Connecticut western news., 1878-02-07
DISASTER AT SEA.
The Loss of the steamer Metropolis on tho k North sCarolina Coast, with Nearly One E Hundred Lives. ~ -@ -- " t- ~-a- ~

Thursday, Jan. 31st, the steamship Me- tropolis, from Philadelphia, for Para, Brazil, went ashore on CuTrituck Beachssi on the North Ga olina shore, difliGg the prevalence of furious southeast gale. Great confusion prevailed on board Owing to the fury of the gale and the roaring of the surf, the orders of the of- fcers could not be heard. About 50 of the passengers and crew were washed ashore and nearly1O0 were lost. From the statements of some of the sailors who ar rived at one of the3signal stations, it ap- bears that the vessel had enco lntered heavy gales from the southeast for 24 hours, and when. she struck she was heading about south southeast. The vessel swung broadside to the surf, which made complete break oyeryher and washed many of the people over board into the sea- - @ S;7e>7.-s. ,
 One of the men saved states that the vessel encountered heavy weather, with strong gale from southeast About 6:30 in the evening the ship struck, when all was confusion on board, the sea mak ing 8 complete breach. over the vessel, washing the passengers and crew into the seething foam. Amid the howling of the tempest and, the roaring of the surf, the orders of the officers could not be heard. When the vessel struck sev- eral of her boats were swept from -the decks. -T Those who reached the shore managed to do 80 by holding On to pieces of the wreck. It learned from another source that when the vessel struck she was heading south -sonth-eas The wind was blowing a perfect hurricane, and she using all the power her machinery 'af- forded to keep; her head to wind. ulL sla
 The Metropolis was taking to South America engineers and laborers to build railroads there. Most of. those on board were laboring men belonging to SPhila- delphla and leave families in that citys~
 The Metropolis sprang a. leak On sthe night before the disaster. Her fires were nearly out, and itwas determined by the captain to run her ashore in order to save as many lives as possible. When she struck there ensued Q terrible scene of panic, terror and confusion, such as only those who have had the experience of a shipwreck can imagine Just be- fore the ship beached she shipped a heavy sea, which carried away her en. zine room bulkhead and forward cabin. The sea poured into the vessel in an aw full volume and totally extinguished her fires. She was then helpless monster. utterly powerless to stand the seas that swept over her, and beyond all human skill to manage At about a quarter to seven o'clock Ion Thursday, her course being about south-southwest, the Me- tropolis struck. is .1.I VI 5%"
 She preached broadside of the beach, which caused; every succeeding sea to sweep her decks, carrying into the seeth- ing foam the unfortunate passengers al most by the score. During all this agon, izing scene of terror and suspense a man on horseback was seen 1n the dim ighi on the shore waving his hat, which gave some faint promise of assistance, at which the living passengers eagerly grasped But, alas, no help came. Many who hao held on to life, finding the expected aid not at hand, gave up in despair, and sanl to rise no more.sse z.4 a5 @ 4 se
 The terrible moments which seemed to the survlyors like ages, wore on untl about eleven o'clock, when at last ytht life saving crew put in an appearance. But they were unable to render any assis tance. They were merely idle lockers on at the havoc of death among the wild waves, which seemed to sing requien to the despairing mortals who were SC rapidly drowning, The most that these inefficient government employees did wal tn5 pun some of the more fortunate on of the surf who had washed ashore or some particles of the wreck available at the moment.
 With tLe striking of the ship com menced scene which defed description No orders could be heard, and if heard, no one was willing to obey. The one feeling that each one must save himself or drown mastered every other. A rush was made for the life preservers, of wlicl there was full supply <on board. z "A struggle ensued of the strong against the weak for the coveted articles. In the end, however, none of the preservers could be obtained, nearly all of them be- ing washed overheard by the tremen dous seas that swept the ship before they could be used. The angry waves each moment decimated the hapless sui ferers, who, for the most part, entirel, unused to life on ship board, knew not where to seek protection or to avail them selves of opportunities of safety whicl occurred to more experienced persons. Captain Ankers nnanfully did his duty giving orders, helping and cheerine everybody. He was the last man te leave the ship. He. hoped. against hope expecting suceor froa1 tue shore. Hac he received. this many precious live. would have been saved and few would have been lost.
 | The condition of the men who hac succeeded in reaching the shore with life was deplorable in the extreme. Half naked, and without fire or shelter, the, suffered bitterly from the piercing colo for several hours, until they could be furnished with assistance by the kind
 hearted people in the vicinity of ths beach. ,'
 The scene along the beach for mile. north and south of the wreck is described as being distressing to the last degree The shore was 'Ftrewn with pieces of th. wreck, and bruised and battered bodies constantly appeared. taking the place O those who had been tenderly taken III and inferred. A large number of thu survivors were more or less injured, som, of them being entirely disabled from the collision In the water with drifting pieeeI of the wreck. 2 TgT q I'd sF 7 -
 MT. Brooke, one of the passengers
 the Metropolis, says that the ,ill-fat vessel had not gone very many nile
 when it was discovered that the move ments of her machinery produced ge,, eral jarring, which made the officer anxious respecting her arrival at he
 point of destination. When it was learn ed that her seams were W ening and tn, water was fozoing it's way 12to the ship and if she continued ol h peri1ous voy age the combined efforts of passenger and crew could not save her from sink ing forever out of existence, it wal
 determined to beach her.