The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-17


Times on Monday evening, from lie Grand
C. Cramer, son of George II. Cramer of
Troy, President Of the Rensselaer, and Sar-
atoga Railroad-who was a passenger by
the Inflated steamer Vile du Havrc, to-
gethcr with his aunt, Mrs Edward Curtis
who was lost,) is the first connected par-
rative of the disaster yet published IN TINS
country. The letter was written on beard
the ship Tri- Mountain, which took the res
cued passengers off the Loeb Earn and
landed them at Bristol, England. 1t was
composed under the most distressing cir
cumstances, and its graphic description of
the horrible disaster will he read with in
tense interest 1t brings the terrible scene
most wildly home to the imagination Mr.
rramer went down with the ship, and
Though badly hurt, seems to have been
wondrously and mcrcifuly .sayed by Gods
rood providence. The letter (which is writ
ten in pcnciD is as follows:
SnIP TRI- MOUNTAIN, Nov. Is, 1872. -
w Deer Parents You will have received
the sad news of the loss of the steamer Vile
du liavre by telegraph before this letter can
reach you. You will also see from the list
of passengers saved that am spared, and
your Aunty Curtis lost. will not attempt
at this time to give you full details of this
horrible marine disaster, rs the terrible or
deal have Just passed through has nearly
exhausted the little strength | had, and |
am also suffering from several severe cuts
l..... 4 ,,s
went down. That am here now, alive and
able to write you at all, is miracle, a dis
pcnsation of Il most kind providence. A
mcrcifIl God has spared my life, when many
more deserving of His clcmcncy and mercy
have been taken away.
~il now state briefly the calamity which
hurried two hundred and thirty souls out of
three hundred and ten intoctcrnity. The
day after we left New York the weather was
fine the sea smooth, and all promised we'll
tor a successful and pleasant voyage. On
Monday Il storm came up, which continued
for tUrty-cglt hours, and during which
time the steamer lost one blade of her screw.
This accident, although it did not materially
affect the speed and safety of the vessel
seemed to cast gloom over the passengers
and created Il feeling of uneasincss among
them, which the apparent lack of discipline
and order among the officers and crew did
not tend to relieve or remove, Following
the storm. which ceased Tuesday night, a
iog came up, which lasted until Friday eve
ming, when ii became clear and starlight,
we then being fifteen hundred mics from
New York and Just about in mid ocean.
That night we all went to our state rooms
feeling more security, but we little knew
how soon or i'll what great peril our lives
were to be placed, or how few of US would
live to see the light of another day.
About in the morning was awakened
from a sound sleep by a terrible crash, ac-
companicd by the shrieks and cries of men,
women and children. On getting out of
my room was told that we had come into
collision with only small vessel; that the
steamer was not at all injured; and |, after
telling aunty to dress, went up on deck and
found that we had collded with large iron
sailingyesscl, which struck our steamer
amidshp, making very large hole in her
side below the wafer linn. | at once saw
that the steamer was rapidly sinking, and
that our only hope of safety was in the life
boats. returned to aunty and told herr
condition of the ship, and brought her up
on deck as soon as possible, and placed her
with the ladies, while went with some gen
llemen to help get off the life boats to save
the ladies' The lack of discipline We had
before noticed was now too apparent. The
officers had no control over the men; they
were only thinking ofsaving their own lives,
and left the passengers to look out for them
selves, What could we do, unaccustomcd
10 handling the rigging of life boats, and
but few of us to do anothing? We all work
ed with desperation to get boat in to the
water. And hadwe had more time we might
have done so but the ship was settling very
fast, and suddenly she went down, bow
first. with FALL on board-at least all the
passengers, as about half the crew had gone
in the boats and left us to our fate | saw
aunty just a moment before the ship went
down, but was powerless to save her, there
being no life preserver to be found in the
stateroom or on the deck, although made
every effort to find one for her.
went down with the ship, believing il
was my last moment; but after being drawn
down by the suction of the ship, came to
the surface, and, although encountered with
clothes. managed to swim until got hold OF
floating spar, although l was pulled under
water twice by some poor drowning person.
After being in the water over thirty minutes,
| was picked up by Il boat from the ship that
had run into us, completely exhausted,
more dead Ethan alive. was taken to the
Loeb Earn with others, which proved to be
an English ship, and although herself badly
damaged BY the collision was yet able to
keep afloat and save the few of us who are
now here to tell the sad story.
After being on board few hours we were
transferred to the ship we are now on, hail
ing from New York to Bristol, England,
commanded by Capt. Urquchart, one of the
nnllpgi and linIasf hoe cd
walked deck. There were only twenty
three first-class passengers saved out OF
cighty-tve, eleven ladies and twelve gen.
llemen, the remaining saved being steerage
passengers, officers and crew. Eighty-five
in all, out of three hundred and ten souls,
we're saved.
This is one of the most terrible disaster.
that has ever occurred on the sea, and new.
cr has ship that has been heard from gone
down in so short time after a collision
only fifteen minutes from the time she
struck until she sank out of sight.
l VIII not try to write you any more, but
will give you fuller accounts when get
ashore. have lost all except the few
clothes | have on, and | am badly bruised
and cut. | have one cut under my law,
over one inch long and very deep, and sew.
cral othcr smaller ones on my face. body
and limbs. shall go to London, thence to
Paris, and is soon as / am rested and NV
wounds healed shall start for home, as
know how anxious you will be to have me
safely back.
hope you will not worry about me, for
| am doing rs well as possible, and will
write you by every steamer | shall pro.
baby, God willing, start for home in about
four weeks, as | have promised to take
charge ofMrs. buckley, who los: her only
daughter, and also two Miss Hunters, who
lost father, mother, sister, and are all alone
IN the world. 1t will take me, | fear, al
least weeks before l recover from my in
juries and recruit my strength. | do hope
you will not be distressed about me, for
am with friends who will take good care OF
me; and when return l will come by the
Cunard line, which think is the safest and
best Twill write you again as soon as ]
ret ashore. which thu panta;p calculates