River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-12-30
THE VILE DU HAVRE.
Letter from Le Grand G, Cramer--The
snip Goes Down in fifteen Min

~, from The Troy Times.
The following letter from lie Grand
=. Cramer, son of George IL. Cramer
OF tins clty, who was a passenger on
the Inflated steamer Vile du Havre,
together with his aunt, Mrs. Edward
Gurus (who is lost, is the first con
nected narrative of the disaster yet
published in this country. The letter
was written on board the ship Tri.
Mountain, which took the rescued pas
sengers off the Loeb Earn, and landed
them at Bristol, England II was COM
posed under the most distressing cir
eumstances, and its graphic description
OF the horrible disaster will be read
with intense interest. II brings the
terrible scene most wildly home to the
imagination. Mr.. Cramel went down
with the ship, and though badly hurt.
seems to have been wondrously and
mercifully saved by Gods good prcvi-
dence. The letter (Which is written in
penciD is as follows
SHIP TRI-MoUNTAIN. Nov. 2S, 1873.
My DEAR PARENTS: | will
now state briefly the calamity which
hurried two hundred and thirty souls
out OF three hundred and ten into
eternity. The day after we left New
York the weather was fine, the sea
smooth, and all promised well for a
successful and pleasant voyage. On
Monday a storm cameup, which con
tinued for forty.eight hours, and dur
ing which time the steamer lost one
blade OF her screw. This accident,
although it did not materially affect
the speed and safety of the vessel,
seemed to cast a gloom over the pas
sengers and created feeling of uneasi-
ness among them, which the apparent
tack of discipline and order among the
crew did not tend to relieve or remove.
Following the storm, which ceased
Tuesday night, fog came up, which
lasted until Friday evening, when it
became clear and starlight, we then
being fifteen hundred miles from New
York and just about in mid ocean.
That night we all went to our state
rooms feeling more security, but we
little knew how soon or in what great
peril our lives were to be placed, or
how few of us would see the light of
another day.
About 2 IN the morning | was
awakened from a sound sleep by ter.
rible crash, accompanied by the shrieks
and groans of men, women sand chill
dren. On getting out of my room was
told that we had come into collision
with only small vessel that the
steamer was not at all injured and |,
after telling aunty to dress, went up on
deck aud found we had collided with q
large iron smiling vessel, which struck
our steamer amidship, making a very
| large hole in her side below the water.
/ line. / at once saw that the steamer
was rapidly sinking, and that our only
hope OF safety was in the life-boats.
returned to aunty and told her the
condition of the ship, aud brought hei
up on deck as soon as possible, anC
placed her with the ladies', while
went with some gentlemen TO help ge
off the life boats TO save the ladies. Tn,
lack of discipline we had befort
noticed was now too apparent. Th'
officers had no control over the men
they were only thinking of saving thei
own lives, and left the passengers t,
look out for themselves. What coult
we do, unaecustomed to handling tn,
rigging of life boats, and but few of II
to do anything? We all worked will
desperation to get boat into the water
Had we had more time we might hav,
done SO; but the ship was settlinl
very fast, and suddenly she went down
bow first, with all on board--at leas
all the passengers, as about half tia
crew had gone in the boat and left N
to our fate. saw aunty Just mcmen
before the ship went down, but wa
powerless TO save her, there being N
| life -preserver to be found in the state
room or on deck, although / mad
every effort to find one for her.
went down with the ship, believing
it was my last moment; but after bein
drawn down by the suction of the ship
came to the surface, and, althoug
encountered with clothes, managed
swim until / got hold of a fioatin
spar, although I was pulled under WI
ter twice by some poor drowning pei
son. After being in the water owe
thirty minutes, j was picked up by
boat from the ship that had run int
us, completely exhausted, more dea
than alive. / was taken 10 the Loo
Earn with others, which proved TO b
an English ship, and, although herseI
badly damaged by the collision wa
vet able to keep ahoat and save the fe'
of us who are now here to tell the sa,
story.
After being on board a few hours W
were transferred to the ship we an
now on, mailing from New York +
Bristol, England, commanded by CAP
tain Urquhart, one of the noblest an
kindest hearted men that ever Wake
deck. There we're only twenty-five
first class passengers saved ont {
eighty-fve, eleven ladies and twely
gentlemen, the remaining saved beiu
Storage passengers, officers and crew
Eighty-five in all, out of three hupdre
and ten souls, were saved.
LIE GRAND G. CRASlER.
The Intelligent StOrks.
A great fire once broke out IN lit
German town near where stood tOwt