The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-08
Particulars of the Sinking Of the Ship
North Fleet.

London papers, by mail, OF January sOLl
we have the following details Of the terri
bic disaster to the ship North Fleet, tror
which 1t appears that at hGlf-past i
O'Clock at night, the Captain and other
were alarmed by q cry from the officer Q
the watch, 10 steamer is right into u.s.
The Captain and pilot rushed on deck, ,bu
before they got there the steamer had rul
into the vessel, striking her amid ship
and cutting her below the water mark
The carpenter quickly reported her near
ly half full OF water. The pumps werI
started promptly and the crew WORKED
hard then for some minutes, but when i
was found that the water was rapidly
gaining, a panic seemed to seize boil
crew and passengers, and the ofaCerl
could not keep the latter in check. A
crowd Of men and women had rushed
from their bGrLhs, many being only hall
clothed, The passengers had most
ly all retired but few, who were
undressing. The noise Of the collision
was likened by one Of them 10 peal ol
thunder, and such was the violence OF the
shock that those standing up were knock
cd down. 1t appears that tho steamer
rebounded and came second time in
collision with the North Fleet. The wa.
ter began TO pour in, and in very short
time tho cabins were swamped: The
women were slower to rush on deck than
the men and many were not in the condi.
ton to go till the water rose threatening.
" around. No one on board the steamer
was heard to speak, although the loud
and eager shouts from the North Fleet
must have made her crew aware OF the
terrible danger that existed. Sho backed
for two or three minutes and then steam
ed rapidly away out Of sight. For halt an
hour the scene on the deck oi the North
Fleet was appalling. Women shrieked,
men cursed and fought their
way towards the boats, whilst the
captain and first mato roared out COM
to the men 10 keep back and al
low the women to get to the side Of tho
vessel, but apparently without success.
Rockets we're fired and blue lights burn
ed; gun was loaded but the screw of
tue ramrod became detached from the
handle and the piece could not be dis
charged. The signals Of distress were
seen by several vessels, but appear to have
been taken as signals for pilots, for no as
sistance was rendered. Meanwhile the
scene on deck battles description. The cap
tain, finding the men determined to leave
the vessel, went below and armed himself
with revolver, and ascending TO the deck
declared his determination TO shoot the
first man who tried to leave the vessel be-
fore the women were saved. The first
boat launched was lowered by number
Of the passengers by cutting the ropes.
There being no ladder at hand the only
way OF getting into it was by leaping or
dropping some 10 or 10 feet, as there was
terrible rush towards the boat. The
scene was one of distressing confusion
and boy fell into tho water and
drowned. The officer did all he could to
force the men who first got into the boat
to leave it that the women might be saw
ed, but to no purpose-GVen firing with
blank cartridge was unavaling. About
thirty persons having got into it the boat
put of. Another liie.ba0t was launched;
o man got into 1t; hewas ordered to leave,
he refused and the Captain shot him in
the leg. Capt. Knowles placed his wife
in the boat and said to the boatswain,
who had already got in: "a charge for
YOU. Basen taken care Of her and the
rest; God bless you" Wringing his wile's
hand, he bade her goodbye, saying II
shall never see you again" 1t Is impossl.
BILE to describe the panic that ragged.
At this time heart.rending scene was
witnessed on all sides. One of the pas
sengcrs, seeing the Captains vile in
boat, threw his own wife in, tossed the
baby to her, and entered the boat him.
self. A little girl was thrown into the
boat by her father, who tried to save the
rest Of his family, but the seething mad
iened crowd pressing toward the side Of
the vessel prevented him, and with his
wife and two other children ho went
down with the ill.fated vessel. The en-.
yineer made frantic efforts to save his
wife and children, but was jammed be.
tween the cook house and gun vale and
received dreadful injuries that, though
afterwards rescued, Is in prccarious
state. Only two Of the seven boats aboard
were launched, owing no doubt 70 the
panic, and one was seriously injured, as
Inc tacle was cut and the boat fell into
The sea. 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, "if you want to
save yourselves, make for the top mast"
10 which many poor people rushed. In a
quarter OF an hour, a tug picked up the
second with thirty occupants, and then
steamed Tor some time around the spot
where about three.quarters Of an hour
alter being struck the North Fleet went
down head tirst, with an awful sudden
ness, with three hundred and twenty'seven
souls on board. At that moment the
tirst boat was one hundred yards. and tho
second only twenty or thirty yards from
the vessel. The crew Of the first boat
after landing the women, rOwed around
the scene Of the wreck and saved five
men in an exhausted state, trying to
swim 10 the shore. A lugger to took
off from the second boat three passengers
and a pilot. A cutter rescued pilot and
ten men who having gone down with the
vessel rose 10 the surface and clung to
the maintop mast rigging. The vessel
lies in eleven fathoms Oi water. The esur-
vivors say the captain displayed the
greatest heroism, maintained his presence
Of mind from first to last, strOve hard to
put an end to the panic, did his duty
bravely to the end, and was at the last
moment walking along the deck in hope
Of enabling some of tho crowd crushing
round the boats on that side TO get away
from the ship. The survivors say other
boats got adrift when the ship sunk, and
and express the belief that II the passen-
gers had allowed them TO be properly
lowered they could have saved at least
100 more lives Unfortunately the wo-
men could not climb the masts, although
We did All in our power to help them.