Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-02-08
HORROR.
Particulars Of the Recent Marine
Disaster in British Waters
Terrible Scenes on Board
the Sinking Ship.
Numbers OfLiveS Lost, that Could
Have been Saved but for
the Panic-POSsessed
Creatures.

NEW YORK, February I'm the Lon
don papers received to-day the details 0
the terrible disaster to the ship North
fleet are published, from which it ap
pears that at half-past ten o'clock a
night the Captain and others wert
alarmed by cry from the officer of th'
watch, ga steamer is right into US!
The Captain and pilot rushed on deck
but before they got there the steame
had run into their vessel, striking he
amidships and cutting her below waite
mark. The carpenter quickly reported
her nearly half full Of water. The
pumps were started promptly, and the
crew worked hard at them for some
minutes, but while it was found that the
water was rapidly gaining a panic
seemed to seize both crew and passen
gers, and the officers could not keel
them in check. Crowds of men anC
women had rushed up from theil
berths, many of them only hal
clothed. The passengers had mostly
retired, but few were undressing. The
noise of the collision is likened by one o
them to a peal of thunder, and sucf
was the violence of the shock, thai
those standing were knocked down. II
appeared the steamer rebOunded, anC
came second time in collision with the
Northfieet. The water began to poul
in, and in a very short time the
passengers quarters were swamped
The women were slower to rush OF
deck than the men, and many were moi
in condition to go till the water rost
threateningly around them. No one OIL
board the steamer was heard to speak
although loud and eager shouts from tht
Northfieet must have made her crew
aware of the terrible danger that ex
listed. She backed for two or three
minutes, and then steaming away, wa!
soon out of sight. For half an hOul
the scene Oh the deck of the North
feet was appalling. Men were cursing
and swearing, and fought their way to-
ward the boats, while the captain anC
first mate roared out commands TO the
men to keep back and allow the womeI
to get to the side of the vessel, but ap-
parently without success. Rockets were
fired and blue lights burned. The guL
was loaded, but the screw of the ramroC
became detached from the handle, anC
the piece could not be discharged. The
signals of distress were seen by severa
vessels, but appeared to be regarded a:
signals for pilot, for no assistance was
rendered. Meanwhile, the Captain, find
ing the men determined to leave the
vessel, armed himself with revolver
and, ascending the poop, declared hii
determination to shoot the first maL
who tried to leave the vessel be
fore the women were saved. The frs
boat launched was lowered by mum
Der of passengers by the ropes. There
being no ladder at hand the only way o
getting into it was by leaping OF drop
ping some twelve or fifteen feet. Al
there was terrible rush toward thu
boat, the scene was one of distress
ing confusion, and a man and boy
fell into the water and were drowned
The officers did all they could to force
the men who first got into the boat tC
leave it, that the women might b'
saved, but to no purpose. About thirty
persons having got into it the boa
put off. Not one of the crew
was in the boat. Another lifeboai
was then launched, and one man
got into it and was ordered to leave, bu
refused, and the Captain shot him in tht
calf of his leg. Captain Knowles theT
placed his wife in the boat, and said tC
the boatswain, who had already got in
"Here is a charge for you; loosen, taxi
care of her and the rest, and God bles
you" Wringing his wife's hand, he bad'
her goodbye, saying, 81 shall never se'
you again. 1t is impossible TO describ'
the panic thatraged all this time. Heart
rending shrieks were heard on all sides