The Republican journal., 1873-02-13
The Northfieet Horror

New YORK, Feb. g. The detail, OF the
terrible disaster to the ship Northtiect are
published in the London papers, from
which it appears that at halt-past ten at
night the captain and officers were
alarmed by cry from the officer of the
watch "a steamer is right into us" The
captain and pilot rushed on deck, but he
tore they got there the steamer had run
into the vessel, striking her amdships and
cutting her below the water mark The
carpenter reported her nearly half-tull of
water
The pumps Were started promptly and
the crew worked hard at them for some
minutes, but when it was found the water
was rapidly gaining, a panic seemed TO
seize both the crew and passengers, and
the officers could not keep the latter in
check A crowd of men and women had
rushed up from their berhs, many only
half clothed The passengers had mostly
retired but ii few were undressing.
The noise OF the collision is likened by
one Of them to a peal Of thunder, and such
was the violence of the shock that those
standing We're knocked down 1t appears
that the steamer rebounded and came a
second time in collision with the North
AiVNl+ W sttNl i'N ~ f'oui AZ. alItt III Il
very short time the passengers quarters
were swamped The women We're slower
to rush on deck than the men, and many
were not in condition to 90 until the water
rose threateningly around them.
No one onh0ard the steamer was heard
to- speak. although the loud and eager
-houts from the Northtleet must have
made her crew aware of the terrible dam
hat aNr;cfol ha ,o -oI 10,
three minutes, and then steaming rapidly
away, was soon out of sight.
For hall an hour the scene on the decks
OF the Nofthtleet was appalling. Women
Shrieked, men cursed swore and fought
their way toward the boats. while the
captain and first mate roared out COM
mands to the men to keep back and allow
the women to get to the side OF the vessel,
hut apparently without success. Rockets
We're fred and blue lights burned A gun
was loaded but through an accident the
piece could not be discharged.
Signals of distress were seen by several
vessels, but appear to have been regarded
~ signals for a pilot Meanwhile the
scene on deck battles description The
captain, finding the men determined to
cave the vessel. went below and armed
ihe poop-deck declared his determination
10 shoot the first man who tried to leave
Ine vessel before the women were saved.
The first boat launched was lowered by
a number of the passengers by cutting
The ropes There being no ladder at hand
rhe only way of getting into it was by
eaping on dropping some twelve or fifteen
feet A. there was a terrible rush toward
h.1 Lpat tho no NJ Il ctr IA
confusion. and a man and boy fell into
The water and We're drowned. The officers
lid all they could to force the men who
first got into the boat 10 leave it that the
women might be saved, but to no purpose,
even firing with blank cartridges About
thirty persons having cot into it, the boat
put of Not one OF the crew We're in it.
Another liteboat was launched A man
got into it and was ordered to leave He
refused. and the captain shot him in the
calf. Then captain Knowles placed his
wife in the boat and said to the boatswain,
who already got in, Here's a charge tor
Won. Bos'n; take care of her and the rest,
and God bless YOU" Wringing his wite's
hand he babe her "Good bye" saying, Il
shall never see you again"
1t is impossible to describe the panic
lAat IdStN AL tHi@ tllilt. iltdl II CHUNG
scenes were witnessed on all sides One
81 the passengers seeing the Captains
wife in the boat, threw his own wife in.
tossed her baby 10 her and entered the
boat himself A little girl was thrown
INTO the boat by her father, who tried to
save the rest of his family, but the mad
dened crowd pressing toward the side of
the vessel prevented the rescue of his wife
down with the Inflated vessel. The engi-
neer made tractic efforts to save his wife
and children He was damned between
the cook-house and the gunwale and re-
eeived dreadful injuries. and though after
wards rescued, is in a precarious state.
Only two OF the seven boats aboard
Were launched, owing, 40 doubt, to the
panic, and one was seriously injured as
the tackles were cut and the boat fell into
the sea. When the second boat had got
of it seemed to become n question OF
moments The quarter deck was still
tr0wded 10y men, women and children,
crying, swearing and praying. The cap
lain and pilot We're together, and the lat
ter was heard saying "It you want to
save yourselves, make for the uopmast,"
10 which many of the poor victims rushed.
In a quarter OF an hour tug picked up
The second boat with thirty occupants, and
then steamed around the spot. About
three-quarters of IN hour after being
struck the Northtlee went down head
tirSt, with awful suddenness, with three
hundred and twenty-Seyen soHls on hoard.
At that moment the first boat was 100
wards and the second boat only 20 or 30
wards from the vessel The crew of the
an :,
I'd around the scene of the wreck and
saved five men trying to swim to the
shore
A lugger took on the occupants OF the
second boat, 81 passengers, and a pilot
rulter rescued the pilot and 10 men, who
having gone down with the vessel. rose
To the surface and chung to the man-top-
mast rigging. The vessel lies in eleven
iathoms of water.
The survivors say that the captain dis
PLAYED the greatest herOiSm He retain
ed his presence OF mind from the first to
The last. Strove hard to put An end to the
panic. ana did his duty Dravely TO the end.
Tie was at the last moment going across
Ihe deck IN the hope OF enabling some of
the crowd crushing around the boats on
th4t side To get away from the ship.
he survivors say that other boats got
adriit when the ship sunk, and expressed
the belief that if the passengers had allow
Fl them to be lowered they probably
Gould have saved II least 100 more
ives Unfortunately the women could
--ot climb the masts, although we did
All in our power to help them. Con-
>equently all the women and children.
'sith the exception of the captains wife
and another and two children, were
drowned
Washington Matters.
CRUSADE AGAINST THE MDRMoNS