The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-06 00:00:00

A PASSENGER'S NARRATIVE.

The following story of the difiaster is re-fated by Mr.
C. B. Weite,pf New York
The awful rapidity with which the ship went down after
she was struck is scarcely cregliole. We were sleeping
tranquilly Is one berths when a dreadful crash mid the
shivering of the venal awoke us In a moment. The pas-
-1 begets, men, women, and children, rushed on deck.
I some of them half dressed, others In their eight dresses
I At once we saw the extent of the accident which
11.4 occurred. There were the bows of a large sail-
ing vessel projecting over the deck, and there, too was •
trlghtlui hole in the side of our enamor, through which
the water was rushing furiously in, The crew, under the
Ofdit•Of the ceptain, were manntog the two longboats and
helping passengers Into them as fast as possible under the
excitement of those terrible moments. Wisti• they old so,
ho , the mainmast tell with an awful crash, bringing
down the minomast also with It. Theme two masts fell
upon the loggnets, and killed a number of the psi-
enders Lad Injured m soy others. The terror which prevailed
among them as this time prevented a great many of the pm
Benson from making any Atte m^ to sate their lives Some
of them. In a paroxylim of despair, threw themselves ox the
deck hi careen prayer. Althongh there were eight hosts
, aliogether belonging to the ship, owing to the brief time in
which she sank the crew were our, able to get the captain's
gp and whaleboatinto the water. The whaleboat was launched
oy the second iteureualit, who, with reversl Cl the crew
and two or three pusengers, succeeded In getting Into
It jive in time to escape goitre down with the ship. Some
others net Into the cap.ain's gig, and the few live. need In
these two hods and some others picked up afterwards by
the Loehearn were all that reaped out of the Sit .onls
0001,1 (ho Vide du Barre when she was crack. The Loehearn,
after clean g awn In, us the ankles vessel. put off to • die
Sun of shout half a mle, where she hove to, and sent her
boats to pick op any of the psasengen and crew who migh,
happen to be floating on the sea. Some were found on pteoes of
plat k, some clinging to portions of the broken span, others
on life-huoys, mks, and varlet:is other re nnants of the wreck.
Not a eine le person was saved from the deck, the panic being
so gnat and the time so short before all was over. lbs
Cepteln end Second (Meer behaved with great courage
through this scene of agony and despeir. They both MUMn, el
ou de,k to the last, dad went dose with the steamer, but
came to the miens and flouted for tbnequartere of an
hour, when they were picked up by tne whaleboat.
The mental anguish of some of the fortunate few whose
lives were need was heartrending In the extreme. One lady
(Sirs. Spafford. of Chic tiro) had lost her tour children, and
ewther (Mts. Bulkele)) had I at three. A gentleman, who
was taking his aster to France for the benefit of her health.
was among the saved, and his grief on finding that hie sister
had gone clown in the vessel found a paralls I only In that of
part nts who were lamenting the lo's of their childrm end
ch ldren the lon of their parents Never can I forget the her.
rowing scene which I witnessed on the deck of the Lochearn
—s seeenw surpassed in agony only by that I bad beheld Just
before on the deck of the 111-Isl d Vial du Barre. Ladles
sni gentlemen who bad never before known single preye-
d n is ere standing dere shivering and destitute, and officers
and se..men • hose lives perhaps bed been spent iii travel hist
tne ogee., snddenly found Owns, lee. hrlplns, and deprived
In some CSFOS of everythin: they had po end d. About
wght a' cock we sighted the American ship Tremonfein,
bound from Now li.rk for Bristol, and tige n our agnslligg
her she hore.to and bore down alongside of us. We were
then all tr./referred 11 that veers! en board of which we
were treated with the utmost kindness and conold,ration
both by Captain Urquhart and tds cancers and men. 'hanks
to their kind attention, In two or three lass nearly ell the
survivors hot to a great extent recovered from the serious
effects of their treniersion In the sea,

Mr. James Blehop, sr! , Broadway, New York, left the Alp
on • plank 11.ted about three quarters of an hour, and
thou wan pickod op by. Irrenco boat.

Mr. Henry FUlknap 8, Mount Vernon-street, Iston, Imam
from tho area, •1111 was picked up about an !lour a or by
an Eng:l•hb,t

Mr. A e,w M.Cre.ty. rAt:l. t n
rho sank, ad was pick* I up i 11.121 Oliel hoar &Mr by s

Alfred Barbancon, 2, Rue de Ilantoner, Belatom, swam
fr .nt the wreck, without support, for one hour, and was
picked ip by a Preoch boat.

Mr Theophile Ludian. 9, Rue de Batignolles. Nth,
xated dirt et vo an Co g !Ugh ahlp on a raft, and RAJ p:catd
up by • Fr•nch bela.

_ -
Mr. Le Grant Cremer, Troy, New York, tank with wreck ;
sev,e'y h.jured abont the head . floeted .but one hour ;
e.ved by English boa:. lost an aunt.

Mr. It. D. Withaus fun . West Thirty fourth street,
N-w T•lk, swam horn wreck, found support, d ,ated about
,no hodr, mid picked up by an Loglish boat.

- -
Mr. William It. Swift (twat and Allen), New Bedford.
rotted States, J umped overbourd with r-nrese re,r ; Cated
about one hour, and wu picked up by an English boat, He
has lost a daughter

Mr FrancLc 1 Llado mend ill, Maiden.lane, New York,
end St, BAC de Luxembourg, Perla left the ship bef, re she
eo, n I,.ted on m plank one hour, ant picked up by au Sag-
Ugh boat,

Mr Charles R Waite, Brevoort-h,.,, New York, and SS,
Lane, New Yntk, .d 62, Avenui &Alma Paris, Mint with
the ship, imam tor a time, then found • pl•ca of timber, and
&asked shree-quarters of an hour. I.le was picked up by a
r ranch boat lie lota lost sister.

Sir Koskey Butt, New Yolk, sank with ship, floated
with piece of timber tilt...quartosa of an hour, and was
picked up by a From. b boat.

Mn. M. A. Brickley, Riga, New York, tank with ship.
floated with timbtr one hoar, and waa picked up by an
E glib boat. she hay lout a daughter.

lira Henry D. Ststf,rd. 169, La Sable-street. Chicago,
Illinois, sank with .top, floated with tlnbr one hour, and
era. plcksd up by an IScgllsh boat. Sue Les last three
chi deer.

Mrs 'O, illiam It Swift (Swift and Allen), New Bedford, left
stip. with life-preserver, II sled ne hour, awl was picked
up by an &Wish boat. She bat 104 une daughter.
Mrs. Chresto, Paris, sent with ship, Sided with timber
one hoar, and we. picked up by u French boat. She has
lAA her hutban I.

Wu Addle Breed,n, 27 Avenue de Parts, VersaMee, France,
and New York, ink with ship; lat.! with timber on hour,
a, a eas picked up by • French boat. She flu lost her
fatzter.

Mt.. Fanny BMlnger, 39, Broad-street, New York, sank
w; th ship , floated ou pilot's steps threw quarters 01 50 hour,
und was picked up by a French boat. (Ms h.u. brat her
mother.

Wu Mary Ranter, 12, K Street, Newport, R. 1., rank with
ship. Boated on .Ivber one her, snd ww piikeo up by an
K,,.lslsi boat. she has lust lather, mother, and slater.

Miss Anna limiter, 12, K S:rest, litwoort, It 1., sank with
al•ip, floated rn tinh,r one boor, and was picked up by an
English boat She b.. out t•o sisters.

Misses Ma lelole and Helens Mix,', 195, Beacon-street,
Bo ton. 51 tstachuset s ssnk sith the thip: t form r
fl ateo • n %talent thrte quarters f an ho,r, an I the late:
n pi ot's reps one rour, anti they were p tked up y as
.I.11•h to a'. Thq here lost fsth r, mother, two Ma ere,
Sat . grah I .tht•t•

MI sC. Empty, 22, at Seventeenth.dreet, New York,
stnk with .1 fp, fl ',tad olt timb,r one h u nd *SS picked
up by •n Eng i.h bob. tih, has lost coLther and titter.

-Celt o bo-ard th. Lochearn —Rev E. M. Cook, Pub.

Ofti.mrs saved —Captain Sarmont, sank with the .hip,
WUn for three-quarters of au hour, and tram picked up by a
French boat Captain Paray, sank with ship, dieted with
timber for two hours, and was picked up by a French boat,
First officer M his post lowered his boat and saved those
rescued by the French boat.
Parser Vie sank with ehlp, picked up by French boat, and
then assisted to save passengers.

_
Sec. nd Purser Dubec swam from shlp nearly t, the sag-
ligh boat, and was then picked up by French boat.
Second Engin, er sank with ship, floated with Umber three
hove, and was the last saved by the hugllsh boat.
The ship's papers were not saved.

The screw dimmer Valle du Havre was originally a French
Decide steamer. She.,, burned Into anon. steamer and
lengthened by 11144ars Andrew Leslie and CI, iletiburn-an-
Ty ne, being intended as mall and passenger steamer between
HAM° and New YJrk. She left Shields harbour on the Bth
of March this 'ear. She was or about 4,000 {WA and had
accommodation for 1,40) passengers.

It Is understood that the London marine insurance com-
pletes will pa very heavy losers by the loss of toe {Tie du
Havre The aggregate of the Insurances effected on the
hull of the steamer represents an amount of between £90,100
ad £90,001 Considerable stir wee caused at Lloyd's ou blon-
de), ILOPIIiOg when the telet,rates announcing the ulsaater
were posted. There have, of count, been numerous and heavy
insurances on the cargo and passengers, but no approximate
estimate of the amount could be obtained during the day.
The French Insurance suisociations have shffered to •
lindted extent only, because all the principal marine under-
writing business is dene in London and Liverpool, where far
better terms can be secured. It is rather too early to speak
with certainty In the sail int, but already It haa been a Berke
that proreedMes will ne instituted In the English admiralty
Court, when tne whole of the circumstances attending the
disaster will be inquired into. It may te aeserted generally
that, according to the regulations for preventing coiliatoflu
at sea, it la the duty of a steamer to keep clear of • sailing
ahip.
131,.L200w, Dee. 1.

The Loehearn, 111 eh csrne Into collision with the 1 the des
Havre, iv ov n .ti in Gluigow by Menke Aitkin end Litbutu,
who, up till this evening, have heard rotting slum; her. She
was c mromided by Caltsin Roberto°, sne sidled from
ndon for New York on the .411% of November. She loot
4JdIJoOJ itrusir.9 ...0z1.4.121,1it W. 1,42
PAR/9, Dec. 1. I
The new. of the tenible disurter which hat befallen the
Frits du form has produced • most peinful Improve/on hare.

The Warrington Guardian idea that She Rev. XmU.
Cook, one of cnd tee gored from She Ville du Havre, but de
tallied on hoard the Loehearn by his inJunta is the well.
known French Weeleyan minister of La "'ernes and Rue
Itodopine Cannel., P.rto, who was mstingnished during
the slog. of that city, and a terwards nearly loot his We by
tie C hominids rniotaking him for a German Mr. Cook
had gone to the Evongelicol Alliance meeting at New York
A t prement the erten:of his interim is not known, and his
wife and family of eight children will. therefore he kept for
a time in pants! sus,tenoe. Mr. Col received his English
College trothing at toe Weoleyan College, Richmond.

NARRATIVE OF ONE OF THB BAILORS.
The following in the narrative of one of the women