The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-01-15
Lost at Sea-Wreck Of the Steamer Bo.
russia,

BALTIMORE, January 3.
= 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's
mate, says when it became evident that
the steamer must 60 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
hazardous. The first that reached the
water was Immediately dashed to pieces
against the side of the steamer. ALI
the boats were damaged, but were
repaired with canvas. Mr.. Gerrity
and Quartermaster Lorsen were
ordered to take charge Of boat No. 8,
y metallic life-bOat capable of holding
eleven people. 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 be-
ing swamped by overlooking. The
Captain ordered him to again come
alongside, which was done, and q
Frenchman named Duniot Fance jump
ed into the water and was pulled into
the boat. Others jumped in, and Ger
rity, standing up in the boat, grasped
one of the French female passengers
and endeavored to pull her off the
steamer, to which she was clinging
fairly frantic With 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 steam
er, 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 of 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 we're
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.
listed before the boats pulled off Gerrity
is certain that the scenes of woe and
agonizing despair among the one hum
dred and sixty passengers on the doomed
steamer as she went down must have
been heartrending. The scenes at the
loading of the other small boats were the
same as with boat No. San intense
struggle on the part of the Captain
to maintain order. and on the part of
the crew and passengers 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 Borussia was wrecked was
the severest the crew ever experienced.
1t began when two days out Of Corunna,
increased in violence, and December !
tho fireman discovered leak in the
compartment between the midship
bulkheads in which the boiler and en-
gines were located. Upon investigation
it was found that the water wac already
up to within three feet of the lower fires,
and rising rapidly. Shortly after noon
the stokers were compelled to leave the
boiler-room, and II few minutes later 9
column of steam came up.through the
SLOke-nOIeS, anu IL became Known tn;ll
the fires had been put out. The vessel
cut her Storage way and swung around
into the trough of the sea. The passen-
gers were at once pressed into service
st the pumps and at bailing, while the
crew endeavored 10 get sufficient sail
on the vessel to put her about for the
nearest port, Corunna, $50 miles. On
account Of the topsails having blown
away, and the impossibility of bending
new ones to the masts, all efforts were
unsuccessful, and the vessel refused to
mind her helm. All hands then took
turns at the pumps, which were kept
steadily in operation for thirty-six
hours, when the Captain ordered the
boats lowered, as he s:w there was nc
hope.