Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-02-12
The NOrthfieet Disaster.

The NOrthfieet Disaster.
We have already given somewhat at length
an account of the sinking of the NorthAeet
in the English Channel on the evening of
January o. We find the following account
of the scene on board the ill fated vessel:
1t was half-past 10 o'clock when the cap
tain and others were alarmed by the cry OF
the watch, '' A steamer is right into us"
The captain and pilot rushed on deck, but
the steamer bad run into the vessel, striking
her amidships and cutting her below the wa
ter mark The pumps were started prompt
ly, and the crew worked hard at them for
some minutes, but when it was found that
the water was rapidly gaining, panic seem
ed TO seize both crew and passengers, and the
officers could not keep the latter in check.
4 crowd of men and women had rushed up
from their berths, many half clothed, as the
passengers had mostly retired for the night.
The noise of the collision is likened by one
of the passengers t. peal of thunder, and
such was the violence of the shock that those
standing were knocked down. 1t appears
that the steamer rebounded and came Sec
ond time in collision with the Northfeet.
time the passengers quarter was swamped.
The women were slower to rush on deck than
the men, and many were not in condition
to so until the water compelled them to. No
one on board the steamer was heard to speak,
although the loud and eager shouts from the
Northfeet must have made her crew aware
of the terrible danger that existed. She
backed for two or three minutes, and then,
steamng rapidly away, was soon out OF
J sight.
For half an hour the scene on the deck
of the Northfleet was appalling. Women
shrieked, and men cursed. Rockets were
fired and blue-lights were burned. A gun
was loaded, but could not be discharged. The
signals of distress were seen by several YES
sells, but appear to have been regarded as
signals for pilot.
Meanwhile the scene on deck bafiled de-
scription. The captain went below, armed
himself with a revolver and, declared his
deter animation to shoot the first man who
tried to leave the vessel before the women
were saved The first boat launched was low
cred by a number of passengers, by cutting
the ropes. There being no ladder at hand,
the only way Of getting into 1t was by leap
, ing some twelve or fifteen feet. As there
was terrible rush toward the boat, the
scene was one of distressing confusion, and
a man and a woman fell into the wafer and
i 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 firing with blank car
, tridges being unavaiing. About thirty per-
sons having got into it, the boat put off, with
not an oar to it.
Ano her boat was then lowered. A man
mi nd xyas ordered n leave he
refused, WHOM the captain shot him in the
> calf of the leg. Then Captain Knowle;
r placed his wife in the boat, and said to the
e boatswain, who had got into it, 50 Here {
Il charge for you, bosen take care of her an(
rest. and God bless you" Wringing hi
- wic's hand he babe her good-by, saying
: - | shall never see you again 1t Is lmpos
sible to describe the panic, and heart-rendins
=, scenes. One of the passengers swung tn
|. captain wife into the boat, threw his owl
wife in, tossed a baby to her, and then en-
e tered the boat himself. a little girl wa
d thrown into the boat by her father, VIII
tried to save the rest Of his family, but tn
: seething crowd pressing toward the side O
! the vessel prevented it and, with bis wife an
two children. be went down with the i'll
le fated vessel. A passenger, who made fran
|. tic efforts to save his wife and children, wa
a. damned between the cOok-house and gun
,e vale and received fearful Injuries althoug
" afterward rescued, he is in precarlous state
Only one or two of the seven boats aboar
d. were launched, owing to the panic, and on
~ was seriously injured aud fell into the Wa
ter. When the second boat had got off,
cd seemed to become a question of moments
tn The quarter deck was still crowded wit
of men, women and children, some crying. SON
u lv-oaript, and some r,ravinp The captai
NJ, and pilot were together, and the latter WI
he heard saying, II YOU want to save You
selves, make for the topmast, for whlc
va many poor fellow started.
In a quarter of an hour a tug picked u
As the second boat, with thirty occupants, ar
NJ then steamed for some time around the sp,
ri where, about three-quarters of an hour att
being struck, the Northheet went dow
As headfrst. with awful suddenness, with 8:
H. souls on board At that moment the fir
ed boat was 100 yards lad the second only
n or 80 from the vessel. The crew of the FIR
ce boat, after landing the women, rowed arour
a the scene Of the wreck and saved five me
I'd who were trying to swim to the shore.
lugger took of the occupants of the secor
les boat, consisting Of 81 passengers, and a pill
nd and / men who, having gone down with Il
rs. vessel, rose to the surface and chung TO Il
ne main topmast rigging.
IRE The vessel lies in IL fathoms of wate
he The survivors say the captain displayed t
led greatest heroism, maintained his presence
il mind from first to last, strove hard to put
as end to the panic, and did bravely to the en-
He was, at the last moment, going across t
deck in the hope of enabling some of t
RI crowd crushing around the boats on tn
ties side to get away from the ship. The ST
to. yivors say the other boats got adrift VIII
nv the ship sunk, and express their belief tn;
nd if the passengers had allowed themselves
or be lowered properly, they could have say
on at least IUo more lives. Unfortunately,
in women could not CLIMB the masts, ana
ten the women and the chIldren' with the
al ceptlon OF the captain wife ana anoth
ers woman and two children were drowned.
tor