The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-03 00:00:00

DISASTERS AT SEA.

The Westphalia, which arrived at Plymouth on
Monday from New York, brings advices giving in
stances of the loss of outward-bound vessels.

Captain Fritz, of the British barque Lord Hood,
from Belfast, states that five seamen were lost in an
endeavour to save life. On October 20 the Lord Hood
fell in with the barquentine Bend Or, from Liverpool
for St. John's, Newfoundland, which was in a sinking
state. Five of the Lord Hood's crew volunteered to
man a boat for the rescue. The boat was launched,
but a sudden squall arising it sunk and the men were
drowned. Heavy weather was subsequently encoun-
tered, and the wreck was lost sight of for three days.
Then the only workable boat of the Lord Hood,
manned by the mate and two men, proceeded to the
wreck, and in two journeys and at imminent peril
rescued the crew.

The German barque Rudolph, from Antwerp,
reached New York on the same day as the Lord Hood,
with the rescued crew of the British barque Battle M.,
from Dublin for St. Johns, New Brunswick. After
leaving Dublin two stowaways were discovered. Both
were subsequently washed overboard. Soon after the
barque was thrown on her beam-ends, and one of the
crew was crushed to death by falling spars. The seas
were making a clean breach over the vessel, and the
survivors of the crew were compelled to cling to what
rigging remained. In that condition the vessel was
fallen in with on the 22nd by the Rudolph, when the
crew were rescued.

The Anchor Line mail steamer Victoria, Capta n
Murray, from London for New York, with 419
passengers and a crew of 69, was in great danger for
a long time. Commander Cheyne, who was a pas-
senger on board the vessel, states that on the 9th
inst., the Victoria, during a severe gale, shipped a
tremendous sea amidships, which smashed a lifeboat,
carried away the donkey funnel, icebox, starboard
bridge, and ventilators. Sixteen men were on
the mainboom reefing the sail, when the sea
dashed the boom to leeward, breaking it, and
taking overboard the boatswain and two sea-
men, The Victoria was hove-to, and the crew
were mustered. The vessel remained hove-to for 23
hours. In the afternoon a message was received in the
saloon by Commander Cheyne to the effect that
Captain Murray would like to see some nautical man
on the bridge. Commander Cheyne repaired thither,
and was informed by Captain Murray that the Victoria
was in a very critical condition, and he wished him to
satisfy the passengers that everything had been done
that was at all possible in order to provide for their
safety. This Commander Cheyne did; • "but,"
remarks Commander Cheyne, "knowing the
reality of the danger and that if anything
should happen to stop the engines the Victoria
would inevitably fall into the trough of the sea and
founder, with all hands, I wanted the ladies to
remain for the night in the saloon, which suggestion
was responded -to by all. The behaviour of the pas-
sengers was admirable. A quiet resignation to a
seemingly inevitable fate reigned supreme. The Rev.
J. Evans, a Baptist minister, who had on board with
him his wife and seven children, quietly told me he
should collect his family circle around him and clasp
as many as he might be able to when the fatal crash
came." The hurricane suddenly subsided on the
morning of the 10th.