The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-11
CRUSHED BY AN ICEBERG
Eighty-three Persons Supposed
to Have Perished.
ONLY FIVE KNOWN TO BE SAVED
A Description Of the Fatal Wreck
by the Survivors.

whom fell In on June S. in north latitude 40 deg
81 min., west longitude AZ deg So mtn of the eighty
eight souls on board only ave known to be
saved. The vcksburg, Capt. Bennett, left Montreal
at hali-past four O'Clock on the morning OF Tues
day. May 25, loaded with cattle and other freight
bound Tor Liverpool, and proceeded to Quebec,
where twenty-egnt passengers we're taken on
board. in boat No. /, which was picked up by the
state OF Georgia, the three lady cabin passen-
gers and the stewardess had been placed.
but q heavy sea upset 1t and all four were
lost. James Gro wiley, the boatswain's mate OF
the vlcksburg ana Thomas 0'Bren were In
charge OF boat No. l, and after she capszed they
succeeded In Fighting ner again. While they were
busy baling her out Patrick Grogan, Jonas Will
kinson aud John Williams Jumped In, and thus
was formed the crew OF I'VE, who were subse-
quenty picked up by the State oil Georgia.
The survivors state that from Tuesday, the 25th
OF May, until Sunday, the 3Oth, they had fair
weather, that on the last named date they fell in
with lcehergs, and, to avoid collisions Captain
Bennett ordered all hands 10 shorten sail, aud
headed the vicksburg due south, hoping thus 60
get clear of the dangerous ice. At twelve O'Clock
on Sunday night, when going at half speed, the
ship struck some ice, and, although the engines
were Immediately reversed, she st continued to
strike heavily aft on her port quarter. In a short
time 1t was discovered that the fans OF the pro-
peller were gone ana that the ice had made hole
In her plating on the port side, through which the
sea was entering the ship. lmmedia ely succeed
ing this discovery sail patch was placed over
tue aperture TO stauuch the sea- ana for time il
was hoped that the ship was secure. The sea
being high and the patch very lnnrm, the captain
ordered q portion OF the cargo to be thrown over
board to tighten her aft. The discharge OF cargo
was ordered early on Tuesday morning, June ].
Just about daybreak part or the crew were taken
from the cargo and ordered to clear the
boats. While this was being done the cap
tain ordered the wells to be sounded,
and It was discovered that the after
steerage was full OF water. Notwithstanding this
discovery the captain thought he would be able
to reach ST. Johns, Newfoundland, 40 miles dis
tant, to the northwest. Now came the news that
the fires we're swamped and the hope OF reaching
st. Johns had TO be abandoned. Before the order
TO lower the boats was given, Captain Bennett
sembled the men around the bridge and told them
the direction and distance to St Johns.
CAPTAIN cooPER's ACCOUNT OF THE RESCUE.
The following entry occurs IN the log book Of the
state OF Georgia under date of June So
s'At haf-past eleven A. NJ, latitude 46 deg.
"a min, north, longitude Al deg IS min. west ais
covered a ships boat, with sail set, on our
port bow. Immediately / made for her
and found her 10 be boat No. l OF the liz
fated steamship vicksburg, or Liverpool, belong
ing TO the Dominion line, commanded by
Captain Bennett. There were Ave men In her, In
Q very exhausted condition; feet ana legs very
much swollen; so mucn so that when we rescued
them the boots had to be cut or I at once took
them on board, together with their boat, and put
them In hospital, under the surgeons care. They
having parted company with the nrst aud second
ofncer's boats four and half days ago. and their
statements 70 me being so very contradictory as
to the direction OF the other two boats and my
own ship being surrounded by icebergs, l con-
sidered IL would be useless TO search for
them as by 80 doing l would place my
ship In great danger. The event OF my seeing
them was very unlikely. | Kept men at toe mast
head all day till dark looking out for the two
boats all OF which time was passing through ice
bergs and noe ice
THE NAMES or THE SURVIVORS.
me names Of tine crew OF boat NO. are as fol-
lows:-
James Crowley. OF London, boatswain's mate,
Patrick Grogan, Of Liverpool. seaman, aged
twenty 1--WE.
Thomas o'Brien, OF Liverpool, seaman aged
twenty-tnree.
John Williams. OF Liverpool, seaman, aged
seventeen.
Jonas wilkinson, OF Liverpool, seaman, aged
nineteen.
DESCRIPTION OF THE LOST STEAMER.
The vicksburg was a screw steamer, and the fol-
lowing we're her principal dlmenslons:-Lengtb,
500 feet inches breadth OF beam. IS ieet in
cnes; depth Of hold, 25 feet inches. and had four
bukheaus. she was built IN March, 1872, at Dum-
barton, Scotland, by Mcmillan. Her registered
tonnage was 1898 and her gross burden 2,4s4
tons. Her engines were OF 800 horse power. she
belonged to the Liverpool and Mississippi steam
ship company, Of Liverpool, and hailed nom that
port. During the winter she usually pied be-
tween New orleans ana Liverpool ana in the
summer In the North American trade.
cRowLEY's STORY OF THE WRECK.
In speaking OF the loss OF the vicksburg James
Crowley, the boatswain's mate, tells the following
interesting story
I'VE lett Quebec on the morning OF Thursday
May n, with a ships crew Of sixty hands, all told
we also had eight saloon passengers, OF whom
five were gentlemen and three ladies', and be-
ieve about twenty steerage passengers, including
four females. We mad fine weather up TO nine
O'Clock on sunday. May So when we fell in WITH
large quantities OF noatng ice. the ship was
stopped TIN daylight, when we proceeded again
on our way, with but little Ice In sight. About
naltpast nine r. NJ. all hands we're called 10
shorten san, and the ship stopped once more
among heavy ice. Then she was headed
south TO get clear At twelve O'Clock
when going at half speed, we struck
some ice. wnen the engines we're Immediately re-.
versed but the snip. continued to strike heavily
AFT on the port quarter carrying away the blade
OF her propeller A hole was Knocked through
the plates on the port quarter, through which the
ship made great deal OF water. sails we're or
dered over the side to stop the sea from coming
In. All hands we're then set TO work to neave
cargo overheard. Five hands. myself and the
second onicer we're shortly taken from this work
to get the boats ready for launching This was
about six O'Clock A. NJ, June |. Tue Captain now
ordered the wells TO be sounded, and
in the forward well SIX inches OF
water was found; the main mold wen mao
Ave feet six inches Of water, ana the after steer
age was nearly IulI. The Captain then called me
on to the bridge and told me not to mind the
boats, and then, calling every one AFT, ne told
them to have fears a. he could take the ship 10