Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-01-15
PICKED Up at Sea.


The story of the loss of the Borussia,
as related by six members of the crew
and five passengers, is thrilling in the
extreme. Gerrity, the boatswain' mate,
says when it became evident that the
steamer must go down Captain Roberts
collected the crew, and, after warning
passengers against rushing for the
boats, ordered all seven lowered. The
high sea made the operation very haz-
ardous. The first that reached the
water was Immediately dashed to pieces
against the side of the steamer. ALI
the boats were damaged, but were. re-
paired with canvas. Mr.. Gerrity and
QuartermSster Lorsen were ordered to
take charge of boat No. 8, metallic
life-boat capable of holding eleven peo-
pie. After stocking her with crackers,
canned meats, and water, they went
aboard. Members of the crew also
dropped over the ships side, and he
pushed off to keep her from being
swamped by overlooking. The Captain
ordered him to again come alongside,
which was done, and q Frenchman
named Duniot Fance jumped into the
water and was pulled into the boat.
Others jumped in, and Gerrity, stand
ing up in the boat, grasped one of the
French female passengers and endeaV-
ored to pull her off the steamer, towhich
she was clinging fairly frantiewith fear.
The woman's husband urged her to let
go the rail and go into the boat,
but amid her wailings and rawlings
she apparently remembered her three
children who were on the steamer,
and shrieking out that she would not be
separated from them she fought the
boatswain off and climbed over the rail
back to the steamers deck. As the
boat was full, Gerrity pulled off and
was soon some distance away. When
he last saw the steamer her deck ap-
peared to be covered with water and
fast sinking. The passengers were
crowded together amidship, and the
rigging appeared black with specks of
human life. High above the roar OF
the storm the despairing shrieks OF the
twenty-five women and children on the
steamer could be distinctly heard From
the unmanageable panic that existed
before the boats pulled off Gerrity is
certain that the scenes of woe and ago
nizing despair among the 100 passen-
gers on the doomed steamer as she
went down must have been heaTtrend-
ing. The scenes at the loading OF the
other small boats was the same as with
boat No. San intense struggle on the
part of the Captain to maintain order,
and ON the papbof the crew and passen-
gers to secure the last chance OF life,
while many of them had near ties, as
did the French woman, to keep them on
the steamer to, die with those they
loved. The storm in which the Borus-
sia was wrecked was the seVeTest the
crew ever experienced. 1t began when
two days out of Corunna, increased in
violence, and Dec. l the fireman dis
covered leak in the compartment be-
tween the midship bulkheads in which
the boiler and engines were located.
Upon investigation it was found that
the water was already ugD to within
three feet of the lower fires, and rising
rapidly. Shortly after noon the stokers
were compelled to leave the boiler
room, and few minutesla5era column
of steam came up through the stoke
holes, and it became known that tie
fires had been put out. The vessel cut
her steeraae way and swung around
into the trough Of the sea- The pas
were at once pressed into serv-
ice at the pumps and at bafling, while
the crew endeavored to get sufficient
sail on the vessel to put her about for
the nearest port, CoD@nna, 400 miles.
On account Of the topsails having blown
away, and the impossibility of bending
new ones to the masts, all efforts were
and the vessel refused to
mind her helm. ALI hands then took
turns at the pumps, which were kept
in operatiOn for thirty-slx
hours, when the Captain ordered the
boats lowered, as he saw there was no
bone. -B0Ltin0rs Telegram, Jan. ).