The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-11-20
A Terrible Disaster at Sea.
Especial to ST. Louis Globe-Democrat.,

Especial to ST. Louis Globe Democrat
NEW YORK, November S.-The steamer
Champion, Of the New York and Charleston
Steamship Company, which sailed from New
York last Thursday, was run l9to and sunk
inside of five minutes, on Friday morning,
about O'Clock, when about 35 miles east of
Cape Penlopen, by the British iron-ship
Lady Octavia, from the Delaware Break
water for New York, and of the 16 passengers
on board u, including the five women pas
sengers, are supposed to have gone down
with the vessel, making
ALOSS OF TwENTY-EIGHT LIVES.
Four of the passengers and two OF the
crew were taken off by the bark Petlc Codl-
&C, 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. r W. Lockwood, Second Officer Chas.
Miller, Chief Engineer Wesley Reeve, and
Chss. Z. Bunce, his first assistant, were
picked up by the Lady Octavia's boats. The
Lady Octavia was on the way out from the
Delaware Breakwater for New York, and her
lookout saw the lights of the steamer ten
minutes before the collision. When the YES
sells were close together the course Of the
steamer was suddenly CHANGED, and then the
ship crashed into the steamers starboard
bow. The Lady Octavia's bow was so badly
damaged that she put in to Philadelphia Tor
repairs. Capt. James 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
lisiOn.
To-day Captain Lockwood and 16 Of the
| saved took trains for this city, where they
arrived at 4:30. The Captain went at once
| to the office, and after an hours consultation
with the owners, told the story Of the loss
of the Champion: "When we had been out
about 10 hours, ;" he said, Invent to my room.
| The night was calm and clear, and quite light.
1t was then about 5 a. m. l had not been in
my room more than five minutes when l
heard some one on deck shout Sail ahead
/ jumped from my bed to the pilot house,
and rang the bell to stop the ship. The en-
! gines stopped, and rang the bell to reverse
| them. At this time noticed a ship steering
in an east-northeast direction, while we
were going southwest by south, half west;
the ship was quite close to us. put the
helm about so as to 60 astern OF her, but it
was too late, and scarcely minute after the
ship struck us on the starboard bow just
abaft the cathead, cutting our ship away be-
low the water line. The whole bow was
stove in, and l ordered my first officer, Mr..
Leonard, who was the officer Of the watch, TO
go forward and see if the steamer was max
ing water. He had hardly gone when felt
that she was settling, and ordered the Sec
ond officer to clear away the boats, and af-
forwards told him to cut them away, and the
life raft, too. One of the boats and the life
raft were cut away. l then ran to the cabin
and endeayored to get the ladies out Of their
rooms, but | could not. l asked them to
come ont without stopping TO dress to save
themselves. There was some shrieking,
and one or two of the men came into the
cabin, but none of the ladies. When | re-
turned to the deck the ship h ad settled con-
siderably forward and was rapidly sinking. A
minute later she went down with a plunge,
carving every body with her. | went down,
but soon came to the surface again, and dis
covered the l;fe-boat, bottom up, near me.
The Chief Engineer and l righted it and
bailed it out with our hats. The last | saw
Of Mr.. Leonard was when be went forward.
He was about As years old, and has been
sailing with me for II years. / have always
regarded him as a careful and efficient officer.
The Champion carried our life-boats and
life-craft all in good order. We were under
full steam and had just set the foretop sail
when the collision occurred. The steamer
is sunk in about IA fathoms of water. The
topmasts are Just visible above The water.
think the ship could have got out OF the
road and avoided the accident. do mol
care to speak about that part OF it. have
been IA years on the coast, and before that
was Charleston pilot"