Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-04-09
Statement of a steerage Passenger.

Statement of n SteerRge Passenger,
HALIFAX, April "A Storage passen-
ger makes the following statement: at
turned into my berth about IL O'Clock,
Monday night. The night was dark, but
starlight and the weather was fine. /
knew the ship was going into Halifax for
coal. The last / remember was that two
bells o'clock struck, then went to sleep
and L woke up with a shock, and remark
ed to my mate: There goes anchor |
thought of course we were safe in Halifax
harbor, but as soon as she made a second
plunge, said "Good God, she is ashore"
With that we got up and dressed.
The companionway was thronged with
lower steerage passengers and seeing that
the sea was commencing to break over the
ship, and lower down the companion way,
1 got as many as possible to take to the
hunks and hold on by the iron stanchions,
where we remained until after day light,
when the ship had fallen over and the
steerage was full of water. One side only
being out of it, our only chance of escape
was through the ports, o number of men,
probably twenty got out through the ports
to the side of the vessel. / remained until
all who were alive were out. There were
q great many drowned in their hunks and
others were drowned while trying to reach
the ports. 1 got out through the port and
held fast to the side Of the ship for about
two hours and then went to the shore by
the life line. When left the ship there
were still a great many In the rigging.
THE Captains Statement.
The following IS the Captains state.
ment: We sailed from Liverpool March
Goth. During the first part Of the passage
we had favorable weather and essterly
winds. On the oath, 25th and Goth we ex-
perienced heavy southwest and westerly
gales, which brought the ship down to 1ls
milesa day. On the 3lst the engineer'sreport
showed but about III tons or coal on poard.
We were then 460 miles east Of Sandy
Hook with the winds southwest and wes-
terly swell and q falling barometer, the
ship steaming only eight knots per hour.
The risk was considered too great to push
on, as we might find ourselves, in the
event of the gale, shut out from any port
Of supply and so tried to bear up for Hall
fax. At p. NJ, on the 3lst of March SAM
bro Island was distant 10 miles, the ships
speed ranging from eight to twelve knots
per hour, wind south with rain which veered
to westward at s p. NJ, with clear weather
at midnight. 1 judged the ship to have
made 122 miles, which would place her
As miles south of Sambro and 1 then left
the deck and went into the chart room,
leaving orders above to lookout and to let
me know if they saw anything and call
ships head TO southwark and await day
light. My first intimation of the catastro-
pie was the
Striking of the Ship
on Marr's Island and remaining there fast.
The sea Immediately swept away all port
boats. The officers went to their stations
and commenced clearing away the weather
boats. Rockets were fired by the second
officer. Before the boats could be cleared
only ten minutes having elapsed, the ship
keeled heavily to port, rendering starboard
boats useless.
Seeing that no help could be got from
boats, L got passengers into the rigging
and outside sails and encouraging them to
go forward where the ship was the highest
and less exposed to water.
The third officer, Mr.. Brady, Quarter
Masters Owens and Speedman, by this time
having established communication with
the out lying rock, about forty yards dis
tant by means ola line got four other lines
to a rock along which about two hundred
people passed. Between this rock and the
shore was passage of one hundred yards
wide, A rope was successfully passed
across this by which means about fifty got
to land though
Many Were Drowned
in the attempt. At 5 a. m. the boat APP
peared from the island but she was toe
| small TO be of any assistance, but through
the exertions of Mr.. Brady, the islanders
were aroused and by 6 a. m. three large
boats came to our assistance. BY theiI
| efforts all that remained on the side of the
ship and ON the rock were lauded in safety
and cared for by poor fisherman named
| Clancy and his daughter. During the day
survivors TO the number of 400 were drifteC
off to various houses scattered about
the resident Magistrate Edmund RyaI
rendering valuable assistance. The
chief officer having got up the mizzer
stood for six hours by a woman who hat
been placed in the rigging but the sea wa
too high to attempt his rescue. AT p. IN
a clergyman, Rev. Mr.. Ancient, succeed
ed in getting him line and getting hin
off. Many of the saloon and steerage pas
sengers died in the rigging from cold
Among the number the purser of tn ship
Before the boats went out, 1 placed tw
ladies in the life boat, but finding the boa
useless, carried them to the main rigging
where left them and went to encourag
the others TO go forward on the side OF til
ship, at this juncture
The Boilers Exploded
and the boat rolled over to leeward; tn
, ship at this time being on her beam ends
and finding myself useless there / went
! take the ladies forward, but found ther
e gone, nor did see them afterwards. Man
1 passengers at this time could not be stint
= lated to any effort to save themselves, bJ
: lay in the rigging and died from fright an
4 exposure. / remained on the side, Ell