New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-08
run Down IN sIIDOcEAN.
The Sinking of the Annefa by the Steam-
ship Jaya-A Shipload Sent Without
Warning to Watery Grave-Only One
Survivor,

The sinking IN mldocean OF the Norwegian
bark Anneta by the Cunard steamship Java,
on Friday night last, was briefly noticed in
the San Yesterday. AS the event happened
at night, it created the widest consterna-
ton among the two hundred passengers on
board of the steamer. The majority had
lust retired TO their staterooms. The re-
mainder were in the main saloon passing
away the time in reading and in converse
ton. On deck it was uninviting. The
night was dark A heavy sea was running
and drizzling rain was falling. At ten
and half knots an hour the huge vessel
was plunging against considerable head
sea- Nothing but the straining of her ma
chinery could be heard, and in the dreary
waste of water nothing could be seen by
the lookout.
1t was the second officers watch. Four
bells had Just gone for ten o'clock, and all
was well. One by one the little knots of
saloon eontroversialists broke up. The roll
ing and pitching motion of the vessel was
not conducive to sociabiiity. About the
only signs of animation on board were to be
| found at the head OF ona OF the tables,
where were seated four gentlemen who had
| done nothing since they came on board but
| play cards few interested spectators
| watched the game they were then playing.
! The lamp above them swung violently to
| and fro, throwing titful shadows Oh the
| group below The dealer had just finished
| shutting the pack, and had just placed it
| opposite his neighbor for the cutting pro-
| cess, when loud shout on deck startled
| the partys In another moment the bell in
| the engine room was heard to ring, and in
obedience to the signal the machine stopped.
| Instinctively the card party and the speeta-
| tors entered fer foot race. The spectators
obtained the lead, yet none of them had
reached the saloon door when a terrible
crash shook the steamer from stem to stern.
| Col in Iaaa ha
scene of confusion. The staterOoms below
poured out their occupants. Up the COM
panionways rushed terrified men and
women. Some had not stopped to dress
themselves A look of intense anguish
settled upon the faces of all. Many were
struck dumb with terror. Those who could
control their speech excitedly asked OF the
others what had happened"
A dreadful uncertainty heightened the
fears of the terror-stricken passengers. The
officers on duty could be heard shouting
their commands. An order to lower the
boats hanging to the davits did not serve to
lessen the excitement Everybody feared
and believed the worst. Tie suspense,
however, did not last long. 1t was ascer
tanned that the steamer had just run down
a sailing vessel, and had itself received no
injury. All fears on this head were finally
auieted by the report OF the engineer and
carpenter, who had examined the steamer.
She appeared to have received no further
injury than the loss of starb0ad light, fore
top gallant mast and some iron railing
Life buoys were thrown overheard, in the
hope that the lives of some of the crew of
the ill-fated vessel might be saved thereby.
There was a painful delay in lowering the
boats. Finally. one in charge of Mr.. James
Murdock, third officer, and another in
charge of Mr. Robert c. Moore, fourth Off
Ger, put off from the steamer in search of
Il -,t&1, 'ln
was still running very high. and the driz-
zling rain poured down, The passengers,
whose fears for their own safety were now
Guieted crowded to the steamers side.
With breathless interest they peered out
into the darkness, utterly 0bliviOus of either
the rain or the violent pitching of the ves-
sell More than one silent prayer went up
from this throng for the safe return Of the
boats which had put Off to the rescue.
Grateful for their own preservation, they
now earnestly prayed for the safety of
others. All regretted that no means had
been provided to light up the surroundings.
If any hapless mariner were tossing about
on the waves he could not be seen half a
dozen wards off Presently third officer
Murdock's boat returned from the search.
An almost lifeless body was in possession
of its gallant crew. Tenderly it was lifted
I over the steamers side. Restoratives were
applied, and in few moments the efforts
of the surgeon were rewarded by the man
giving evidence of vitality. Meanwhile,
fourth officer Moore continued the search.
| But by this time the rest of the unknown
vessels crew had perished, for not another
survivor was found. There being nothing
more to be done, the Java resumed her
course. 1t was then half-rast eleven o'clock,
yet few of the passengers felt disposed. to
retire. Their nerves had been too violently
shaken by the sad catastrophe.
H. s. %I,o,, ,,aoN
! told his story as soon as his exhausted con-
dition permitted him TO speak. His name
. was w. Peterson, and he was the boatswaln
: The vessel was the Norwegian bark An
: meta, of Massachusetts, from Portsmouth,
England, bound to Mirimichi, in ballast
He, being in his hammock at the time, could
! give but little information about the COLI
sion. He said that he rushed on deck on
hearing an unusual noise, when he received
blow on the head from something which
, fell. This knocked him senseless, from
which condition he did not recover till he
found himself in the water. He saw no one
else. The crew consisted of twelve persons
At the time of the collision Daniel Groom
. was stationed as lookout on the starboard
J., side of the bridge. When he reported a
. light nearly ahead Mr.. Peter Wheeler, sec
ond officer then in charge, ordered the helm
1 hard-a-port and stopped the engines. Al
most immediately after, and before any
q thing could be done, the Java struck the
. bark amidships, sinking her almost in
! stantly. In answer to the question why
l the light was not seen sooner, the star
S board lookout man says that he first saw a
, twlnkling white light, then red one, and
. almost Immediately afterward the collision
took place.
Captain II. Martyr and First Officer
Jones, of the Java, are convinced that the
0 cause of this collision is owing to the dan
gerous practice, too common among sailing
| vessels, of not showing their side lights un
! ! til the approach of some other vessel rem
l ders 1t absolutely necessary, when, shoulC
8 there be want of vigilance on the part o
( those on deck, or the means of lighting the
lamps be not Immediately at hand. tas
. steamship would be upon them before tht
light could be exhibited
, One of the sa ling regulations of the Javs
g requires the conditions of the masthead anc
the side lights to be reported every hal
:, hour. This, Captain Martyr says, has
never been omitted. He is certain that nj
. lights were burning clearly at the time OF
f the collision.
The names of those who were downed OF
the Norwegian bark Anneta, on the TWEEN
ty-ffth ultimo are Captain Peterson; tirst
Z mate, Sanuberg; second mate, JAMS Gar
q nesan; the carpenter Christian Petersen
:. and Peter Jacobson, Jehan Jansen, treder
! ick Paulsen, Alfred and Hendrick Horus
seamen, and the cook, whose name TIT
= boatswain does not remember. Captain
t Peterson was married, and leaves wit
and three children. The sole survivor OF tn
disaster which befel the Anneta was exam
4 | ined Yesterday N the office OF tn