Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-13
WRECK OF AN OCEAN STEAMER.
Tie Steamship CAiHer gone do0n-
Deer three hundred ices lost-I,at
est part culars Of the disaster.

! LONDON, May s. Intelligence of a
shocking marine disaster has just reach
ed this city. The Eagle line steamship
Chiller, Captain Thomas, which sailed
from New York April 20 for Hamburg
via Plymouth and Cherbourg, has been
wrecked off the Sicily Islands. 1t is
believed that 200 persons have perish.
ed. The accident occurred at La O'Clock
Friday night, at which hour the steam
ship struck on the dangerous Retar
rlere lodges, nea, Bishops rock. A
fog prevailed at the time.
A boat belonging to St. Agnes, the
southernmos, of the Scilly Islands, has
landed some of the survivors OF the
wreck at ST. Marys Island, another Of
the Scillys. These SURVIVORS were pick
ed up and rescued while swimming
with the tide. They had several mar
row escapes from drowning, and were
number of times washed off rock.
They declare that the number Of lives
lost BY the disaster is two hundred.
A fearful sea was raging Saturday,
and it was scarcely possible for boats
engaged in searching for survivors to
live. The Scilly liteboat put off for the
| wreck.
The agent at Plymouth of the Eagle
line proceeded to the Sicily. A gun
was heard at one o'clock Saturday
morning near the scene of the disaster.
SAVED AND LOST.
Up to Saturday evening the number
known to be saved is forty-three, in
Guiding the first, second and third Off
GERS OF the vessel. A dispatch from
Hamburg, announcing the last few per-
sons rescued said: keep strong hearts;
more saved" A dispatch from Ply
mouth states that two steamers and
lifeboat were at the wreck Saturday.
A dispatch from Penzance, Cornwall,in
referring to the departure Of a steamer
and lifeboat for the scene says that the
sea was still very rough, preventing
small crafts from going out The same
dispatch states that Retarriere lodges,
on which the Schiller struck, is barely
third of a mile inside of Bishops rock,
aud the steamship should have heard
the Bishop fog bell
! LONDON, May 9, EVENING" orty~
three survivors of the crew and pas
sengers of the steamer Schiller have
arrived at Penzance; of these thirty
, three haye gone to Plym outh. The
remainder are too i'll to be moved.
The following additional particulars
of the disaster have been received A
heavy fog prevented observations on
, board the Schiller since Tuesday. In
= consequence of the fog the engines
were put at half speed and sail was re
auced at nine o'clock Friday nj ght
At ten o'clock the same night the ship
struck the ledge. A great panic pre-
, vailed.
$ Capt. Thomas is highly praised fol
his conduct during the terrible scene:
, which followed. Two boats were
filed with men who refused to come
t out. The captain fred his revolver
k over their heads to drive them out ane
, then fred at them, but without effect
+ Afterwards the ship was washed with
@ the broadside to the sea and all or
: board these boats persisted. The tackl,
$ at the stearns was released too soon
b leaving the boats suspended by thu
v bows Three boats then got away
q one Of them, a llteboat, was so badl,
injured that she sunk, and eleven Of thu
people on board of her were rescued by
the other boats The fog lifted al
hour after the steamer struck, and The
II lights were plainly visible.
!. Two Of the boats on the steamer
: were crushed by the falling of the
p funnel. Rockets and guns were fired
$ from the steamer until the powder be
i. came wet. The deck house, crowded
e with people, was swept away at 2 A
e NJ. The captain gathered some of the
+ survivors on the brid ge all were grad
ually swept away by the flood tide
=. which took the doctor and the captain
last. The rigging which remained
f above water was crowded with passeng
p ers and crew all night The mainmasl
q fell at 7:30 A. NJ, and being of iron
sunk with all who had taken refuge or
it. The foremost gave way soon after,
\ wards. I4fe-belts and wreck stuff
. saved the lives of some who dritteG
! miles away. One man was rescued
q after being in the water ten hours.
E Two boats from St. Agnes arrived &
short time before the masts fell; they
were unable to approach the steamer
< on account Of the shoals, but picked
o up stragglers in the water. Passengers
9 say Captain Thomas left the bridge al
q three A. NJ to assist those OH the deck
q and when he reached the deck waI
, swept away by heavy sea. All con,
cur in saying that he exercised tht
+ greatest care, and was not abed fol
five nights previous to the DISASTER
. The sea began to break over the vesse
o half an hour after she struck, and the
tide rose twenty five feet before day
break. Only one woman was saved
- The survivors landed at Trescow es-
. capped in the Schiller's own boats.
. LONDON, May 10, 4 A. M.-Sixty-
six mail bags including twenty seven
> from New leland, were saved from
: the Schiller. The steamer Pommerania
sailed from Plymouth during the nigh,
q for Hamburg without taking any Of
o the survivors of the Schiller The
statements made by the officers of the
a Schiller add nothing to the particulars
! already telegraphed. All accounts
. agree that the panic which followed
. the sinking of the ship was heatrend
y ing and terrible beyond description.
. New YORK, May 10.-During The
entire day Saturday there was s