The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-12-18
STEAMER SUNK.
Over TVvO.IIundred Lives Lost-Efrhfy-
Seven Saved.

Over vgO-IIundred Lives Lost-EfEhfy-
seven Saved.
The terrible news is received from
London of the sinking of the ocean
steamer Vile de Havre, with the loss of
226 lives. The steamer left New York
for Havre, November Is, under com
mand of Capt. Surmont. at 2 O'Clock,
on the night of November %, in lat. AZ,
long. 50, she came IN collision with the
British iron ship Loch Earn, from Lon
don TO New York, which struck her
amidships, causing her to sink in twelve
minutes. The following particulars
have been gathered from persons saved:
The Vile de Havre experienced thick
fog, until the 2Oth inst, but at the time
of the collision the weather was clear,
though there was a heavy sea. The
captain had just retired. and the second
officer was in charge. The lights on
the steamer were all right. The COLI
sion was wholly unexpected. The Loch
Earn struck the steamer amidships, and
made q cl1Esm u feet deep and from %
to 80 feet wide. A panic Immediately
took possession of the passengers. Five
minutes after the collision the main and
mizzen masts fell across two of the
large boats, which were filed with peo-
pie and ready for launching. The
boats were crushed to pieces, and many
of their occupants were killed and
wounded. In the brief interval between
the collision and the sinking of the
steamer the crew were able to launch
only whale boat and the captains gig.
The Loch Earn went a mile before
stopping. She then got out four boats
to pick up the people struggling In the
water. In the mean time, the whale
boat, under command of the second
lieutenant of the Vile de Havre, picked
up one load and took them to the Loch
Earn, and returned to the scene and
rescued another load. Capt. Surmont,
who remained on the deck 20 the last,
was rescued by this boat three-quarters
of an hour after the collision. One of
his officers swan mile to the Loch
Earn and was picked up. The boats re-
manned in the vicinity of the disaster
until there were no more to pick up.
Eighty-seven persons were thus saved,
including the captain, officers, 81 pas
sengers, and "a of the crew.
At s o'clock the next morning, the
American ship Trimountain, from New
York, sighted theLoch Earn, and as the
latter was also badly damaged by the
collision, those rescued by her from the
wreck requested to be put on board the
Trimountain, which was done, all being
safely transferred with the exception of
three persons who were too badly in
jured to be removed. After the COLI |
sion the Loeh Earn put abcutfor Queens
town, at which port she was due about |
the Doth ult., Notwithstanding her dis
abled condition. She has not yet ar
rived, but a vessel which has arrived at |
Bristol reports speaking the Loch Earn
with 10 survivors of the Vile de Havre !
on hoard. The saved speak IN the high |
est terms of the kindness of Capt. Urqu- !
hart, her commander. There were six
on board the Vile de Havre.
Capt. Urquhart, of the Trimountain,
that when he met the Loeb |
Earn her bowsprit had gone and there |
was a large hole in her bow above the |
water line. The boats continued to |
search around the place where the |
steamer went down, for six hours. The |
people do not blame the Loch !
Earn for the collision. Her officers and |
crew did there utmost t., save life. The |
French authorities at Havre have Or
dered an investigation into the loss of |
the steamer.
A dispatch to the Tribune from Lon
don gives the following particulars: The |
night of the 21st was clear, but the previ-
GUS five days and nights had been thick
with fog. The captain retired at midnight |
and two hours afterward the collision |
occurred. The passengers rushed on
deck in their night-clothes in great con-
fusion, but many remained In their
and whole families thus
went down with the ship. The officer
in command at the time of the collision
was lost. The purser's statement to the
Tribune correspondent confirms the
previous accounts. The mizzen mast
fell on the long boat, killing nearly all
its occupants, and the main mast fell on
the deck, killing many people. The
purser swan from the ship, and afterget-
ting a short distance saw her plunge un-
der the water. Beats searched for surviv-
ors until after 10 o'clock in the morning.
Capt. Urquhart, of the ship Trimountain,
reports searel ing for survivors until
dark, but saw only two casks, and then
sailed for Cardiff. The saved which he
took from the Loch Earn were all nearly
naked, but the captain gave them all the
he ha on board, and when he
arrived at Cardiff the people there
clothed them. A report was current
that the Loeh Earn was very badly
stove, but the ship NJ. A. Marshall re-
ports speaking her after the accident,
which proves she was not dangerously