The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-12-06
Terrible Disaster at Sea.

N'Hhnhh VI Naptiiii DHIUlDunL.
At two o'clock on the morning of che
I'D of November, the Vile du Hayre col
lided with the British steamship Loehearn.
from London for New York, and sunk
shortly after.
Two hundred and twenty-six of the pas
sengers on the steamship lost their lives
The Lochearn rescued eighty-seyen of her
passengers and crew, and the same day
transferred them to the Trimonntain.
which brought them to Cardiff.
\ The survivors reached Bristol to-day
There is intense excitement in London over
the disaster. The bulletin boards at the
newspaper offices are surrounded by great
crowds in quest of information. Extras
giving particulars of the accident have been
sold at double the usual price After the
collision the Loehearn put about for
Queenstown, at which port she was due
about the 29th ultimo, notwithstanding
her disabled condition.
Later adyices from Cardiff say the Vile
du Havre was struck amidships by the
Lochearn, and sunk in twelve minutes after
the collision occurred. The Lochearn inn
mediately lowered three boats, which rem
dered all the service it was possible for
them to do Fifty-three of the crew were
saved, including the captain Among the
passengers rescued are ten women.
The shock of the collision instantly
startled passengers and crew, and they
rushed in the cabin and on the deck as the
water poured in the chasm made by the
Lochearn, which was . feet wide. Most
of the passengers were too terrified to try
to save themselves. Many prayed and
many laid down with the camness of ut
ter despair. Some hearing the water pour
ing into the ship never quilted their state
rooms. Whole families thus went down
together. The four boats lowered by the
Lochearn found passengers and crew float
ing on the waves, holding to planks, buoys,
spars, and whatever could be seized as the
wreck went down. Many had thus pre-
pared themselves from the first.
Many Of the women saved were found
floating in the water The captain of the
Vile du Hayre is reported to have been
quite exhausted by his three days and
nights of uninterrupted duty. The officer
who was in command when the collision
took place was lost The sufTeriugs of
those who were rescued were intense, the
cold being very severe. Many persons
were nearly insensible, and would have
utterly persisted in few minutes more.
The rescues were nearly all a matter of
haphazard, as the time permitted no or
ganized effort or attempt at choice.
The purser of the steamer says In
few minutes the ship began to sink amidst
great disorder and frantic terror. The
scene was awful beyond all description.
The air was rent with shrieks; but some
were heard saying calmly, As we must
die let us die nobly." The water rushed
into the hold with incredible velocity. |
undressed myself, and with companion
jumped overheard and swain toward the
Lochearn, then half mile distant As |
left | heard the ship cracking, and look
ing back saw her 90 down with one plunge
forward For moment the shrieks were
terrible, then all was silent. Alas it was
the silence of death.
\ later report says the bow of the Loeb
earn was stove in completely, and the ship
was only kept aHoat by the water-tight free
compartment. The captain of the Loeb
earn was in bed at the time of the coils
ion. There was some confusion at first.
but it was stopped as soon as possible
The following additional particulars have
been gathered from officers and passengers
at Cardiff
The Vile du Havre experienced thick
fog until the 10th. At the time of the
collision the weather was clear. Little
wind was blowing, but there was heavy
sea. The captain had just retired, aud the
second officer was in charge. The lights
on the steamer were all right, and the col
lision was wholly unexpected. The Loeb
earn struck the steamer amidships and
made chasm II feet deep, and from %
to 30 feet wide.
The exact position of the Vile du Hayre
at the time was lat 47,2l, long, 1913. A
panic took possession of the passengers.
Five minutes after the collision the main
and mizzen masts fell across the two large
boats, which were filled with people, and
ready for launching. The boats were
crushed, and many of their occupants killed
and injured. In the brief interval be-
tween the collision and the sinking of the
steamer, the crew were able to launch only
whale boat and the captains gig
The Lochearn went mile before stop
ping. She then got out four boats to pick
up the people struggling in the water.
Meantime the whale boat, under the com
mand of the second lieutenant of the Vile
du Hayre, picked up one load of those who
were clinging to planks, spars, ETC., and
took them to the Lochearn. She returned
to the scene and rescued another load.
Captain Surmont, who remained on deck
to the last, was rescued by this boat three
quarters of an hour after the collision.
One of his officers swarm mile to the
Lochearn and was hauled on board with a
rope. The boat continued to search the
waters in the vicinity of the disaster until
there was no hope of saving more lives.
The cold was intense. Many of the
ouihiOia nClc lihmtIheu TWO HDUfS, anu
were almost lifeless when rescued. The
Trimountain sighted the Lochearn at 8 A.
NJ, six hours after the sinking of the stea-
mer, and rescued the survivors before re-
ported. The saved speak in the highest
terms of the kindness Of Captain Urquhart,
her commander.
Many of the passengers were from New
York, some from Boston, and Chicago, and
one from Baltimore, who is among those
saved.
There were also among the passengers
the following members of the late Evan
gelical Alliance, returning to their homes
Rev. Antonio Carrasco, of Spain; Pro
fessor Il. Premier, of Geneva, Switzerland;
Rev. N. Weiss and Emile Cook, of Paris
and Mr.. Lorriaux. They were all lost.
With the exception of the Great Eastern,
the Vile du Hayre was the largest steamer
aHnat har 1iu,ana;ons ha;n,x fan g., H.,