The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-10
OCEAN DISASTERS.
Steamer Sunk by Collision at Sea-
ThIrty-four Out Of FIfty-eluht Of
Her People Drowned.
The Arizona Strikes an Iceberg of
St. IOhn, N. 3.
The Steamer Falcon Sunk by a
Schooner.
The Reckless Spirit Exhibited In
Sailing.

/
bottom OF the sea, forty miles out from
the Capes Of the Delaware, lies the steam
or Champion, having been sent there at
o'clock OIL Friday morning by collision
with the sailing ship Lady 0Ctavia, which
caused the loss Of thirty.fOur liyes.
The Lady octavia was bound from Ric
Janeiro to New York, and the Champion
from New York 10 Charleston. 1t wa.
moonlight when they collided, aud the
officer in charge Of the 0ctavia saw the
Champion ten minutes before they struck.
The Champion went down in four min.
utes from the time OF the collision, and
only twenty.four out Of the lllty.eight
souls that she had on board were saved.
These were taken aboard the 0ctavia,
which then put back toward the Break.
water. Her bow was much shattered, and
she owed her escape from a fate like that
oil the Champion TO water.tight compart.
ment at that end OF the vessel, and to the
TACT thatshe was much newer and strong
CT ship than the other.
Shortly after the collision the Captain
OF the OCtavia, James Johnston, who was
asleep in his cabin when the ship struck.
hailed bark and transferred to it four OF
the Champions passengers and two OF her
crew. When he hailed the bark he says
he was ignorant OF the damage done to his
ship. He thought he had better seize the
opportunity to try 10 insure tho safety OF
the people. Before the transfer was made,
however, he discovered that there was no
danger Of the 0ctavia's going down, but
as the four passengers and two seamen
desired to go at once TO New York, whittier
they hailed and the bark was bound, they
were permitted to do so. The Captain,
however, is unable to give the names OF
the four passengers, and he cannot even
tell the name OF the bark. He read the
name whea the vessels approached, but
afterwards forgot it.
BRINGING UP THE SAVED.
The Octavia, with her, own crew of "a
persons and the remaining Is Of the res.
cued, left the Breakwater before daylight
yesterday morning, being towed up the
river by the tug Pioneer. About o'clock,
when opposite Green street wharf, the Oc.
tavia landed these Is persons (all OF whom
were OF the Champion crew. for the pur-
pose OF having them sent to New York
from the depot at Ninth and Green streets.
They went TO New York on the 1:40 train.
Crowds of people along the wharves
having heard Of the collision, and expect
ed the arrival OF the 0ctaYia some time
during the afternoon, watched her as she
passed up the river, and when the eigh-
teen saved persons were landed, they
found some difficulty in passing through
tho curious assemblage. Their names, to-
gether with the names OF the two seamen
known passengers to the bark bound for
New York are as follows: R. W. Lock-
wood, Of Charleston, Captain; Charles
Miller, OF Charleston, First Mate; John
Thompson, Charles Ehler, Frederick Mac
keman, Frederick Richards and Frank
Jackson, all seamen; Richard Owens, a
boy; Wesley Reeve, Chief Engineer;
Charles Z. Bunce, First Assistant Engi-
neer; Edward Jones, VIM. Ferrell, Patrick
Flynn and Luke Kelley, all fremen; Alex
ander Rose, coal passer; Isaac Hammond,
chief cook; John Foster, porter; Catha-
rine Gross, stewardess, and George Hol-
land and Moses Pinkney, walters.
Having landed these persons, the Octa-
via was towed to Hamp's shipyard for re-
pairs. Her sharp bow is thoroughly
smashed, having hole about five feet
broad and four feet high in her portside,
six feet above the water line; another hole
on the starboard side, about two by three
feet, located about ten feet from the bow,
and eight feet from the water line. There
is also on the starbOard side a hole below
the water line, the extent of which can.
not be learned until an examination is
made.
THE ocrAviA CAPTAINS AccoUST.
Capt. Johnston, OF the 0ctavia, was in.
terviewed before the vessel reached the
dock. Like all OF his crew, with one or
two exceptions, he is q SCotchman, the
vessel being owned in Greenock, Scotland.
He is a sturdy, red.faCed man, with large,
bushy, reddish whiskers. A gruiFness OF
manner and dislike OF being questioned,
which he showed were probably owing to
an evident mental disturbance, resulting
from the calamity. Persistent questioning
continued throughout the afternoon at
various times and places, brought out OF
him the following account: We had been
lying at the Breakwater for orders since
the sd Of October, having come from Rio
Janeiro in ballast. Orders to 90 to New
York having come, we started Thursday
night. There being but little wind, we
made slow progress, and when the COL
lision occurred, about quarter past three,
Friday morning, we had not got more
than forty miles from Cape Henlopen and
were probably about thirty miles east
from Cape May. Itwasa clear night and
the moon was shining brightly. Mr.. Fer
guson, the mate who was In charge OF the
ship, and the steamer ahead ten minutes
before the collision. Both vessels con.
tlnued On their course, but shortly before
the crash the officer and our watch first
saw the starboard light OF the Champion
on our port side, and very soon afterward
they saw her port tight, which showed
that she had turned in her course. We
had man on the look out all the time,
hut the Champion as have since learned
from the rescued officers and seamen, had
no look out, as the man who should have
been on the look out was aloit loosening
bdIl1. SupL' 4%VGhWoVu ulILlS6ll nus sInCe L0Iu
me that moment before the collision he
altered his course, which explains the
change in the light. He gives no reason
Tor this, however, but he says he did not
see my ship until he heard our men
shouting, when 1t was too late, from
which 1 am still more convinced thai
there was no lookout on the Champion
The officer in charge OF our ship thought
OF course, that the Champion would re-
spect the law which gives sailing vessell
the right OF way. He was sure that the
steamer would pass us all right, anG
therefore We kept on our course. 0ul
speed was only three and q half knot
while that OF the steamer was abou
twelve knots, and but for the suddeI
changing Of the Champions course Their
coriM not have been q collision. WheI
the vessels struck their course
were at about right angles. I hal
been asleep in the cabin, hut was arouse,
by the crash, and ran instantly on dec