Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-04-06


got a line across the inner channel,
which was about one hundred yards
wide and shallow, though with a heavy
surf running through. They then went
up and gave the alarm, and sent mes
! Isenger to Halifax. About fifty got to
the larger island by the line, though
many were drowned in the attempt,
among the number being the chief
steward, who was drowned by passen-
gers crowding him down. l, with the
fourth officer, encouraged as much as
we could the people, about four
hundred and fifty of whom remained on
the ships side, to keep moving, and keep
! from falling asleep, and in many cases
! they gave right up and died apparently
without any pain. Twelve men, seated
together, laid down beside me, and de-
spite all efforts to arouse them, died
and shipped into the sea. At half-past
five in the morning the first boat came,
| but she was too small to be of any use.
! At this point the captains feeling over
came him, and it was for several min
utes before he could proceed. In about
| twenty minutes more the large boat was
launched and proceeded to take
passengers off the small rocks. She
was in a half an hour followed by
| two others. | succeeded, fearing the ship
would part and slide into deep water in
getting them to take off those from the
! ship first, and many We're saved who if
| left there to the last would have per-
ished from exhaustion. AT this time l
missed the fourth officer, and feared he
| had fallen in, when / saw him on the
rocks, encouraging and helping another
boat along. When all had left but
about thirty men, my hands frozen and
my legs were stiff. They took me of,
| the rest following Immediately. AT
fOrty-tive minutes past eight o'clock in
| the morning, the survivors were landed
and lodged in wooden hut belonging
to fisherman named Clancy, whom
and his daughter gave them all they
| had, made fires and warmed them.
| During the day they We're drafted off
! to the various islands about, and bill
leted amOngstiwhat houses there were
there, Mr.. Ryan, the resident magis-
tTate filling his house, and others fol-
| lowing his example. No women or
children were saved. At one o'clock in
the evening l sent Mr.. Brany on to
Halifax to give the particulars and OBJ
tain food and assistance, and also to get
steamers down early and carry the pas
seDgeTs and crew to Halifax. At five
o'clock in the evening, the tide hav-
ing fallen, she broke in two
abaft the fore-mast, the ship falling over
till the sea washed completely over her.
Her cargo was now washed out. Hay-
ing no other officer at hand, detailed
the cOXswain and eight men to prevent
wreckeTs, who now swarmed round,
from carrying away saved goods, and
cof Of
to pick up the bodies of such as might
five during the night. At daylight
the custom authorities came down
and took charge. l gave to
Captain Sheridan provisional authority
to employ what labor he required for
salvage, with the understanding that
the salvage should not be over forty per
cent. of the net value, and if this was
objected to, to leave it to the arbitration
of two justices of the peace. We en-
barked all our saved, amounting to
about four hundred and twenty-nine, in
the steamers Lady, Head and Delta,
and arrived at Halifax at three O'Clock
in the evening, where Mr.. Merritt, the
Cunard agent, who had promptly offered
us every assistance, had places prepared
for all. l have given the company's
carpenter orders to get two hundred
collins TO bury the dead, and an under
taker to attend to the bodies OF the sa-
loon passengers and the second officer,
as their friends might wish them for
warded. Many bodies had come ON
shore before | left, some unrecOgnizable.
l identified Mr.. Metcalf, Miss Merritt,
Mrs. Fisher and the chief steward,
together with several of the others.
| left the fourth officer and four
men at the wreck to identify and take
charge of the papers, valuables etc, that,
might be thrown up or saved. Thirteen
saloon passengers were lost and twenty
saved; four hundred and sixteen steer
age were saved, and five hundred and
twenty-seven steerage and crew were
lost. But threee women were seen, of
two of whom / have spoken, and the
one who got up beside the chief officer,
and died in the rigging with her baby.
In reply to the questions of bis coun-
sci, he added that he was OF the bridge
up to twenty minutes past twelve
o'clock; that up to midnight there was
brilliant starlight, and after that there |
was an occasional sight of the stars. |
When he left the bridge he went into
the chart-room, thirty feet abaft the |
bridge on the upper deck within easy
call Of the officer on deck; got up at two |
O'Clock, looked into the wheel-house |
and then lay down. In making calcu- |
lations l estimated her speed at eleven |
knots. She had increased gradually |
from seven and a half to twelve knots. |
The third officer had reported that she |
had made one hundred and twenty-five |
miles at twelve O'clock, which agreed |
with my calculation. l expected the |
ship at three o'clock TO Ice eighteen or
twenty miles south of Sambro and lay
by until daylight. Had not my clothes |
off at all; had every reason to put con-
tidence in the second officer as he had |
made two voyages in the ship and |
always found him steady, sober man.
On cross examination, Captain Will |
llams said the speed of the vessel at |
twelve O'Clock was about twelve knots |
an hour he was easterly, eight miles
OIL Sombro, bearing north five degrees
east; did not shift his course: expected |
to pass five miles east of Sonbro lodges;
never brought the ship into Halifax, nor
never had been on the coast before. The
third officer had been in the harbor |
twice; no other officer had ever been
there; did not use The lead coming into !
because the light was clear, |
and tine Sombro light could be seen
twenty-one miles in clear weather, and |
fifteen miles in moderate wealth
er. am now satisfied that |
when went into the chart
room / was mistaken in the locality of
the ship; she must have been further
and westward than /
thought. / knew the coast was an IRON
bound and dangerous one. If had been
regularly from twelve to three
| would have been on deck and the |
ship would not have gone ashore. There |
were three quartermasters and the sec
Ond and fourth officers ON deck; had |
they been energetic they might, / |
thiHk, have seen that there was some
thing ahead, and if orders had been
given to reverse the engines, the calam-
ity might have been avoided.
The White Star steamers are supplied |
with printed orders for the guidance of
Those orders are, that we
are to take all possible precautions
against fire, collision and wreck. There
are no special instructions as TO precau-
tionary steps in approaching shore, that
is left entirely to the judgment of COM
manders. Officers in charge have full
power to change the course or stop the
ship if necessary, without consulting
the captain. There are no special in
as to sOundings.
This ended Captain Williams evil
dence, and a recess was taken till three
O'Clock. AT the appointed hour the
court resumed its session. Daniel Ke-
name, passenger testified as follows:
He was awakened by the noise of the
snip striking, and when he got ON deck
saw that the officers We're running about
coniusedly; on asking what was wrong,
ne was answered by the person adj
dressed that che did not know;p two or