The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-11-21

Especial 20 81. louis Globe Democrat
h NEW YORK, November s.-The steamer
Champion, 81 the New York and Charleston
Steamship Company, which sailed from New
Nes lar Y, hsI ma wac 1 gso and sunk
about O'Clock, when abort - miles east u
Cape Penlopen, ~ the British iron-ship
Lady Octayia, from the Delaware Break
water for New York, and Of the ~ passengers
ON board ~, including the Eve women pas
scngers, are supposed TO have gone down
with the vessel, making
ALoss or TwENIY-EIGHT LIVES.
-Four OF the passengers and two Of the
crew were taken of by the bark Petite Codi-
nc, which came alongside after the collision,
and which Is bound for Philadelphia, and
the names Of these persons are not known.
Twenty other persons Of the crew, including
Capt X. w. Lockwood, Second Officer Chas.
Miller, Chief Engineer Wesley Reeve, and
Chas. 4. bunce, his first assistant, were
picked up by the Lady Octavia's boats. The
Lady Octayia was on the way out from the
Delaware Breakwater for Now York, and her
lookout saw the lights OF the steamer ten
minutes before the collision. When the ycs-
sells were close together the course Of the
steamer was suddenly chan.ed, and then the
ship crashed into the steamers starboard
bow. The Lady Octayia's bow was 50 badly
damaged that she put In 70 Philadelphia Tor
repairs. Capt Jar'es johnson, her master,
asserts that the steamer came at his vessel
end on, and that there was no way Of avoid
ing the collision, and he says that he has
been informed that the steamers lookout
was aloft loosening sail just before the col
lisi0n.
CAPTAIN LocKwooD's STORY.
To-day Captain Lockwood and 16 OF the
saved took trains for this city. where they
arrived al 4:3D. The Captain went at once
10 the Office, and after an hours consultation
with the owners, told the story Of the loss
20 q Ia thup What MO la tna
about 10 hour" he said. II went 10 my room.
The night was calm and clear, and quite light.
Ii was then about a. m. had not been in
my room more than i've minutes when
heard some one on deck shout sail ahead
Jumped from my bed to the pilot house,
and rang the bell 70 stop the ship. The en-
gines stopped, and rang the bell 10 reverse
them. At this time noticed ship steering
in an east-northeast direction, while we
were going southwest by south, half west;
the ship was quite close 20 Us. Iput the
helm about so as 20 70 astcrn OF her, hut il
was too late, and scarcely minute after the
ship struck us on the starboard bow Just
abaft the cathcad, cutting our ship away be-
Z low the water line. The whole box was
stove in, and ordered my first officer. Mr..
\ Leonard, who was the officer Of the watch, 10
/ 60 forward and see IL the steamer was max
Ing water. lie had hardly gone when felt
that she was settling, and ordered the Sec
/ Ond officer 10 clear away the boats, and az
forwards told him 10 cut them away. aud the
/ life raft. TOO. One OF the boats and the life
raft were ciit away. ! then ran 10 the cabin
and cndeayored 10 ret the ladies out o. their
Rooms, but | could not. asked them 10
come ost without stopping 70 dress 70 save
themselves. There was some shrieking,
and one or two ~ the men came into the
cabin, hut none 81 the ladies. When | re-
turned "a the deck the ship had settled con-
siderahly forward and was rapidly sinking. A
minute later she went down with 4 plunge,
carrying every body with her. / Went down,
hut soon came 10 the surface again. and dis
covered the lic-boai, bottom up, near me.
| The Chief Engineer and i rightcd Il and
baiied IL ont with our hats. The last saw
OF Mr.. Leonard was when he went forward.
He was about ~ years old. and has been
sailing with me for II years. have always
regarded hlmas q careful and efficient officer.
The Champion carried our life-boats and
life-craft an in good order. We were under
full steam and had Just set the foreiop sail
I when the collision occurred. The steamer
! l. sunk in about 1s fathoms OF water. The
topma-ts are just visible above the watcr.
think the shP could haze got out Of the
road and avoided the accident. ! 10 not
care 20 speak about that part ~ IL. have
been IA years on the coast, and before that
was Charleston pilot"