The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-02

Informed.
The Recsrxi Of Disasters.
, s.JsT or THE PRINCIPAL ACCIDENTS OF RE-
CENT YEARS ON SEA AND RIvE2--THE SEA-
wANUAKA, THR NARRAGANsETT, THE WEST
yield. THE PRINCESS LOUISE, AND OTHER
WRECKS.
From the New York Trlbune.I
Last wear was remarkable for the destruc-
ton of steamships, no less than l41 having
been lost. Three OF these disasters were OF
necu,iar interest, and excited unusual hor-
ror on account OF the number of persons
who were either drowned or burnec-the
collision between the Narragansett and
Stonington In Long Island Sound, the
burning OF the Seawanhaka In East river,
and the laundering of the Florida coast OF
the City OF Vera Cruz. The Narragansett, OF
the Providence Line. was run into on the
night OF June II by the Stonington, OF the
same line. off Cornfeld Point. The Maria
cansett caught fire and sunk. The scenes
~ the night were terrible. OF the $50 pas
sengers who were on board, about Fifty
we're lost. Close on the heels OF this disas-
Ter came the burning Of the Seawanbaka.
by which about forty lives were lost. The
boat ran between this city and summer
resorts on the north shore OF Long
Island. On the afternoon OF June %,
while the Seawanhaka was abreast
Of Blackwelps Island. fire broke out.
Through the beroism OF Captain Smith, who,
though badly burned, remained at the
wheel. the boat was Deacbed, where she
burned 10 the waters edge. The recollec.
ton of the awful scenes Of that afternoon.
as the passengers, with whom the boat was
well filed, endeayOred to save themselves
from death by fire and water, is still fresh.
The laundering at sea on August % OF
the City OF Vera Cruz, as she was on her
way from New York TO Havana, caused
great deal OF excitement, which was
heightened by the two disasters which had
preceded it. Thirty-four lives were lost.
Two other accidents which occurred last
year resulted in heavy loss OF life-the
sinking OF the French steamer Oncle Jo-
scph, which net in collision the steamer
Oritigua, off SpeZzia, on November oath,
$50 persons being drowned; and the foun-
dering, seventy miles from Bombay, OF the
British steamer Vingorla, 100 persons losing
their lives.
One Of the most dreadful calamities OF re-
cent years was the blowing up OF the boilers
OF the Staten Island fcrrybOat Westfield on
Sunday, July 81, 1871, just as.she was about
10 leave the ship at the foot OF Whitehall
street. There were from 200 10 $50 pas,en-
gers on board at the time, about eighty OF
whom lost their lives and over one hundred
OF whom were more or less Injured by The
explosion. The forward half Of the boat,
where most Of the passengers were
seated, was blown to fragments. On
the night OF August ooh, in the
| following summer, schooner ran into
the propeller Nets, OF the Providence
Line. and sunk her. The Metis had 104 pas
sengers and crew OF forty four men, some
of whom flOaied ashore at Watch Hill, on
the upper deck OF the propeller. Fifty
three persons lost their lives by the acci-
dent. In September, 1878, an excursion
steamer, the Princess Alice, was run down
In the Thames, and about 600 lives were
| lost. In November OF the same year the
Hamburg. American steamer Pommerania
came into collision with q bark and went
down off Folkestone Sixty-fve lives were
lost. On May 81, 1878, the German iron
clad Grosser Kurfurst, while steaming in
the British Channel, came into collision
with the KONG Wilhelm Of the same
squadron. and went down almost imme.
diately. Over 800 lives were lost in this
disaster. One of the strangest acct
dents OF modern times occurred of the
Isle Of Wight on March "a, 1878. In the
afternoon the British training.ship Fury
dice, an old wooden sailing vessel, was
seen by the people on shore moving along
under full sail. Soon driving snOw-storm
set In, and when the clouds cleared away
the Eurydice was not in sight. She had
been capsiZed, and OF the 81 persons on
board only two were saved. Nearly 100
lives were lost by the wreck OF the steamer
Metropolis on Currituck beach, n. c., in
January, 1878. The United States ship HUI
ron ran ashore near Oregon inlet, n. c., on
November "a, 1877, in storm, and was
completely wrecked. Ninety.six officers
and men were lost.
| Within the last forty years the disasters
and mysteries Of the sea have been many.
Among these are to be remembered the
great loss Of life on the Vile du Iiayre, the
wreck of the Nortbfeet with 325 persons
on board, the loss OF the Arctic with 300
passengers, the mystery OF the City OF Bos-
ton by which $50 persons persisted, the
burning OF the Austria with $50 vic
tins, the straDding OF the Panama
with 400 deaths, the destruction OF the
Royal Charter and 440 lives, the loss Of the
President with 100 persons on board, the
burning Of the Independence, when lac
persons were lost, and The wreck Of the
Atlantic, which resulted in the death OF 43l
nersOnS