The daily gazette., 1879-11-10
FIRST EDITION.
THE LOST CHAMPION.
She SINKS or Det0W0re Ban,
WiM 1h'rty Passengers and
CresC.

PHILADELPHIA - LISTS OF THE
SAVED AND LOST - INTERESTING
STATEMENTS FROM THE NATE OF |
TuE LOST sTEAMsuIP-oNLY ONE
WOMAN sAvED.
The steamship Champion, Captain r.
w. Lockwood, Of the New York and
Cha. lesion line, which sailed from her
pier in New York at live O'Clock on
Thursday evening, was in coll sion with
the iron ship Lady Octavia, Captain
James Johnston, near the entrance TO
Delawa Bay, at three o'clock on Friday
morning, rs Was stated in a telegram 10
the GAZETTE on Saturday. Since then
the facts have been gathered from u e
crews Of the coliding vessels. 1t is said
that the Champion sank immedi ,tely,
AID Of her passengers aud crew thirty are
missi < and supposed to be 10 t. The
Lady Octavia was on Saturday towed I'D
the Delaware 10 Philadelphia, where she
now lies. The officers and crew OF the
Cha upion went on 10 New York and
lef, Sunday for Charleston OH the George
W. Clyde.
THE TEN HOURS VOYAGE.
The voJ age from New ork, up to the
momelt of the disaster, was wholly with
ont incident. The steamer passed Sandy
douk soon after dark. TIE night was
reasonably clear and starlit. Supper be-
ing over, most Of the passengers retired
| to their statero0ms, which were on deck.
| There were on board, in the cabin, Mr..
| j. l.. Martin, Of Columbia, S. c.; T..
Sletiany, W. W. Clark, William Poets,
William Siska, Joseph Mitchell, Mrs.
| Andrews, and her daughter, Miss Mary
| Mikell, of Charleston, and III. IIuxs.abie
and wife, of Boston. Booked in the
steerage were &. Patten, L. Patten, j. Is,
Foster, colored man, M. Broad, Kate
Tbrackey, Rosa Barber, and b. lIoran.
| There vas also all infant in arms i'm /, e
steersge, but whose child it was cannot
be ascertained. Shortly after sa ling Mr..
Broad and Mr.. Horan seeing how un-
comfortable the steer age qua rters were,
| found the pun ser and took berths in tie
cabin. by this act the former saved his
life, in all probability, for only one steer
are passenger, j. Is. Foster, a colored
man, who sat up all night, was after
ward saved. The Captain after seeing
the vessel safely past the Jersey coast,l lay
down with his clothes on al three o'clock.
Six minutes later he was made aware
that sailing vessel was ahead, close at
hand. He went to the wheelhouse, stop
ped the engine and then backed the
steamer; but before the Champions
headway could be stopped the two ves-
sells collided. They met bows on, not in
the side as at first reported.
NEARLY AVOIDED.
So narrowly was collision escaped that
quarter of point, ether way, would
have cleared the vessels with loss Of
boats and some of the Octavia's spars.
The whole stern of the Champion was
torn out, while the Lady Octavia, which
was an iron full-rigged ship, escaped
without serious damage. Her port bow
WAS slightly stove, but she did not leak
and was safely brought to Philadelphia
for repairs, as before stated. The lady
passengers were all lost.
THE CHAMPIONS SECOND MATE.
Charles Miller, the second mate oil
the Champion, was attired in fur cap
.. long oyercoat and pair of rubber boots
He said:-About three O'Clock in the
: morning was awakened by the sound
of two bells striking. his was the sig
! nal to stop. Then there was pause o.
f about half minute and a frightful crash
, shich shook the whole vessel.
I.iphts were burning in our mes
room. and pulled on my boots and raj
: on deck. The capt. ain came out Of thu
e pilot house as came up and called t.
t me $50 aft and clear away the boats.
;. He thea ran to the cabin and told th'
, messengers to come on deck in hur
= rv. couldteel the ship sinking rapidly
- | seized two axes and ran aft. CAV
l fN
him to r,lt away the lashings from tn
r port quarter boat, and began 10 cut I'll
iashnus us from the starboard quarter boa
myself. While doing so saw larg
u ,hin into us on our starboard bow. Sew
II .ral men were on her forecast lie and TIL
Y f,hampion was backing away at ful
speed When the lashines were cut
- nrdered the men to swing the boats oui
>. All the people saved were then on deck
e I think but there did not seem to b
much excitement and hardly any con
IL msion. The bow of our steamer wa
n soinr down rapidly and she began
iurch and tremble as she sank. Th
Captain ordered me to cut away tn
l. lashiuys form the life-rafL and ran
es do so. saw the captain go to the cabl
ao.,n and ordered the ladies to come o
deck Without Wdltiue W uiS''', 80 WAY
sci was going down fast. l took knii
and cut away the lashings from the III
O. aft. had good deal OF oftrouble in dom
40. for the ship stood nearly on end. TT
'h cook helped me, and just as the raft wa
a.. free of its fasteniDgs the water broA
" over the deck of the Champion and sh
It. went down with plung bow first.
la SAVING THE RAFT.
H. ..Tbe life raft was caught under I'll
mainstay and the side hung to wa
81 dragqed under the water until the ra
. stood upright. ciimed up the raft as
u was being dragged to the bottom an
a, pushed against the mainstay with all u
n. strength had. Each second seemed q
n hour as | struggled for life under u
waves i'm the darkness. just as l WI
about to give up gave tremendo'
of nnsb. and the raft, sliding from und'
Ky The mainstay, rose to the surface. W.
'n IN, allie to climb on 1t, when Saw Il
yes cook clineing to the other side, althous
he had been utterly helpless under u
water. then saw the captain swn
np nine in the water, and padded to hi
'ge with a piece of joiner work l pirked u
mo mo When / dragged him on board he W
.p opi completely exhausted and cou!d haId
in in sneak. Then we both hauled the COZ
nns on board. The air was iuli OF a",
IN, sornds. Voices could be heard In