The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-12-04
The Vile du Havre Calamity.
FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE
DISAST Err.
LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND LIFE
PRESEkVERS.

LONDON, Dec. 2.-Later details of the wreck
of the Vile du Havre report that the Loeb Earn
was sighted by those on board the steamer from
fifteen to seventeen minutes before tie coils
ion occurred.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3-The following despa tcb
to the Herald has been received from London:
Eleven survivors of the loss of the French
steamer Vile du Havre have departed hence
and will arrive in Paris tonight. The Rail-
way Company kindly provided a special saloon
in London, everybody WED in comforting tn.
survivors. Marks of affectionate sympathy
were evinced even by store keepers, who refus-
ed to accept payment for goods ordered, aud
their offers We're with difficulty resisted. The
agents of the company provided funds, while
Morgan, Brown and others offered homes and
comforts to the unfortunates. All this was un-
necessary, several of the surviving gentlemen
having saved sufficient from the sinking ship
1t is remarkable fact that James Bishop
and others had seemingly ample time to dress
completely. BiehOp's watch stopped at TWEEN
ty-eight minutes past two and Mr., Cramer's
watch at half past two exactly. This leads to
the supposition of the loss of much valuable
time in the lowering of the boats, owing to the
utter absence of discipline.
After the collision no orders were given, the
officers were distracted and each person helped
himself.
The long boat contained no first class passen-
gers. The sailors and coal boys rushed and
tOOk pOSSeSStOu al the DOatS, all OF L0o reSCu6S
being effected subsequently,.
The Scotch ship Loeb Earn was prevented
from making immediate preparation for rescue,
owing to the ignorance on board whether the
Vile du Havre had sustained serious or slight
damage. This may probably be accounted for
by Inability to communicate intelligence be-
tween French speaking and English speaking
officers OF either ship. As q consequence, the
boats were not lowered until the Inflated
steamer had gone down.
IN hoo fha Ill
ers could be found in their proper places Five
gentlemen among the rescued searched four
cabins for these articles in vain.
1t has been ascertained that the occupants of
three or four cabins amidship were probably
killed when the PROV of the Loeb Earn crush
ed in the plates of the steamer. The greater
number of those rescued had been floating
from half an hour to an hour.
The American captain was married man
and offered the ladies increased comfort in the
neat cabin. Still, when landing was effected
at Cardiff on Monday at twilight, the ladies
were in state OF semi-nudity, some having
only blankets, none having bonnets and all
having their feet covered with sailors stockings.
When they arrived at the hotel the agents i'm
mediately provided clothing. All the ladies
were assembled in the parlor for the purpose of
dressing, having short notice to do SO prior to
their departure for London. When the signal
was given that the time for starting had ar
rived the gentlemen asked if all were ready.
An affirmative answer was giver, and wheu
the door was opened all who witnessed the
scene wildly realized the fearful tfgaedy which
had occurred, all the ladies being clad in deep
mourning.
The second officer, who persisted. was in
charge, but the sailor who was gu the lookout
was rescued. The latter maintains that ten
minutes prior TO the catastrophe he reported
the vessel in sight to the officer. The second
officer gave confused orders to the men at the
wheel. The few saved owe their lives to the
sagacity of the engineer, who stopped the en-
CINE instantly, thus preventing the loss of all
on board by lessening the distance between the
Scotchman and the steamer. Only one among
the crew can speak English, the remainder be-
ing Frenchmen.
A court Of inquiry has been opened at Car
diff.
The correspondent endeavored to obtain an
interview with Capt. Surmount, who blames
the officer in charge, beyond which he is I'M
able satisfactorily to explain the catastrophe.