Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-05-14

The later dispatches bring us no details oil
importance in addition to those already
given. There is little or no hope that any
more lives will prove to be saved and the
extent of the less of life can now be measured.
Over three hundred ard forty persons were
lost. OF the 3S5 persons on board only 43
were saved. including IL Of the III cabin,
and Of the 100 steeragc passengers, the
first. second and fourth officers, and %
members of the crew Of l24 men. The Schiller
was-a new .staunch and favorite steamer OF a
new line organized two years ago,and which
has proved failure pecuniarily. She left
New York April % setting sail for Plymouth,
England, where she was To call on her
voyage to Hamburg. On the afternoon OF
May :, q heavy fog settled upon the sea The
commander of the vessel, Capt. John u.
Thomas, seems to have had no apprehen-
sions Of danger, for one of the dispatches
saws tia. the Schiller was under full head
way when she met her fate. The regular
course of the vessels of this line lies within
five miles Of the Scilly Islands, and ii is said
that the ledge on which she struck Is but
half mile out of her regular course
What is considered strange is that the cap
tain should not have heard the foS-bell
which the vessel must have passed only
few yards away. Only the bowling Of a ire
mendous storm could have rendered the Off
GERS deaf to the fog-horn, which i usually
heard tor miles away above all the noise OF
tempest and breakers. The vessel, too,
seems to have struck at full speed, for She
filled and settled on the rocks almost in
meiiately. Every breaker lifted tie vessel
higher and drove her further upon the rocks
and before her passengers-most Of whom
were sleeping in their births-couli eompre-
bend their peril, the bottom and sides Of the
vessels were sooye in, and the water was
rushing into the hold and cabins. Many Of
the passengers must have passed almost
without struggle from sleep to death
Many who rushed from their state rooms
into the cabins were unable 10 reach the
deck An order was given tina, the first
boat should take the women and children.
This boat capsized. Seven boats were
launched and only two lived Tie Others
were STAYED or dashed against the rocks, and
the passengers and seamen who were IN
them were thrown hel pless into tie sea.
Distress signals. rockets and biJe-lishts,
were unanswered 1t midnight the fog
lifted in 4 minute. revealing the lghthot Sc.
The waves were still sweeping the decks and
carrying away victims At O'Clock, the
deck house in which were the women and
children was swept away. The cries ard
shrieks Of the victims were heart rending.
Then followed CHASTITY silence. The
smokc-stack fell, crushing some Of the boats,
and two Others were carried away The re-
mainder followed the captain to TIE forward
bridge Each succeeding wave took fresh
victims. some persons sought refuge on tie /
mainmast. and some on the foremost.
At O'Clock, while the Captain and ,vo
other officers were on the bridge, the Cap
tain descended for q moment to render as
sistance and was swept away. At this time
about ten persons were clinging t. the rig
ging Of the ma,nmast and thirty to that %
the foremost The ship bad clrcened. her /
yards touching tie water, and the tide Wa
rising.
At O'Clock the maiamas;, and az rs 4
the foremost, both Of iron, fell. Then two
Of the S.. Ague, boats came and rescued /
the few who had managed to keep aa5at. It |
is reported that there were lo3 women on
board
There was a lfe-belt in every oae ol the
othiller's ber;hs, and when the disaster oc-
Cured the captain issued orders tina; one
should be fastened TO every woman. This
was done, bu; tie women were drowned by
the heavy sea.
The last voice heard was that Of little
,hild il the cabin. Ninety bodies have been