and the wind blowing a moderate breeze from
the south-east •, that at the time of sailing the ship was in
first-class condition ; that the ship was bound for Plymouth,
Cherbourg, and Hamburg; that the ship proceeded on her
intended voyage all well, but from the 4th to the 7th of
May the weather was hazy, with much rain; and unable
to obtain good observations, we were steering east by
south ; at 9.30 p.m. the master gave orders to steer south-
south-west; that on Friday the 7th day of May, at ten p.m.,
the tide at the time being quarter-flood, the weather very
thick, and the wind in the south-west, blowing moderately,
the ship was going slowly, sails furled, steering south-south-
west, when, without any warning, the vessel struck. The
engines were reversed full speed by order of the master in
order to back her off, but without avail; the ship was rapidly
filling. Immediately gave orders to get the boats out,
which was done, but the sea was so heavy that the six
lifeboats were carried away. A few people in one managed
to keep afloat, and were ultimately saved. We fired
rockets, fireballs and guns until twelve o'clock midnight.
When the sea had increased and made a clear breach over
the ship, the passengers and crow took to masts and
bridge, and some went into the cabins. The mainmast fell
over the side at seven a.m, on the Bth inst. Some of the pas-
sengeis and crew were saved. About half an hour after-
wards the foremast fell. I and others, about 34, fell with it,
I and four others were saved 'by boats Irons the shore.
That four gigs from the islands came to our assistance and
saved a number of passengers and crew; that the ship is
totally wrecked; a portion of the cargo is floating and will
probably be saved. That the loss on the ship and cargo is
unknown by deponent; that in consequence of the loss of
the ship 343 lives were lost by drowning, the remainder, 41
in all, being saved by boats.".,
, "Richard Heintze, being dilly sworn, deposes as follows:
—That he is fourth mate of the steamship Schiller; that
the ship is owned by the Eagle Line Mail Company, residing
at Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany ; that the ship was
rieged as a brig, &c. . . , That at the time of sailing the
ship was in first-class condition; that the ship was bound for
Plymouth, Cherbourg, and Hamburg in Germany; that the
ship proceeded on her,intended voyage all well. On the 4t
to the 7th the weather was hazy and we did not obtain gooVi
observations; on the 7th we were steering S.E. by E. g.
until half-past nine p.m., when master ordered S.S.W,,
course to be steered. That on Friday, the 7th of May, at 10
p.m., the tide at the time being flood, the weather very
foggy, and the wind in the south-west, blowing a fresh
breeze, the ship was proceeding on her passage at slow pace,
and, without any idea we were so close to Scilly, struck sud-
denly on a reef of rocks ; the water rushed in immediately,
and put the fires out. Orders were given to get boats ready,
and two gigs and one lifeboat were got in the water. Two
lifeboats were smashed by smokestack falling. Lifebelts
were distributed among the passengers and crew. Fired
guns and rockets from 10.80 p.m. until 11.30, the sea at
this time breaking over the ship. The captain and three
engineers and passengers were washed off the bridge ; the
remainder of the passengers and crew took to the rigging.
The mainmast fell first. I was in the foretop with several
others when it fell, and some were picked up in boats from
the shore. The boats from the shore came to our assistance ;
that the ship is totally lost and. a portion of cargo floating
about, boats salving; that in consequence of the loss of the
ship about 340 lives were lost by drowning, the remainder, '
about 41 in all, being saved by boats."
"Henry Stern, being duly sworn, deposes as follows
That he was a passenger of the Shcitler, of the Port of Ham-
burg; that the ship proceeded on her intended voyage all
well, until the evening of the 7th of May ; that on Friday.
the 7th of May, at 9.30 p.m., the weather being thick and'
hazy, the ship struck on a ledge. She bumped hard two
or three times and settled quietly, the master and
officers using every effort to get the boats out to '
save life. Fired signals of distress; passengers crowded
into the boats; master had great difficulty in clear-
ing them. Afterwards a heavy sea took away some boats,
and smokestack smashed some others. The passengers and
crew had to seek refuge in the rigging, owing to the rising of
the sea ; other -passengers took shelter in the pavilion, whidt
stood till half-past two a.m. on the Bth, and was then swept,
away. The passengers called on the Master, who; called theto.-.1
on the fore bridge, which Stood till three am. I and several