Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-09-20
THE WRECK OF THE BRITTANga.
The Captains STORY of the vessels
Breaking Up and the Struggle for

The GhpIA1n's Story Oh the tsssehs
Breaking Up and the Struggle for
Life.
HALIFAX N s Sept. IS Capt. Alfred
Gasston of the barqus Brittanis, before
reported wrecked, makes the following
report: We sailed from Morant bay,
jamaica, for Montreal, on August 10th,
experiencing favorable weather until the
18th ult., when storm set In lasting
until the 2lst, but the vessel sustained
no damage, other than the loss of sails,
and proceeded on her voyags until the
2Sth, when severe gale set in, during
which portions of the bulwark and two
sails were carried away, but no other
Injury was caused. During the evening
able-seaman Lewis Smith foil fromthe main
yard to the deck, breaking an arm, which
prevented him from further labor on the
voy age. After the subsidence OF the gale
the britannia proceeded without further
mishap until the dreaded vicinity OF
Sable Island was reached, on the after
noon of Sunday, the 22d nit. had good
nieh.s and thought the vessel wonld pass
between 80 or 40 miles eastward Vi amy
danger.
About l o'clock OH Monday morning
the attention OF Chief Officer Foye VISA
directed to a white line on the starboard,
but Foye, who was in charge at the time,
| thought it was all iceberg The next
moment the vessel struck on sand bar
| aid refused to move, when the helm was
| ordered hard aport In the morning a
| sail boat put ont from land about 10
miles distant, bat owing to the bsrque
being stranded on the other side of The
bar Wa could not be reached aud the
boat had to return in the afternoon with
hui rendering any assistance In the
afternoon westvs ard bound barqus ap-
preached close to US but took no notice of
our signal of distress.
The succeeding night and day were
spent in great danger, the sea becoming
turbulent AID frequently washing over
the ship. Lewis Smith, the man who had
broken arm, WAS carried off the raised
platform on deck and was not seen after
wards. The water pouring in below had
forced up the plnpking OF the deck and
continuing to rise, compelled my wife and
four children and the crew to tax,
refuge on the top Of the after hous2,
On Tuesday afternoon, tie vessel be
ginning to break up, all hards COX TO
, small RAFT that had formed itself q, float
ing wreekage. Hardly had the peopl
got on this when 3 heavy SEA washed Of
every soul and III eaptain aud eight HE,
were the only ones that reg aimed it. Tw
of the little children were pi, ked out Q
the water alongside Immediately after b1
| both expired in few minutes from tx
posure and fright.
During the night and following merr
: ing five others were lost in simils
manner aud when day broke there wer
= but tour left. Thes found themselve
to be- about three miles from land. Abou
10 O'Clock boat Put out and took thei
ashore. the following are the namss
= the lost; First Officer George Foye,
', Liverpool, about SO years old, a widoser
~ second officer, Arthur Holmes Of Bristo
aged %, unmarried; the steward
of Liverpool about 60 years old, mar
y unknown; John johnson of Finland, age
40, unmarri-d; Lewis Smith, aged 40,
- Norway, unmarried; Frederick lIende
r son, aged II, of Glasgow; Arthur Par
Is house, aged is, of Liverpool; Brne
d Motion, aged 10, of Brighton; Mrs. Emil
! CASTOR, aged 80, of Shoreham, Bnglan,
l. and four ohildren-Ethelmer, aged
Beatrice, aged 8; Stanley, aged 3, and
y. babe of q months