Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-16
Another Steamer Lost.

NEW 1ORk, June lO.-The steamer
Vachsbury struck ice bergs off St.
j Johns and went down. The following
is the statement OF James Crowley:
The Vichsburg left Quebec on Thurs
day morning, May 9th, with the ships
crew-6O men all told-and 8 saloon
passengers--5 gentlemen and ladies
and about 20 in the Storage, of
whom 4 were females. The weather
was foe till ten o'clock Sunday even
ing, May Both, when we fell in with a
field OF ice and were soon surrounded
By it. The ship was stopped until
daylight, when We proceeded again
with but little ice in sight. At half
past nine O'Clock Monday evening. all
hands were Ca lied to shorten sail The
ship Was stopped amidst heavy ice and
Aeaded to tue south, when We proceed
ed at tull speed to get clear OF the ice
AT Il O'Clock, at half speed, we struck
the Ice. The engines were Immediate
ly reversed. The ship struck heavily
att Oh part quarter. carrying away the
fans OF the propeller, and hole was
knocked through the plates on that
quarter, through which the ship made
"a great deal of water. We got the
sails over and stopped the hole up, SO
that but little came in. All hands
were employed in heaving the cargo
overheard. The second officer and
myself were taken from the cargo to
clear away the boats. This was about
s A. NJ, on Tuesday June lst. The
captain then gave orders to launch
boats with their respective crews, and
told them to mind that the distance to
st. ohm was one hundred and twenty
miles northwest. proceeded to launch
so. |, which Was my boat, and was
capsized IN lowering, losing the chro-
nometer watch, chart, rudder and part
of the provisions. She was full Of
water, o Brien and | baled Ter partly
out, We could not hang on to the ship
owing to the sea and ice; OBrien saw
the captain on the bridge beck oning
for the boat to come back; We having
drItted al ~ fifteen yards from the
ship, we saw the second officers boat
lowered, all clear, with nine hands and
himself on her; she came round to the
bow and pulled to the wardward about
sixty yards; the ship sunk about 6 o.
clock, with the chief officer and about
thirty people in her. O'Brien, after
the ship went down, saw the captain
and some persons floating on a bale Of
hay among the wreckage. We tried
an we could TO pick them up, but owing
to the beat being half full of water and
ice, We were unable to do so. We
kept company with the other boat for
about two hours, and then lost sight of
them going to the westward. We de-
| cided then to steer south to get clear
OF the ice. We hove the boat to with
an oar, and held her with bucket till
daylight Wednesday morning We
had In the boat about gallons of wat
er 40 pounds OF raw beef, Ii pounds
OF bread, and compass which did not
fall out wheE the boat capsized. Again
we put sail ON the boat and steered
south, the wind blowing from north
ward and westward. All throughout
the scene it was bitterly cold. About
Z. NJ. we hauled the boats head to
the northeast, till Thursday morning,
then tackled to the westward till about
3 clock In the afternoon, and again
layto with drag till 8 O'Clock, in the
evening, when We took in the drag and
made sail, and stood to the northeast
till Friday morning. At daylight we
tackled to the southwest, till mid day.
Then tackled again to the northeast till
morning. When about half past 10
o'clock. we sighted your ship. We got
out our oars. and pulled away dead to
the windN ard till you picked US up.
| think 40 odd people, with the Cap
tain. went down with the ship. We
saw no ladies in the chief or second
officers boat.
Five men were rescued who had
their feet and legs very much swollen,
so much SO that their boots had to be
cut from their feet. They are still
suffering from great exposure, but are
recovering as fast as could be expected
New YORK, June IA dispatch
from Montreal says that Mr.. and Mrs.
Bloom, Of Green Bay, were among the
cabin passengers of the wrecked steam
ship Vichsbury.