Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-09-06
A Terrible steamboat Disaster.
TWENTY LIVES LOST.

Watch Hill, r. l. The collision occurred
about six miles from shore, at about five
o'clock in the morning She was struck by
schooner, knoekinga hole in her bottom.
She Immediately began to fill. The pas
sengers we're aroused and warned to Sc
cure life-preservers. In a short time
the lower part Of the boat, with the en-
gines, went down about mile from
shore. A large number of the passen-
gers and crew climbed on the upper
deck, which parted from the hull. The
Waves rolled high and the rain contn-
ued, but the upper works fioated, and
struck the shore just below the Ocean
House, at about 7:45 this morning. The
beach is strewn with fragments of the
wreck, dead bodies, and baggage.
The number of lives lost is supposed
to be about twenty.
A PASSENGER STORY.
G. G. Guild, a merchant of New York
City, who was on board the i'll iated
steamer, makes the following statement !:
The collision occurred at about 3:45
o'clock on Friday morning, the schooner
striking the Metis near the forward
gangway, and thrusting her bowsprit
completely through the side of the
steamer. The shock was pretty severe
IN the Metis, and awoke toe passengers
in considerable alarm, some imagining
that the steamer had struck rock. Mr..
Guild arose Immediately, and looked
out, but, on account Of the darkness and
storm, was unable to see anything of the
schooner Directly after the collision
the captain of the Metis, not considering
her much damaged, ordered her to be
put about in search of the schooner,
which he feared might be sinking. About
this time, the steamer Stonington, of the
Stonington line, came alongside the Me-
tbs, to render whatever assistance might
be peeded, but Captain Burton declined
all offers, supposing his vessel to be in
no danger, aud asked the captain of the
StoniDgton to look after the schooner,
which they proceeded to do. The Metis,
after spending about ten or fifteen min.
utes in hunting for the schooner, with
out obtaining any sight of her, once
more went around and started for Prov
idence. She had been on her course
again about half an hour, he thinks,
when, at about Al o'clock, it was discov-
cred that the vessel was sinking, and the
alarm was given to that effect. The ex-
element now became intense, and every
one was making strenuous efforts to OBJ
tain something to float upon to land.
| The steamer seemed to have an abun.
dance of life-presevers on board, but a
few persons very greedily seized upon
two or three apiece, thus preventing 9th
ers from obtaining any. On the whole
however, the passengers appeared to ACT
very generously toward one another, the
men helping to save the women and
children as far as possible. AT the time
the alarm was given the steamer had al.
ready sunk pretty we'll in the water, and
was filling quite rapidly with very
heavy sea running. The three boat:
were lowered Immediately, but two were
swamped as soon as they touched the
water. One, however, was righted and
| filed and with the third one succeeded
in reaching the shore safely. Only few
minutes elapsed after the notice of the
danger, when the steamer sank, and
those on board we're obliged to hold Oh
to whatever they could find. Many gath.
cred on the hurricane deck, but Mr.. Guild
deeming that unsafe, mounted bale OF
cotton with another passenger, and chung
to it more than an hour, when, nearly
exhausted with cold and fatigue, rope
was thrown to him and was floating about
with about forty persons, including a
number of women and children. They
we're finally, after knocking about for
four hours, driven ashore at Watch Hill
striking upon the rocks with such great
force as to break the deck up complete.
ty. At this time, Mr.. Guild believes
they were really in greater danger than
before, for the waves, as soon as one edge
of it touched the shore, turned the deck
completely over, SCATTERING it, and
throwing its passengers and the ruins il
one confused mass upon the rocks, in
Turing several considerably, himself
among the number, and killing some, he
thinks. Once upon shore, they were
kindly cared for by the people of Watch
Hill, and every thing done to render then
comfortable. Food was supplied and
dry clothing furnished The passenger,
lost everything except what they had
upon their persons, and many had tc
borrow money and dry clothing to ena
bic them to pursue their journey. The
storm on Thursday night was extremely
severe on the Sound, an old pilot, who
has sailed that water for thirty years
stating that he has never experienced
worse weather in all trips. So strong
did the waves run that Mr.. Guild found
it almost impossible to maintain his hold
upon the bale of cotton on which he first
escaped from the steamer, and he saws
that, had he not been pulled on to the
hurricane deck at the time he was. he
must have like his companion succumb
ed in few minutes to the force of the
waves and been drowned. Another bale
of cotton was thrown upon the shore al
Watch Hill, with two men clinging te
it, but one one of them was SO exhaust
ed that he died soon after reaching land
The deck, upon which so many were
clustered, was tossed about like a corE
by the waves, quivering aud bending like
piece of paste board, and Mr.. Guild
/ has NO donht that savaral ha;,,,r .,., -, /