St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-07-14
CAPSIZED.
A Fr1ghtful Accident at the Launching OF
tie Steamer Daphne, Near Renfrew,
Scotland-One Hundred and Fifty Per.
sens Believed to Have Been Drowned.


tie Steamer Daphne, Near Renf,ew,
Scotland-One Hundred and Fifty Per.
sens Believed to Have Been Drowned.
| LONDON, Eng, July3.
| kfrightful calamity occurred at Glasgow
to-day during the launching of the steam
ship Daphne. While being launched she
| fell over on her side, precipitating a num-
| Der of people into the water. She was con-
str.icted for the coasting trade, and is
| vessel of 500 tons burden. Two hundred
| woskmen were on board when she cap
sized. The accident occurred in the mid,
| die. of the river Clyde after the launching.
| later dispatch from Glasgow says that
the Daphne capsized near Renfrew, five
miles from Glasgow. Traffic in the Clyde
is suspended owing to the Interruption to
navigation by the capsized steamer. She
had all her machinery on board when she
was launched. The Daphne left the ways
at a very fast rate, and when she
gained the water she rolled from side
to side. The persons on board, fearing
she would capsize, ran to and fro. The
vessel finally reeled over and nearly dis
appeared beneath the water. Those who
maintained positions on the portion of the
steamer not submerged, did their utmost to
save those who were cast overheard. At.
the same time boats pulled out to assist in
the5work of rescuing the unfortunate peo-
pie, and succeeded in saving quite a
number. 1t is known, however, that there
Were fifty persons below in the Daphne
whan the vessel went over, and they must
all have been drowned. Crowds of grief
stricken relatives of the victims are flock
ing to the scene. Another dispatch from
Glasgow says that the cause of the capsiz-
ing was that the Daphne had too much top
weight. Steamers are dragging the water
for the bodies of the victims. Several of
the people who were taken from the water
alone were so weak that it was necessary
to remove them to the inirmary. The
steamer is now under water, with the fifty
bodies before mentioned on board of her.
Many of the persons who were precipitated
into the water swan to the shore.
The Daphne turned upside down before
she. sank. An eyewitness saw great num-
Der of men struggling in the water and
shrieking for help. Many were bruised and
covered with blood. Several bodies were
found at the foot of the ways. Divers are
searching for other bodies. According to-
statements of witnesses and survivors of
the:disaster, the vessel left the slip too rap
idly, causing her stern, which entered first,
to sink deeply in the water. She was then
caught by the strong current of the river,
by which, as well as by her top weight, she
was caused to keel over so far that water
entered her ports.
A diver states that the companionway
of the Daphne is blocked up by solid
mass of bodies, one upon another. 1t
appears that the men who were at work
below when the ship went over rushed from
their work and became damned in the pas
sagaway. Some bodies still have tools in
hands. Divers think there are in the vessel
at least as many corpses as have already
been recovered. Forty-one bodies had been
fouad last night when darkness stopped
the search. Divers say they felt many
more bodies. The bodies of thirty eight,
victims of the disaster have been identified.
LONDON, July4.
1t is now estimated that one hundred and
fifty persons were drowned by the sinking
of the Daphne. The diver reports that the
bodies i'm the hold of the Daphne are so
closely packed that he was unable to remove
them. Preparations are being made to-
raise the vessel. Fifty-two bodies have
been recovered