The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-01-11
Sinking of the Steamer Montgomery.

At an early hour Sunday morning,
while the wind was blowing almost a
gale, and while fog which in the Ian
guage of some of the seamen was 50
dense that it could be cut with knife
was shrouding the face of the Atlantic,
the steamship Seminole (plying between
Boston and Savannah) came in collision
with the steamship Montgomery. Capt.
within seven minutes. The darkness was
the darkness of midnight, intensified by
almost every cause which could shut out
the light, and the terrible suspense both
crews suffered in the awful moment i'm
mediately following the collision is spoken
of with shudder by all OF the survivors,
Most of the men were asleep in their
hunks, and when the shock came only the
few who were on duty knew what was
the matter. There was a rushing to and
fro on both vessels for few moments; Il
confused shouting of orders. and a gener
al state of agoniZing uncertainty, until at
ter the lapse of a few seconds those on the
Montgomery knew her to be doomed,
while the steadiness of the Seminole gave
assurance that her condition was not crit
zeal. Then it was that u rush was made
for the latter from the decks of the sister
ship, and almost at the moment when the
ror-stricken men knew which way to
fly for safety. the Mo ntgomery sank, car
rying down many of those upon her and
consigning thirteen human beings to a
watery grave. The survivors, eighteen
IN number, were partly rescued from the
water, partly taken from the boat, and a
number of them escaped by clambering
upon the deck of the Seminole. That
vessel soon after steamed on her way to
Boston, bringing the survivors from the
wreck with her.
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.
The collision occurred about fifty miles
to the eastward Of Cape May. and a little
after l A. NJ on Sunday, the 9Th inst
The Montgomery was about eleven hours
out of New York and bound for Havana,
with II crew OF twenty-seven persons, four
passengers, and an assorted cargo. con-
sisting of flour, bacon, lard, potatoes,
grain 5000 bushels), macaroni, onions,
| plaster, etc, and valued at about $780,
| 600. The second mate was on the watch,
and all the lights were burning. although
the people OF the Seminole claim that the
mast headlight was only family glimmer-
ing. The lookout on the Montgomery
claims to have heard the whistle, seen
the light and moment after felt the
shock of the collision with the Seminole,
as his first intimatlon of her proximity
certain it is that the Boston vessels bow
struck the Montgomery on the forward
quarter, and, crushing through the heavy
timbers as if they had been glass, opened
a gaping rent in her side, through which
the sea poured IN torrents. The Seminole
at once reversed her engines and swung
alongside Of the Montgomery, and as soon
as possible a boat was lowered, but the
New York steamer sank before aid could
reach her. Nine men of the Montgome-
ry's crew succeeded in getting a foothold
on the other vessel and were thus saved
five were taken from q boat which floated
away from the wreck as the ship went
down; and three, Henry Osborne, John
McCluen and r. ii. jenkins, were taken
from the bottom Of another boat to which
they were clinging. The other man res
cued was John Munro. who was found
floating on piece of timber. The foul
passengers, who were Spaniards and nc
record of whose names has been pre-
served. were lost. They were warned o
the danger seemingly in time to have
reached a place of safety, but they faileo
to do So