Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-03-30
A TERRIBLE STORM AT SEA.
Loss OF the Captain and Mates OF the
Steamship Europa.
From the New York SIM March Ia

A TERRIBLE STORM AT SEA.
Loss OF the Captain and Mates OF tn,
Steamship Europa.
From the New York SUM- March Il.
The steamship Europa sailed from
Glasgow for this port ON the 25th o
February with 1876 steerage and 10 cab
in passengers. She experienced squally
weather during the first few days, which
increased to strong gale from the
west, with sleet and heavy cross sea
on March l. Next day Thursday al
noon another strong gale blew up from
the south accompanied by q
heavy cross sea. At IL r. NJ. the wind
checked to the west, followed by an
other gale from the west-northwest,
with heavy cross seas. This continued
all night, but on the next morning an
other fresh gale sprang up from the
west, which necessitated double reeting
of all the sails. Toward evening the
gale increased in fury, and the vessel
was put under very slow steam.
The scene at s o'clock was awful.
The vessel had reached latitude 1880
north, and longitude $3.50 west. It
was dark as pitch, the horizon being
overcast, and the air was chilly with
the driving sleet and the dashing
spray. The wind whistled through the
rigging and rushed against the sides of
the ship, which groaned and shivered
at every blow. In all directions foam
crested waves from 20 to 80 feet high
ran roaring upthe gallant vessel, threat
ening to crush her, but she rode like a
duck.
| At about $50 O'Clock the steerage
and the intermediate passengers had
been partially quieted, and the Captain
sat down In the midst of the cabin pas
sengers, nearly all of whom had known
him and sailed with him before, and
began a conversation about old times !;
every one became interested, and in
Joking, and even laughter, they forgot
the peril of the hour. At about 9:25
o'clock Captain Macdonald drew out
his watch and excused himself, saying
that it was time for him to go on deck
to give his final instructions for the
night to his mates, as was his custom
before going to bed. Turning to Mr..
Alexander d. Corson, OF No 3, Bowl
ing Green, in this city, he said " Cor
son, wouldn't you like to come up and
look at the sea ~ Corson replied in
the Affirmative, and they started up the
companionway together.
1t was the watch of the first and
third mates, Messrs. Davies and Waller.
These officers were standing together
on the bridge, under canvas awning
which had been erected especially to
protect them from the weather. The
bridge was very stout, and was braced
with iron stanchions and rails.
When Captain Macdonald and Mr..
Corson reached the deck, the storm was
at its greatest fury. The Captain laugh
ingly dared Mr.. Corson to 60 with him
upon the bridge. Mr.. Corson accepted
the challenge, and the two started for
ward. They had barely reached the
end of the deck-house when the ship
gave sudden lurch to starboard. and
Mr.. Corson's courage cooled. He said,
"Captain, 1 guess I'll go back, as I've
only got my slippers on" The Cap
tain laughed, and said, "All right, go
back then" Mr.. Corson shouted,
Captain, take care of yourself !" and
Iv-entcred tiIs vabin.
He had hardly seated himself when
he was startled by tremendous crash,
quickly followed by the hoarse yells of
the seamen, "Help! The Captains
overboard!"
Mr.. Corson sprang up the steps, and
saw at glance the full extent of the
disaster. A tremendous sea had struck
the bridge beneath the starboard side,
twisting the horizontal iron railing into
perpendicular position, and tearing
the planking up like paper. This broke
the wave, and its crest fell with crash
upon the leeward side of the bridge,
swapping the stanchions and grinding
that part of the flooring into kindling
wood. The almost solid mountain Of
water then bounded off into the sea
again, staving in two boats and break
ing the main boom, having evidently
turned a somersault in its passage 1t
overwhelmed the Captain and Mates,
sweeping them far off into the deep.
Startled by the cries of the sailors,
Mr.. Finlay, the second mate, rushed
upon deck in his undershirt and
drawers. He bounded to the taffrail
Just in time to see three black specks
disappearing in the darkness behind.
Screaming to the men to throw out
ropes and life-buoys, he sprang to the
hatchway and signalled the engineer
to stop the engines The ship was
speedily slowed and stopped, and the
buoys and ropes were cast into the
waves, but without avail. But the
ship soon began to pay of in the trough
of the sea, and Mr.. Finlay was COM
PEELED to order the engines to move
again slowly. A strict watch was kept
out for the lost captain and mates, but
all chance for rescuing them had gone
they had gone down in mid ocean.
The news of the disaster was care
fully kept secret from all but the
cabin passengers. The remainder OF
the night was spent in prayers and
tears. Even the bravest refused to oc-
cupy their state-rooms, and lay down
in their clothing in the saloon. Mean
time the gale became tornado. Al
about midnight, another wave struck
the Europa, and the noble vessel trem-
bled from stem to stern. The hurri
cane continued through the night and
all day Sunday, Sunday night, and
Monday, the vessel, from necessity,
going under a very slow head of steam
all the time. To add to the terror o1
the night of the disaster, one of the in
termediate passengers heard of the
I Captains death, and spread the story
among his fellows. Next morning il
was told TO the steerage passengers,
filling them with CONSERVATION
A kind of mutiny ensued, mass indig
nation meeting was held, and a com
mittee of two-one member selected
from the intermediate and one from the
steerage passengers-was-s sent to Mr.
Finlay to demand that he should put
into the nearest port. But the cool
] headed, skilful officer quieted them
after while, and they soon became sc
well satisfied with the second mate,
management of the ship that they
i dubbed together and raised twelve
pounds sterling, which they gave hin
yesterday morning with the warmes
; expressions of their thanks and es
teem- From the disaster to yesterday
J when the Europa arrived at this port
Mr. Finlay did not sleer, twelve ful