The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-12-17
Ano.her Terrible disaster.

Loss Of the Steamship File de Havre
| -11ro Hundred and T,oenty-siz
Lives Lost.
/ BY telegraph from London, Dec.
l, we have intelligence of the sink
ing of the French steamship Vile de
Havre, caused by collision with
the English steamer Loch Erne, at
2 o'clock on the morning Of Nov. 20,
/ by which two hundred and twenty
/ six lives were lost. The Vile de
Havre at the time of the disaster was
on her regular trip from New York
to Havre, having left the former
port on Nov. Is. The Loeb Erne
was badly damaged by the collision,
but lowered her boats and succeeded
in picking up eighy-seven of the
passengers and crew, which she af.
terward transferred to the Ire Noun
tain, which landed them at Cardiff.
The Vile de Havre sunk in twelve
minutes from the time she was
struck. The following additional
particulars of the loss of the Vile
de Havre were gathered from the
officers and passengers of the lost
vessel at Cardiff:
The Vile de Havre experienced q
thick fog until the 18th. At the
time Of the collision the weather
was clear, and but little wind blowing
but there was q heavy sea. The
captain had just retired, and the
second officer was in charge. The
lights of the ste amer were all right.
The collision was wholly unexpect-
ed. The Loeb Erne struck the
steamer amidships, and made a
chasm II feet deep and 25 to so
feet wide. The exact position of
the Vile de Havre at the time
was latitude AZ deg. II min, longi-
tude 35 deg. 81 min. A panic took
possession of the passengers. Five
minuets after the collision the main
and mizzen masts fell across two
large boats which we're filed with
people and ready for launching.
The boats were crushed TO pieces
and many of their occupants killed
and injured In the brief interval
between the collision and the sink
ing of the steamer, the crew we're
able to launch only a whaleboat.
under command of the second lieu
tenant of tie Vile de Havre, picked
up one load of those who were cling
ing TO planks, spars. etc, and took
them to the Loeb Erne, and returned
to the scene and rescued another
load. Capt SurmOnt. who remained
on deck to the last, was rescued by
boat three-quarters of an hour after
the collision. The boats continued
TO search the waters in the vicinity
of the disaster until there was no
hope of saving more lives. The
cold was intense. Many Of the
survivors were immersed two hours.
and were almost lifeless when res
cued. The ship Tri-Mountain sight
ed the Loeb Erne six hours after
the sinking of the steamer, and re-
ceived the survivors rs before re-
ported The saved speak in the
highest terms of Capt. Urquhart, her
commander.
LONDON December z, 187S.-The
crew of the Loeb Earn, which ran
into and sank the Vile de Havre,
has arrived at Plymouth.
The account of the Vile de Havre
disaster. given by the rescued crew,
represents that the Captain and the
second mate OF the steamer came
on board the Loeb Earn shortly af-
ter the collision. and did not assist
in the saving of any Of the passen-
gers, and that majority of the
French exhibited lamentable coward
ice.
PARIS, Dec 9.-President Mac.
Mahon and his wife have contrib.
uted five thousand frances as s. fund
for the survivors of the Vile de
Havre disaster