New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-11
STATEMENT OF CAPT. COOPER.

HOW THE BOAT FROM THE yICksBURG WAS RES
CuED-rHE ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER GIVEN
TO THE CAPTAIN OF THE STATE OF GIoh"lA-
HIS OPINION on THE CALAMITY.
Capt. Cooper of the steamer State OF Georgia.
which brought the survivors to this port tells the story
OF the as follows:
At 1880 a. H.. June ), when in latitude ACC a. ana
longitude Az IS the lookout discovered ships poat
with sail the port bow. Immediately nead1 ca, ~. y,
he hoat No of the steamer Vicksburg Of Liverpool,
foundcred The boat contained fve men II aS
exhausted state. with their feet AMI legs 20 inn'n
swollen that their had to te cut from tieir ice
Immediately took them with their boat on b9ard any pm,
in The hospital under TIE .geon' eha sr, auS g
are stil suffering from their great exposure 10 WEI anu
cold, but recovering as fast as might DC TX v
with the first and officers boats fonr days ana
half before overlook them On accoTh. G ms ara Se
fact that their statements were CONNER as ,i n
direction taken by the other boats ana as ny snip Ts
inclined to he thick considered it would be useless Tor
me search for the missing boat. tspeeity a. ~
board However kept men at the masthead unlil dark
the lookout for the other boats ana al tho "hc VIC
were passing iccbergs and Immense Jc nelds.
The captan then gave account OF the loss OF the
vicksburg as gathered it from the men picked NJ by
him during their stay his steamer, the stare OF
Georgia. Capt Cooper said that his own voyage had
been favorable, though he had gone further nor' IMAM
is usual
The physican OF the State Of Georgia, well ply
stefan who was a passenger, declare that the rescued
men could not have survived another day III the small
boat. Their feet and legs were terribly swollen
The account of the disaster which the survivors gave
Capt Cooper Is that they sailed from Quebec on lhs
day. May o. with a ships OF 60 men, eight saloon
Messengers of whom ladies, 81 steefagc pas
sengers some OF these being women and chill
dren. Everything had gone well until sun
day. May 80, when they fell In with large
fields of ice compelled TO sacken their speed
for safety. About on Monday, May 81, the ship
stuck the ice The engines Immediately reversed
and it was found that the ship was leaking badly
Blankets and mattresses used In stopping the leak,
but 1t was shortly discovered that there wac hole III
the starboard bow and that the ship was rapidly
filling forward The wells were sounded ana
water was discovered also In the main hod.
All sail was then set and the vessel was headed south at
full spced to clear the ice Early the morning OF Tues
day when running halfspeed, the Vicksburg struck
again. and the fans of the propeller were carried away.
The engines reversed immediately ana soundnss
taken which showed GIG feet Of water in the main hold
All hands were called to throw overheard cargo and 9s
bullocks with many deals, which comprised the principal
cargo, were thrown over.
The second officer and boatswains mate, taxing esht
men to help Them ordered To clear the boats nut 10
few minutes order recalled, and all on board
were sent for the quarterback where Capt Bcnuet
tried to quiet their ALARM telling them that he woud
take the ship safely to ST. John, Newfoundland The re-
MORT was then started and ruthuly that the fires were
exiting uishcd i'll the enginerooln ana the oidcr 10 e
and launch the boats was given TO the various
| crews Boat No. l. the one picRch up ny inc
Georgia. was first launched. The forward tackle gave
way and it hung by the bow tackle, Throwing out the
| chronometer charts watches and blankets which had
hocn proyidcd for the comfort Of the ladies' Tie bow
tackle then parted, and the boat fell and SUNK coming UP
full OF water Crowley and OBrien were in the boat,
and the other saved jumped as soon as II right
ed They then away and bcganbailn out, drifting
about 80 yards the ship The second officers boat
was lowered with nine persons in it, and pulled away to
windward one Of the men in boat No SAID, pointing
10 the steamer She's going down" Capt Bennett was
seen standing on the bridge, motonng to Crowley to
come back which, according to his statement was an I'M
possibility the they i'll being hall full OF water,
and unmaDagcablc
Only - had left the ship in the boats and Of
them cried "Thcre she goes" and the Ncksbnrg dsap-
peared head foremost As the vessel sank boat No. .
in charge OF the chief officer f0ated from the CLOCKS
with 80 persons in 1t. Capt Bennett attempted to calm
the confusion attending the launching Of the boats
and from his place the bridge he called to
those In charge OF the boats to remember that
ST John Newfoundland. was about 120 miles
was seen by those In Crowleys boat floating amid the Ice
on a bale Of hay. An effort was made TO reach Nun put
with the vessel not Of them having been taken on IN
the boats about two hours the boats Kept togcti r
and after that those in boat No. saw nothing OF Their
Capt Cooper would not give any opinion on the man,
Of the Vfk'6Fs p,s1 se oef@a at So g To
rescue the man whom they saw clnsine
bale Of .b hay lie n6 sns' ,a ss iil ss
from St. John the time OF the accident Is correct as
tue probably drtid with the ice n in s erTS G
chances he thinks, small that the DINER boas nave
been saved because they were 50 lar hofl aI hy are
have gone several hundred miles out Of his 10 search
for them if he had any lnowledge OF their probable
whereabouts but could not eDdanser the h'es oil those
under his care by ~ doing.