The Republican journal., 1881-06-02
The London Calamity.

THE VICTORIA CONSIDERED TO HAVE HEEN SAL E..
STORY or THE STEAMERS CAPTAIN. HELURCH-
ED AND THE BOILER WENT THROUGH HER SIDE.
Mention was made last week If the dreadful
steamboat disaster near London, Ont, on the oath
ult. Competent witnesses who were on board
state that the Inflated vessel wes her last re
turn trip and that the number on board was est
mated at ZOO burden out of all proportion to the
strength and capacity Of the vessel visit to the
scene shows that the Victoria is a complete wreck,
being literally an RECONSTRUCTED vessel broken into
splinters. 1t is said on good authority that her
boiler was not properly secure and that it shifted
with the rocking Of the boat Hardly any portion
of the vessel is visible above water Capt Ran
kin, who had charge of the Victoria at the tlmo of
the disaster, makes the following statement:
We were on the last trip for the day. We had
not very heavy load going down. there
plenty of room on board, but when got to the
wharf at Spring Bank, there was a large crowd
waiting, and before could get the passengers oil
the boat they rushed on the after part, jumping
and climbing in every direction. | ordered them
down OFT the top deck and main deck, and threat
ened that would not leave the wharf till mid
night if some of them did not get off One gen
tleman. Mr. Powell of London East said to me,
~ on are not going to put me off are YOU .! and
said You had better get off p" He did SO and is
now alive Very few paid any attention to my
orders and only about fifteen or twenty went oft
the boat
After we started anumber of people on the low
emily noticed Slightly different action on the
boat and being unable to leave my post al the
wheel. sent boy down to the engineer to ascer-
| tam If there was any danger She listing
some to starboard, and as | was getting more anx-
ious | sent the boy down again He returned
with the word from the engineer that unless we
could straighten the boat there danger |
was looking forward to sand bar about 200 yards
ahead, on which | intended to beach the boat
That was my determination because was begin
TO yata ,,ia a.,
came along side, the occupants of which were rae
ing, and the crowd rushed to the side to them
The engn eer then sent word that we would try to
get the crowd aft because the water was coming
in Just then the crowd made rush to the port
side and as they did SO the vessel took lureh and
went to port bow down. Then the boiler shifted
from its position and went through the side |
believe the vessel would have recovered herself
ly for the boiler going over, and as it went it
carried away the main deck and let down the top
deck with the crowd above.
There were not ten people on the lower deck be-
cause the space below was largely taken up with
the boiler and machinery The after part of the
boat went down, but the fore part came to the sur
face and the boat spread about six feet apart,
The result was that many passengers were impris-
oned between the water and top deck which came
down upon them but there a breathing space
of foot which would have saved many had
not others persisted in climbing on the floating
deck thus crushing it down and smoherlng those
under this deck four minutes before it went down
and l did all | could to prevent the people climb
ing on it, great number had presence of mind
| to swim out from under the deck at the side or
end, and in this way were saved in few minutes.
| All who were thus imprisoned were drowned |
then swan to the shore and sent to the city with
| all speed The tonnage of the boat was nineteen
tons She was fiat bottom, scow shaped at both
ends and registered to carry four hundred passen-
| gers. | do not think we had more than four hun
opI thora 10 nat oto Hinrr
on the boat for that number at eight inches space
| to each person below the deck. Stanchions from
the main deck are the main supports of the upper
| deck She was we'll sanctioned but there were
no braces We had life saving apparatus for 400
| persons The boat was going up slowly. the sy-
phon and pony pump both working. | attribute
the disaster to the fact that the vessel leaked wa
ter, because when | sent the boy down the en-
gineer said there was half an arms length Of water
| in the hold. | praying earnestly that we
might reach the sand bar, where intended to
beach her until we could get help