New-York tribune., 1879-11-10
PRICE FOUR CENTS.

Lady Octavia-under full sail and heading right
toward US from An opposite direction, l signalled
the engines to stop and reverse. In another moment
the bark had struck us at the starboard cat-head.
and stove our bows In clear below the water line.
i ordered First Mate Leonard forward 10 ascertain
If the Champion making any water but before
he returned the bows went under carrying him
down. / then ordered Second Mate Miller 70 clear
away the boats and liferaft aud 20 the cabin and
ordered everybody to come on deck without stopping
to dress a. the vessel was sinking rapidly. Tho
bows at this time under water and began to
distribute life-preservers freely. as there were
plenty of chem. In another moment there was a
great rumbling and crashing caused by the water
forcing itself through the vessel, and then the
steamer went down.
There was no time TO lower the boats, and had not
the falls been cut by Mr. Miller. they would have
gone down with the ship. Everybody who was
deck thrown into the water and all struggled to
save themselves with benches and life-preservers
which they secured before the vessel sank. OF the
steamship nothing could be above the water
except the cap Of her main-tOpmast How long
WAS under water don't know. as first became con-
scious of my safety by being hauled mp in the life
raft by Officer Miller. Hammond, the chief cook,
was next rescued by Miller and myself. We then
picked out OF the water Chef Engineer
Reeve, Flrst-assstant Engineer Buncc seamen
Mackmann, Luke Kelly and John Fos-
ter. The Lady Octavia shortened sail inn
mcdiately after the collision and lowered
her boats to help the people of the Champion.
After remaining IN the vicinity until daylight, and
succeeding in picking up tweEty-four persOns, the
bark, IN a leaking condition, set sail again and
headed for the Breakwater. Two Of the crew aud
four of the passengers of the latter being j. Is
Horan. were transferred to the bark Petit Zodiac,
Il ..
have avoided the collision if she had made the eE
fort"
ACCOUNTS BY OTHERS on BOARD.
Second Officer Miller, In addition to confirming
Captain Lockwood's statement. said that he was
asleep when the collision occurred and immediately
sprang to the deck. After being ordered to clear
away the boats and lfe-raft. he ran aft with two
axes for this purpose. and ordered of the sailors
to help him. The two vessels were still nteriocked
by their bows, but in a moment the Champion
backed away and began TO sink. lie had great
difficulty IN cutting the ashinCs of the boats but
got them clear as the vessel went down.
Every effort was made TO get the passengers on
deck. The lifc-raft caught under the main stay as
the steamship sank, and as II was about being car
ried under with him Oh lt he succeeded IN getting
il clear After the persons mentioned by the cap
tain had been rescued "A life boat picked mp and
baed out, and then the raft was towed around tho
wreck in hopes OF saving other passeL gers. Three
men were picked mp by the life-boa and the voices
Of several others were heard VINO could not be
reached.
Chief-Engineer Reeve was awakened by the sig
mails to stop and reverse the engines, and Jumped
from his berth and ran TO the englne-r0om. After
an examination it was found that water was rush.
ing inio tie vessel and then all the pumps were
started. In another minute the water had filed
the freroom and put out the fires and driven eyely-
body on deck. lie had hardly time 10 grasp set
tee as lfe-Dreseryer, before the vessel went down.
After being IN the water q short time, and becom-
ing thoroughly chilled aud exhausted, lie was res
cued by the lile-raft. While searching around the
ship for other people, the Octavias boats picked up
two loads from the water.
Richard owen. one Of the two cabin boys nine.
teen years OLD, was asleep IN The forccastle at the
time of the collision, with John Thompson and
Charles Eher, both of whom were transferred TO
the Petit Zodiac. Eher was in the bottom berth,
and unable to get out because of the broken tmbcri
around him. He erred that he was not hurt, and y
somebody would take the timbers away he would
he all right Owen Jumped through the hole made
In the bow of the Champion, aud scrambled ~ 10
the decks of the bark by the chains. ln another
moment the water swept away the broken LmDes
from Ehler aud he escaped.
NARRATIVE OF A PAssCSGER.
Joseph Mitchell, one of the cabin passengers and
turf reporter, on bis way to Columbia, :. c.. made
the following statement yesterday: "On Thurs
day night retired at o'clock. | felt very ner-
vous and could not sleep. Friday morning at 3
o'clock felt a sudden thud-nOt enough L. awaken
me had | been sleeping. jumped up, oponed the
door, and heard the stewardess exclaim: NV God,
we are sinking rushed up on deck and saw the
ship going down, bow first. | climbed UP tho
main deck that was still above the water and
caught hold of the iron railing around the stern OF
the ship, but a heavy wave came and broke nv
hold. | then swan around for a few minutes, and
WAS grasped by the arm by some one. " no carried
.,,1I t.rt 1 rsla tuv self
LIs OF her grasp and came to the surface, and no
sooner reached it than another wave came which
threw me on a window-sash which floating in
the water. Ii was from of the windows OF the
il-fatcd vessel lay upon II completely exhausted
but was suddenly aroused by the shouting of som9
one near me. / then heard two voices cry OUT
Don't lie on this but get off and catch hold
with your hands and give us chance to do the
same: for If you lie on il and We catch hold il viii
certainly sink. obeyed the orders of he peIshing
men. Every wave that came washed away our
grasp. but all Of us being apparently expert
swimmers. managed to regain our hold ON ihe SASH
Ne saw TOW boat coming near Ms, but when II was
within a few feet of us II turned away Apparently
the men in IL lost sight OF us, Tor thlnk we went
down once again with the sash but we kept ups
continual screaming, and again they came To the
rescue. and tins line succeedru III SiaSpins US
When I'm the Towboat Immediately became un.
conscious. and did nor become conscious ~ Hntii
been transferred to the Lady Oetayia and then to
the Petit Codiac.
"The shrieks of the perishing men and women dur
ing the sinking of the ship were heartrending. Tho
passengers left 10 take care of themselves 10
the time of the collision. The most pitifnl of all
was the loss of Miss Mkell and her mother. | do
NOT believe they left their berth. for there was
nothing to awaken anyone until the ship was nearly
covered up by the water, and then the whistle be-
gan to blow and kept up a continual blowing until
stopped by the rolling waters. Ii was most Deau-
tlul morning. could distinctly see the Lady Oc-
tavia near us and the Petit Zodiac in the distance.
The first thing l remarked when came on deck
WAS How could such accident occur m this
light where Tything around can be seenF lq
conclusion 1 assert that the accident occurred
through gross neglect and careessnes,"