Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-20
Statement OF Captain SurmOunt Con-
eerniEg the Disaster by WhieA
Nearly 500 Lives we're
Lost.
He Declares the LOeh-Erne Night have
Avoided the Disastrous Collision
BY a Slight Stroke OF the
Helm.
A WOman's Story Of the Disaster-Let'
ter from Miss Bulkley, Of New
York, to Her Brother.

NEW YORK, December lS.-Captain sur
mount, of the Vile de Havre, has made a
statement concerning the disaster 10 ms YES
sci and those on board, but IL adds little TO
what was previously known Of the traslcaI
occurrence. He says: - got up from the
sofa at two O'Clock, and left my CABIN. Al
this moment ship under full sail showed
herself all at once on our path, and naruiy
had time to ump on the bridge when the ' IL
le de Havre was struck In the side opposite
the mainmast The damage was enormous,
being hole OF at least sixteen feet In length,
which rendered it certain the ship could re-
main very little time anoat- me engine
vas stopped at once and the valves opened
The wafer rushed in 50 quickly there was not
time 10 close the doors OF the buikhead Whlch
separated the engine from the boilers Be
sides the buI head of the cOal-bunker having
been forced IN, the water poured IN that way
into the boiler. I estimate that there was not
more than twelve minutes between the col
IfSfou and sinking of the ship. Captain hOb-
ertson, OF the LOch-Erne, VINO says ne saw
me, says it was ten minutes; others say nfteen,
bat there is only two or three minutes IN
question, and l must say that in that
snort interval the passengers were examples
OF coolness, calmness and resignation, ana AT
the dreadful time OF this lamented occur
renee, when three hundred and nfty-nVe per-
sons were justly alarmed at the thought OF
certain death at any moment, and their only
hope of safety was disappearing, the women
were the first TO give the example captain
Surmont's story Of the failure 20 get the boats
affOat does not differ from that told by tele-
graph; the rapid filing of the vessel and the
! falling OF the maStS were the causes. lie also
saws: Il have the satisfaction, since the wreck,
of learning, by questioning the surNiNOrs OF
1 the crew that every one was at his post,
] that each did his duty, and that all went down
with the We ssel and we've picked up from the
sea The loss Of the unfortunate officers TlO
commanded the watch at the moment of the
collision renders me unable to give an exact
account Of the occurrence before taxing
| command myself, but 1 can declare that the
| Loch- -Erne, % which l showed my ships side
| and consequently had nothing 10 fear from
me- struck directly against my vessel az lhe
] oFc osI,f herself we'll when hE
slight stroke of her helm upward, for II was
almost so already, this terrible collision
might have been avoided"
[ NEW YORK, December E.-Ihe IT10uHe pup
fishes a letter, dated Paris, December 9TH, from
Rudolph A. Nilthaus,a passenger on the Vile
| de Havre, who says that when ne reached the
/ deck alter being awakened by the crash, he
/ took in the situation at a glance, and says; 81
then made up my mind Tor
see what chance there was for me in the
/ boats for two Gr three were already in the
water, and as l came aft saw them put OF 70
/ the ship, which had run. us down, and which,
/ forum ately, had kept afioat, and hove 10
/ about hall a mile under our stern. These
two boats were filed entirely with French
| we're making frantic and useless efforts
! toHsget another boat over the side,
and half Of these cowardly rascals were
| already n the boat. Seeing that the crew was
! entirely demOralized, gave up all hopes of
| being saved from the steamer by boat, and /
looked around for some means OF keeplu5 3
near me hammering at the tanrail with the
cabstau bar trying to get lfe-preseryer
/ loose, aWilthaus procured a sailors knife and
! cut loose a mum Der of life preServers, one OF
! which he secured himself, fixed IL on, and
Jumped over the stern, and came to the sur
/ face to see the steamer disappear. he gCt
/ hold of piece of the wreck, in company WI
/ two French sailors, and was finally rescued
| naked and nearly frozen, by an English boar
His SuOsequent story is .gubstant tally the same
/ as already published in regard to the Other
passengers.