The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-05-13
Shocking Steamship Disaster
Nearly 200 Lives Lost.


LONDON, Mays The Eagle Line steamship
Schiller, Capt. Thomas, which sailed from New
York April 18th, for Hamburg, via Plymouth
and Choibourg. has been wrecked off the Scilly
Isles. Ii is believed that 200 persons have
persisted.
1870 p. IN. The accident occurred at 10
O'Clock last night, at which hour the steamship
struck on the dangerous Retarriere lodges, near
Bishops Rock. \ fog prevailed at the time.
A boat belonging to st. Agnes, the southern
most of the Scilly Islands, has landed some of
Inc Survivors of the wreck at st. Mary's Island,
another Of the Scillys. These survivors were
picked up while swimming with the tide. They
declare that the number lost by the disaster Is
200 \ fearful sea is raging and 1t IS scarcely
possible for boats engaged in searching for sur
Nvors to live. The Scily life-boat has put OH
for the wreck
Up to this hour five of the passengers and
two of the crew of the Schiller are known to
be saved 1t is known that the captain and
second mate were drowned The steamship is
now lying broadsde OH the rocks; she is under
water, and her mainmast is gone. A steamer
and several boats are cruising about the scene
of the wreck, and searching for the survivors.
The disaster was owing to a dense fog which
prevailed, neither of the Sicily lights beng
seen.
F. m. The wreck Of the steamship Schiller
caused great excitement in this city. Extras
containing all the particulars at hand of the
disaster were issued by several newspapers.
i-ttlNi tSi}dlCIIcS Iloiu Oul illt UOle
persons may have escaped and reached other
of the Scilly Islands.
Her crew consisted of 124 men, including
officers. She carried six kegs containing $500
900 in gold shipped by f. S. BALM & Co., bank
rrS OF this city to L. ;. Balm l. Co., Paris, and
920 mail bags, containing the entire continental
mail together with large Australian mail.
The $500 900 i'll gold was insured.
NEW YORK, May s. The agents here of the
Eagle Line say that Capt. Thomas of the Schil-
tl,n "a, In, thn NJ
he was for many years i'll the employ of the
paninsular and Oriental Co., and that he oc-
gupled Il high place among British sailors. lie
was with great difficulty induced to leave the
British service to enter that of the Eagle Line.
The schiller was one OF the newest and best
Ships in the Trans-contInental servce-large
and strong. and constructed on the latest pat
tern. She was built on the Clyde by Robert
Napier x sons. Her sister ship is the LEASING.
These two vessels left this port for home dense
lv crowded being the first to take advantage
OF the opening OF spring travel to Europe.
They Were the last two steamships that sailed
under the flag Of the Eagle Line, which has
been consolidated with the Hamburg American
Line. Previous 10 the departure of the Schiller
The company'S vessels had gone out with light
passenger lists.
The dimensions of the Schiller were length
30 feet beam, forty feet; depth of hold, B.
feet; the height Of spar deck was ! feet III
rhes: lower deck ! feet ! inches; $500 tons
burthen. and 5000 indicated the horsepower
classcd nj Lloyds at 100 A. l. She was full
hrig-rigged. had eight large hteboats and three
lron decks: her engine was of the COMPOUND
vertical and direct-acting principle; she had tive
cylinders, OF 10 inches diameter, with 4 feet
inch stroke of piston, and could run the vesse
fourteen 10 fifteen miles an hour. Her boiler,
We're four in number with SIX furnaces to each
shafts of steel, and Is inches i'll diameter. Hell
screw had four blades, WAS ~ feet i'll diameter
and had tWentv-ninc feet pitch. She is said to
Nay hpfD bIIilt 1rrOrGiOp tn the II :
uf the Ioyd> Marine Insurance, and to have
possessed every known appliance for safety.
She was valued at 500, 0O0 and insured for
iull value
Her cargo consisted of general merchandise
including 500 bales of cotton, 2J13 barrels OF
roSin, 800 bushels of corn and large consign-
mcnt of Leaf tobacco.
The officers OF the Company in this city were
besieged during the morning by friends OF those
who sailed in the vessel and the scenes of dis
tresS which resulted from the confirmation OF
the news that the vessel had been lost were
pltItul to behold. one man who had wife and
Two children on board fell into a fanting fit
and loud wailing was heard on all sides
LONDON, May $. 9 z. NJ. Up to this hour
but torty-three in all of those on board the
schiller are known TO be saved. Twenty sacks
of mail have been saved, and several corpses
have been picked up near the wreck, among
them the bodies Of Il woman with Il child in her
arms.
LONDON. May Q. ? p. m. A despatch Just
received says that Richard Williams and Charles
Percy both Of New York, steerage passengers
un the steamship Schiller, We're saved Nine
Teen dead bodies and some bales of hay and
various other articles of the cargo have been
recovered The survivors and portions of the
mails recovered reached Penzance and will be
forwarded from that place to Plymouth bv the
first train this morning, Those going to Cher
bOurg and Hamburg will be sent to their des-
tinations by the steamship Pommerania, from
New ork, and which is expected to reach Ply
mouth to-day.
The statements made by the officers Of the
Schiller add nothing to the particulars already
telegraphed. All accounts agree that the panic
which followed the striking of the ship was
heartrending and terrible beyond description.