Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-12-12
The Loss of the Vile du Havre.

The telegraph has briefly described the
loss of the French steamship Vile du
Havre, and two hundred and twenty-siX
of her passengers and crew in mid-ocean
in consequence of COLLISION with the
British ship Locherne. The vessel was
formerly called the Napoleon III. She
was, with the exception of the Great
Eastern, the largest vessel afloat. Her
dimensions were 430 feet by As feet, and her
carrying capacity was $500 tons freight
and measurement. She was elegantly up
holstered and appointed, had urbane and
accomplished officers, and was deservedly
favorite with those who had occasion to
cross the Atlantic.
The Vile du Havre left New York on
the 10Th of November, under charge of
Captain Surnont. With the exception Of
foggy weather and light variaba9 winds,
nothing occurred worthy of note until
the morning of November 23, when
being in latitude 1921, and Ion
gitude 35.41, the steamer was struck
amidships by the British ship Locherne
and sunk in twelve minutes afterward.
The Vile du Havre went with two hun
dred and twenty-six of her passengers
and crew to the bottom. Only ninety-two
souls were saved out of that multitude
which left New York so gayly only a
week before.
The purser of the Vile du Havre gives
the following account of the disaster:
The steamer was struck on the star
board side, and the mainwast and rigging
were carried away. The long boat was
not crushed on deck, but after being low
cred, the mizzenmast falling upon It, and
killing nearly all its occupants. The
mainmast fell after the mizzen, topping
over on the deck, and killing many per-
sons. In few minutes the ship began to
sink, amidst great disorder and panic and
terror The air was rent with shrieks,
but some were heard saying calmly: GAS
we must die, let us die nobly." The
water rushed into the hold with incredi-
BILE velocity. [ undressed myself, and
with companion jumped overheard and
swan toward the Locherne, then half
mile distant. AS I left heard the ship
cracking, and looking back saw her go
down with one plunge forward. For
moment the shrieks were terrible, then
all was silent; it was the silence of death.
The captain remained on the bridge of the
Vile du Havre during the whole time,
and went down with the ship. He was
picked UP an hour afterward. All the
officers who were rescued were saved in
a similar manner, except the first lieuten-
ant, whom the captain sent to the Lo-
cherne to see if she were able TO receive
the passengers of the Vile du Havre. |
swan half an hour and finally reached
the Locherne, but missed the ropes thrown
to me. l remained in the water another
quarter of an hour, but was eventually
rescued nv tha T,Ochprnp
Among the passengers on the deck of
the Vile du Havre was a French gentle
man of remarkable GOODNESS and presence
of mind. He comforted many by his
words. A priest asked: care you Ro-
man Catholic?" EYES," was the answer.
"Repent, then,' said the priest, "and for
give your SINS" With these last words the
priest sank in the waves The penitent
was saved.
The boats crossed and recrossed the
scene of the disaster, searching for sur
vivors, until ten O'Clock a. m. Further
efforts were then abandoned as hopeless.
The survivors remained on the Locherne
until three O'Clock p. NJ, when they were
transferred to the Trimontain.
Among the lost were Judge R. W. Peck
ham, of the New York Court of Appeals,
and the four children of H. G. Spafford,
Esq, of Chicago. Eleven of the victims
resided in the latter city.