Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-03-01
Details OF the NOrtAfieet Disaster.

Details OF the NOrtAfieet Disaster.
The details of the terrible disaster to the
ship NOrthflcet are published, from which
it appears that at lO3 O'Clock at night the /
captain and Others were alarmed by Il cry
from the officer of the watch. "A steamer ,
is right into u.s." The captain and pilot
rushed on deck, but before they got there
the steamer had run into til vessel, strik- |
ing her amidships and cutting her below |
the water mark. The carpenter quickly /
reported her nearly half OF water. The |
pumps were started promptly and the |
crew worked hard at them for some min |
utcs, but while it was found the water !
was rapidly gaining, panic seemed to
seize both crew and passengers, and the
officers could not keep them in check.
a crowd of men and women had rushed up
from their bcr;hS, many only half clothed.
The passengers had mostly retired, and
but few were undressing.
The noise of the collision is likcncd by
one of them 10 peal of thunder. and such
was the violence of the shock that those
standing were Knocked down. 1t appears
that the steamer rebOunded and came
second time in collision with the North
fleet. The water began to pour in. and
i'm a very short time the passengers quar-
ters were swamped. Women were slower
| to rush cn deck than men. and many were
not in condition to 90 till the water rose
thrcatenngly around them. No one on
board the steamer was heard to speak, al
though loud and eager shouts from the
Northficet must have made her crew
aware of the terrible danger that existed.
| She backed for two or three minutes. anu
| then steaminT away, was soon out OF
| sight. For half an hour the scene on the
deck of the Northllcet was apalling; men
cursing and swearing fought their way
towards the boats. while the captain and
first mate rOared out commands To the
men to keep back and allow the women
TO get to the side of the vessel. but ap-
parently without success. Rockets were
fired and blue lights burned. A gun was
loaded. and the screw of the ramrod be-
came detached from the handle. and the
piece could not be discharged.
Signals of distress were seen by several
vessels, but appear to have been regarded
as signals for pilot. for no assistance
was rendered. Meanwhile the scene on
deck baiiled description. The captain.
finding the men determined to leave the
vessel, went below, armed himself with
revolvers and ascending the poop, de-
clared his determination to shoot the first
man who tiled t. leave the vessel before
the women were saved. The first boat
launched was lowered by a number OF
passengers by cutting the ropes. There
being no ladder at hand, the only way OF
getting into it was by leaping or dropping
some ten or fifteen feet. AS there was Il
terrible rush towards the boat, the scene
was one of distressed confusion, and a
man and boy fell into the water and were
| f'bn cflrar- dill all thev caulO
to force the men who first got into the
, boat to leave it, that the women might be
. saved. but to no purpose, even firing with
blank cartridges, it is supposed, at first
1t was unavailing. however. About thir
. tv persons having got into the boat it put
( Off with not one of the crew in it. An
other life-boat was launched and mar
f got into it he was ordered to leave, anC
refusing, the captain shot him in tho cal
of the leg. Capt. Knowles then PLACED
. his wife i'm the boat and said to the boat
; swain, who had already got in, "IIere'
/ charge for you, bOsen! Take care 81
her and the rest. and God bless YOU
! Wringng his wifc's hand he bade hei
: goodbye, saying 81 shall never see you
| again." Ii is impossible to describe the
, panic that ragged ut this time.
Hcart-rending shrieks on all sides. "A
\ passenger seeing the captains wife in the
: boat, threw his own wife in. passed hcr
f baby to her and then entered yhe boa
! himself. A little girl was thrown into
the boat by her father, who tried to sav'
, the rest of his family, but the seething
n maddened crowd pressing toward the sid'
: of the vessel prevented him, and with hi
q wife and two other children he went dow
y with the ill-fated vessel.
q The engineer made frantic efforts t.
: save his wife and children, but wa
I jammed between the coOk-hOuse and gun
vale and received dreadful injuries
though he was afterwards rescued ina pre-
cariOus state. Only two of the sever
boats aboard were launched, owing. m
doubt to the panic, and one was seriOusl.
: injured. as the tackle and boat fell into tn
= sea. When the second boat had got off j
Il seemed to become question of moments
e The quarterback was crowded by men
n women and children. some crying, swear
ing and praying. The captain and pilO
If were together, and the latter was hear
o to say, "Ii you want TO save yourselves
s make for the tOp-mast." to which man
y poor people rushed. In quarter of a
n hour a tug picked up the second boat wit
s. thirty occupants, and then steamed fO
e some time round the spot. About three
Is quarters of an hour after being struck
l. the NOrthfleet went down with an awfu
is suddenness. Three hundred and twenty
lc seven souls were on board at that m(
7, ment. The first boat was 100 yards, an
l. the second only twenty or thirty frOr
.e the vessel. The crew of the first boa.
Is after landing the women. rOwed arOun
le the seen of the wreck and saved five mel
lr trying to swim to the shore. A luggt
l. took off the occupants of the second boa
b. thirty-fOur passengers, and pilot cutie
TO rescued the pilot and ten men, who. ha'
he ing gone down with the vessel, rose
e, the surface and clung to the main-tOI
Of mast rigging. The vessel lies in eleve
Mt fathoms of water. The survivors say ii
x captain displayed the greatest herOisn
IN maintained his presence Of mind, an
e. from first to last strOve hard to put a
il end to the panic and did his duty bravel
10 to the end. He was at the last momei
er going across the deck in the hope OF el
o. abling some of the crowd crOuchin
III round the boats on that side to get ava
he from the ship. The survivors say Il
e. other boat got adrift when the ship sum
s, and express belief if the passengers hs
of allowed them to be lowered properly the
p could have saved at least 100 more live
ay The unfortunate women could not cln
of the masts, although they did all in ihe
We power to help Them. Consequently, .
ms the women and children, with the exec
sc ton Of the captains wife and another al
ID two children, were drowned.
ar ---->>>--
Of WALLA WALLA, in Washington Territ
b. nv. has what it euphemistically terms