Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-11
SHIPWRECk.
The DOmIniOn Steamer OatWard Bound
Wrecked amid an e-Field, aud
More than Forty Persons
Lost.
Statement Of James CrOWley-A Heatt-
rending Tale of Suffering-BOats
Swamped-FuM Particulars.

State Of Georgia, which arrived this
morning, brought five seameG Of the
Dominion line steamship VicksbuIg,
from Montreal for Liverpool, which was
sunk by ice on Tuesday, June let. The
men were picked up June 5th nearly
dead from exposure. but since then have
been rapidly improving, They tell .
fearful tale of distress. Other boats were
launched with large number of per-
sons, but g greater number were seen to
perish without getting in the boats.
The Vicksburg went down in the miIst
of ice, and the boat was surrounded by
icebergs and field of ice when picked
up. The other boats have not yet been
heard from. The five men rescued had
their feet and legs very much swollen
so much so that their boots had to be cut
from their feet. They are still suffering
from their great exposure to the wet and
cold, but are recovering as fast as could
be expected. James CrOwley's state
ment is as follows: ave left Quebec on
Thursday morning, May 9th, with q
ships crew of sixty men, all told, and
eight saloon passengers, five gentlemen
and three ladies, and about twenty in
the steerage, Of whom four were females.
The weather was fine until Sunday
evening, May Both, when We fell in
with field of ice and were soon sur
rounded by it. The ship was stopped
until daylight, when we proceeded
again with little ice in sight. At half.
past nine Monday evening all hands
were called to shorten sail. The skip
was stopped amid heavy ice and hesd-
ed to the south, when we proceeded at
full speed to get clear of the ice. At
~ OF hSl
the ice. The engines were Immediately
reversed, but the ship struck heavily aft
on the port quarter, carrying away the
fans of the propeller, and a hole was
knocked through the plates ON that
quarter, through which the ship made
great deal of water. We got the sails
over and stopped the hole up so that but
little water came in. All hands were
employed in hesving the cargo
overheard. At this time the second
officer and myself were taken from
the cargo to clear awaythe boats. This
was about six o'clock in the morning of
Tuesday, June lst. The captain ordered
the forward wells to he sounded, and six
inches Of water was found. The after
steerage then being full Of water, the
main-hOld wells were also sounded, and
five feet and half of water found. The
captain then called me on to the bridges,
and told me not to mind the boats, and
then called everybody aft, and told them
to have no fears, as he could take the
ship to st. Johns, Newfoundland. 1t
was then discovered that the fires in the
engine room were drowned out. The
captain then gave orders to launch the
boats with their respective crews, and
told them to mind that the distance from
st. Johns was one hundred and twenty
miles northwest. | proceeded to launch
No. l, which was my boat, and it was
cepsized in lowering, losing the chro-
nometer, watch, charts, rudder, and part
of the provisions. She was full of water.
O'Brien and l bsiled her partly out,
when Gogan, Wilkinson and Williams
jumped in. We could not hang on to
the ship, owing to the sea that was on
and ice about. O'Brien saw the capthin
on the bridge beckOning the boat back,
we having drifted about one hundred
and fifty yards from the ship. We saw
the second officers boat lowered all
clear, with nine hands and himself in
her. She came round the bow and pulled
to windward about sixty yards. The
ship sunk about ten o'clock, floating
No. 2 from her chOcks with the CHIEF
officer and about thirty persons in her.
She got clear aud pulled to windWsrd.
O'BSien, after the ship went down, saw
the captain and some persons floating
on bale of hay among the wreckage.
We tried all we. could to pick them up,
hut owing to the boat being half full OF
water and the ice about, were not able
to do so. We shipped our mast, kept
company with the other boats for about
two hours, and then lost sight Of them
to westward. We decided then to steer
south, to get clear of ice; hove the boat
with al oar and a bucket as a drag ill
daylight. On Wednesday morning Re
had in the boat about three gallons Of
water, forty pounds Of raw beef, fourteen
pounds of bread wet with salt wat er,
and a compass which did not fall cut
when the boat capsized. Again we put
sail on the boat and started south, the
wind blowing from the north and west.
and bitterly cold. About four o'clock in
the afternoon we hauled the boats head
to the northeast till Thursday morning,
then tackled to the westward till about
three o'clock in the afternoon, and again
lay to with the drag till nine O'clock,
when we took in the drag, made sail,
and stood to the northwest till Friday
west till twelve o'clock; tackled again to
the northwest till morning, when at
half-pRst ten o'clock we sighted your
ship. We got out the oars and pulled
away, head to windWard, till you
picked us up. / think that forty peo.
pie, with the captain, went down with
the ship. We had blankets in the boat
for the three ladies, which were LOST
when the boat capsized. We saw no
ladies in the chiefs or second officers
hoat ~