The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-02-21
THE NORTHFLEET HORROR.
E,,n "details Of the Terrible Disaster
ErtroorsIinary Panic ora Hoard the Sink
ing ship-ThriIling Description Of the
scenes ON the Ill-Fated vessel


The details Of the terrible disaster to
the ship Northfeet are published, from
which il appears that at half-past 10 at
night. the Captain and others were
alarmed by cry from the officer of the
watch. a ship is right into us. The
Captain and pilotrushedon deck, but be-
fore they got there the steamer had run
into the vessel, striking her amidships
and cutting her below water-nark. The
carpenter quickly reported her nearly
half full of water. The pumps were
started promptly, and the crew worked
hard ut them for some minutes, but
when it was found that the water was
rapidly gaining, panic seemed TO seize
both the crew and passengers, and after
wards il was impossible TO keep the
latter in check. A crowd of men and
women had rushed up from their berths,
many only half clothed. The passengers
had mostly retired, but few We're I'M
dressing. 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 were
knocked down. 1t appears the steamer
rebounded and came a second time in
collision with the Northheet. Water
began TO pour in, and, III very short
time, the passengers quarters were
swamped. The women were slower to
rush on deck than the men, and many
were not in condition to go till the
water rose threateningly around them.
No one on board the steamer was heard
to speak, although the loud and eager
shouts from the Northfieet must have
made her crew aware OF the terrible
danger that existed She backed for
two or three minutes, and then steamlng
rapidly away was soon out OF sight. For
half an hour the scene on the deck Of
the Northfieet was appalling. Women
shrieked, men cursed and swore, and
fought their way towards the boats,
whilst the Captain and first mate roared
ont commands to the men TO keep back,
and allow the women TO get TO the
side of the vessel, but apparently with
out success. Rockets were fired, and
blue lights burned. The gun was
loaded, but the screws of the ramrod
became detached from the handle, and
the piece could not be discharged. The
signals of distress were seen by several
vessels, but appear to have been regard
ed as signals for pilot, for no assist
ance was rendered Meanwhile the
scene on deck battles description. The
Captain, finding the men determined to
leave the vessel, went below, armed him
self with revolver, and, ascending the
poop, declared his determination TO
shoot the first man who tried TO leave
the vessel before the women We're saved.
The first boat launched was lowered by
the passengers, by cutting the ropes.
There being no ladder at hand, the
only way of getting into 1t was by leap
ing or dropping some twelve or fifteen
feet. AS there was terrible rush to-
wards the boat, the scene was one OF
distressing confusion, and a man and
boy fell into the water, and were drown
ed. The officers did all they could to
force the men who first got into the boat
to leave it, that the women might be
saved, but no porpose. Even firing with
blank cartridge, it is supposed at first,
was unavailing. About thirty persons,
having got into the boat, pat off Not
one of the crew was in it. Another life
boat was launched. A man got into it,
and was ordered to leave. He refused,
and the Captain shot him in the calf.
Then Capt. Knowles placed his wife in
the boat, and said to the boatswain, who
had already got in, a." Here charge for
you, boatswian. Take care of her and
the rest, and God bless you" Wiring
ing his wife's hands, he babe her good
bye, saying, 81 shall never see you
again. 1t is impossible to describe the
panic that ragged all this time. Heart
rending scenes were witnessed on all
sides. One of the passengers, seeing the
Captains wife in the boat, threw his own
wife in, tossed the baby to her, and en-
tered the boat himself. Alittle girl was
thrown into the boat byssher father, who
tried to save therest of his family, butthe
seething, maddened crowd pressing to-
ward the side of the vessel prevented him,
andwith his wife and two other children he
went down with the Inflated vessel. The
engineer made frantic efforts TO save his
wife and children, but was TANNED be-
tween the cook-house and the gunwale,
and received such dreadful injuries that
he is in precarious state.
Only two of the seven boats aboard
were launched, owing, no doubt, to the
panic, and they were seriously injured,
as the tackle was cut and they fell into
the sea. When the second boat had got
off, it seemed to be question of mo-
ments. The quarter deck was still
crowded by men, women, and children,
some crying, swearing, and praying.
The captain and pilot were together, and
the latter was heard saying, eff you
want TO save yourselves make for the
topmast. To this many poor people
rushed. In quarter of an hour a tug
picked up the second boat with thirty
occupants, and then steamed for some
time around the spot where, about three
quarters of an hour after being struck,
the Northfieet went down head first with
awful suddenness with 327 souls on
board. At that moment the first boat
was 100 yards, and the second only 90 or
30 from the vessel The crew of the
first boat, after landing the women,
rowod around the scene of the wreck,
and saved five men trying to swim to
shore. A lugger took off the occupants
of the second boat, thirty-four passen-
gers, and pilot-cutter rescued the pilot
and ten men, who, having gone down
L