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

plate above the line. The second officer and my
self were engaged In effort to clear away the boats
At a. m. Tuesday juno 1, six inches Of water were
found in the forward wells the after Storage dis
covered to be full Of water and the main hold wells being
sounded revealed sig feet OF water.
The captain then called upon the bridge and told
me that the boats would not be needed he felt able to
take the steamer into st. John safely He then called the
passengers and crew aft and assured them also that
there danger This had the effect Of calming their
Fears but the startling discovery made that the
water had reached the cngineroom and extngshed the
fires The captain then gave the orders to launch the
boats with their respective crews, and gave instructions
to those III command the they TO take when
they should he launched, stating that st. John, New
foundland, only 100 miles TO the northwest
l proceeded TO launch No. /, which my boat. In
lowering this capszed, cmptying the chronomcter,
watch charts udder and part Of the provisions into the
The boat filed with water and O'Brien and
myself got into her to bail her. and had partly succeeded
when Grogan, Wilkinson and Williams jumped in. Tho
painter got loose from the ship and owing to the large
quantity of floating ice and the heavy sea- could not
remain by the vessel without endangerng the safety
OF the boat. We drifted about $50 yards from
the ship. The captain beckoned for us to
return, but could make no Roadway. The second
officers boat lowered safely with nine hands in her
besides himself. She rounded the bow and pulled to
wndward about GO yards and got into field Of ice.
Boat No contained the chief officer and about 80 other
persons and the checks when the steamer went
down The boat oaed all right got clear, and pulled TO
windward. No other boats got clear.
The steamer went down bow foremost before the
captain officers anticipated After she foundered We
the captain and another person floating bale of
hay the wreckage and used best endeavors to
rescue them, but owing to the boat being half full OF
water and ice Astounding. couldnot succeed We kept
company with the other two boats for about two hours
and then lost sight of them to the westward should
think that full 40 people besides the captain went down
A., ,;,
ladies and the sewardess into our boat and we placed
blankets in ready for them. They lost AS
ladies in the other two boats 1t is presumed
that they went down with the ship.
After parting company with the other boats steercd
to the southwark to get clear of the ice We hove the
boat with an oar and used bucket drag until
daylight Wednesday. We had in the boat about three
gallons of water 40 pounds of raw beef II pounds of
brea with salt water. and compass which did not
fall out when the boat capsized again we put sail on the
boat and steered SOUTH wind blowing from the north
ward and westward all throughout the scene and bitterly
cold about D. hauled the boats head TO the northeast
till Thursday morning then tackled to the westward till
about o'clock in the afternoon and again lay to with
the drag till o'clock in the evening, when we took in
the and made sail and stood to the northeast till
Friday morning at daylight Tackled to the southwest
till midday; tackled again to the northeast till morning
when about 1890 o'clock sighted ship. We got our
oars and pulled away dead to the windward until We
were picked up.
STATEMENT OF PATRICK GROGAN
Patrick Grogan another of the rescued made the
following statement: We left Montreal at 4:30 p. m
Tuesday, May %. We stopped at Quebec and took on
load OF deals which stored in the after steerage
We coaled and took the passengers about 10 a. H.
Thursday May 27. We had no passengers when left
Montreal The weather was fair when the Pilot left us
at 300 a. No. Just off Fishers Point. On last Monday
week. when off Cape Race VIC were met by large float
of ice The weather still fair Between and IL ut
night got among the ice. Neither Capt Bennett
nor the crew, however, thought that there was
any cause for alarm The captain hoped 10 make his
way through the fee and the steam was kept up We
made some headway but stopped at times. It
my turn below from to II o'clock, and Jonas Wilkinson
and myself were in our berths at that time OBrien
was below also. He was sick from the time We left
Quebec, and remained below all the time. The
passengers all below sleeping, and nobody
seemed to be disturbed. At 1890 p H., went on deck
All hands were called deck, the order having been
given by the captain to take in sail The passengers at
this time all asleep We took in SAIL and the vessel
continued steamng ahead There was still no cause for
alarm. The night clear, and vessels often
come In contact with ice-hoes like that we
There nothing to be seen but ice all around
us There was no open sea, but clear pieces OF water
here and there for which seered. Capt Bennett was
at his post the bridge and remained there until the
vessel went down. The chief officer, Leybourne was
also on the lookout all the time the forecastle The
crew was orderly and remained So
So matters continued until midnight. At midnghuthe
captans boy discovered the steerage deck and
gave the alarm. The captain went down to see what
caused it, and found that hole had been made III the
port quarter by chunk Of ice He remained below about
ten minutes and after giving his orders Tor the
stopping Of the leakage returned to his post
on the bridge which he did not quit again felt no
shock The men got sails to block the hole up; the
penter nailed boards against it, and we did block
no for time but the water came IN again. and Kept
coming. There was no other leakage known
NJ in the vessel. The passengers knew
nothing of the water coming In as u ala
not reach their deck and they still remained quiet The
steam pumps used to pump out the water all the
night but the leakage still increased The men and OH
GERS were on deck the whole night BY a. IN the water
had increased that it plain we must leave inc Ncs
sci. There still no confusion some OF inc h'ie
passengers had deck and were working with the
crew the others with the were kept in the saloon
lest their fright should create panic There were about
ak or eight women altogether board wives or rela
yes OF the passengers. no women Oh deck all the
time
About 4 a. m, the captain ordered the cargo to be
beayed overheard About p. five men were sent by
the second officer TO clear the boats away BY $40 the
boats were all clear and ready for launching
About that time orders were given to set the man TOP
sa clew up the foresa and foretopsa and round her
head TO the wind. At this time all the FANS OF inc pro
peer appeared TO be gone and the engine lost all power
of propulsion OH the vessel. Capt. Bennett now mus
tered all hands on the bridge deck and told
them when they got In the boats they should
make for st. John, distant 100 miles northwest.
He then gave orders each to swing out their own
boats The crew and male passengers appeared to be
co,nposed and did notice confusion prevailing
The men appeared to be doing their best TO launch INC
hoats The male passengers assisted In clearing away
tho and the women were got ready 10 be placed in
them. There were seven boats in all. -Four or even
three OF them were enough to take off all the passengers