The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-02-20
The Northfeet EEerror.
Details Of the Terrible Disaster
HEARTRENDING SCENES THAT FOL-
LOWED THE COLLISION.
The Ship Goes Down Head First with
Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Souls
on Board.

from the officer Of the watch-'A steamer
is right into us" The captain and pilot
rushed Oh deck, but before they got there
the steamer had run into the vessel,
STRIKING HER A~MIDsHIPs,
and cutting her below the water mark
The carpenter reported her nearly hall
full of water. The pumps were started
promptly and the crew worked hard at
them for some minutes, but when it was
found that the water was rapidly gain
ing, a panic seemed to seize both crew
and passengers, and the officers could not
keep the latter in check. A crowd of
men and women had rushed up from their
berths.
MAN N HALF CLOTHED.
The passengers had mostly retired
but few were undressed. The noise OF
the collision is likened by one Of them to
a peal of thunder, and such was the VIC
lence of the shock that those standing
were knocked down.
1t appears that the steamer rebound
ed, and came a second time in collision
with the Northfeet water began to pour
in, and in a very short time the passen
gers quarters were swamped. The wo
men were slower to rush on deck than
the men, and many we're not in a condi-
ton to 20 till the water rose threatening
ly around them. No one on board the
steamer was heard to speak, although
loud and eager shouts from the North
feet must have made her crew aware OF
the terrible danger that existed. She
b., ked for two or three minutes, and then
steamed rapidly away and was soon out
Of sight. For half an hour the scene on
the deck of the Northfeet was appalling
ONE sHRIEKED, MEN CURSED
and swore and fought their way toward
the boats, whilst the captain aud first
mate roared out commands to keep back
aud allow the women to get to the
side OF the vessel, but apparently with
out success. Rockets were fred and blue
lights burned. The gun was loaded, but
the screw of the ramrod became detach
ed from the handle, and the piece could
not be discharged. Signals of distress
were seen by other vessels, but appear to
have been regarded as Signals for a pilot,
for no assistance was rendered. Mean
while the scene 90 deck bafled descrip-
lion. The captain, finding the men de-
termiDed 10 leave the vessel. went below,
armed himself with a revolver, and as
cending the poop, declared his determine
ton.
To SHOOT H FIRST A
who tried to leave the vessel before the
were saved. The first boat lunch.
ed was lowered by a number of passengers
by cutting the ropes. There being no
ladder at hand, the only way of getting
into it was by leaping or dropping some
twelve or fifteen feet. As there was a
terrible rush toward the boat the scene
was one of distressing confusion. and a
man and boy fell into the water and were
drowned. 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 to no purpose. Even fir
ing with a blank cartridge, it is supposed,
at first, was uuavailing. About thirty
persons having got into it, the boat was
pulled off, with not one Of the crew in it.
ANOTHER LIFE BOAT WAS LAUNCHED,
when a man got into it and was ordered
to leave. He refused, and the captain
shot him in the calf of the leg. Captain
Knowls placed his wife in the boat and
said to the boatswain, who had already
got in, Here is a charge for you take
care of her and the rest, and God bless
you ~ Wringing his wife's hand, he babe
her good bye, saying, 81 shall never see
you again y 1t is impossible to describe
the panic that ragged all the time. Heart
rendiDg scenes were witnessed on all sides.
One of the passengers, seeing the cap
taiu's wife in the boat, threw his own
wife in, tossed the baby to her, and en-
tered 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 seething, maddened crowd pressing
towards the side of the vessel prevented.
with his wife and two other chill
dren, he went down with the i'll fated
vessel.
II FATE OF II ENGINEER.
The engineer, who made frantic efforts
to save his wife and children, was jammed
between the cook house and gunwale, re
ceiving such dreadful injuries that though
afterwards rescued, he is still iu a precar
ious state. Only two of the seven boats
aboard were launched, owing, no doubt.
to the panic. and one was seriously injur-
ed as the tackle was cut and the boat fell
into the-sea. When the second boat got
off it seemed to become a question Of mo
ments. The quarter deck was still crowd
ed by
MEN, WOMEN N CHILDREN,
crying, swearing and praying. The
captain and pilot were together, and the
latter was heard saying, ali you want to
save yourselves, make for the top mast"
to which many people rushed. In a quar-
ter of an hour a tug picked up the second