The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-09
OCEAN STEAMSHIP SUNK.
The Steamer City Of Brussels Run Down I'm
the English Channei-Ten Persons Drown

steamer City OF Brussels, Captain Land,
from New York, December 18th, for Liy-
erpool, was run down in the channel by a
Glasgow steamer, during fog, and that
ten persons were drowned.
LONDON, January S.-A dispatch from
Liverpool to the Daily Telegraph says the
steamer City OF Brussels was sunk off Liv-
erpool. Tive OF the ten persons drowned
were passengers.
PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER.
LONDON. January S.-The TimeS'S Liv-
erpool dispatch says: The Kirby Hall.
the steamer which collided with the tity
OF Brussels, has arrived at Liverpool. She
reports that the collision occurred at the
estuary OF the Mersev. The City Of Brus-
sells foundered almost Immediately. A
dense fog prevailed in the vicinity Of Liv-
verpool for several days. and when the
City Of Brussels arrived in the vicinity OF
the northwest lightship about 6 o'clock
Saturday morning the fog was so
dense that the captain decided not to
attempt to make Roadway, but remain
under steam in rear OF the lightship. A
careful lookout was kept, the captain and
second and fourth officers being on the
bridge, and the pilot also looking out. The
|
qucntly sounded. For some time the
steamer lay in safety. Extra lookout-men
were posted in every rart OF the vessel.
These extra precautions had reassuring
effect on the passengers. Suddenly low,
! gurgling sound OF vessel approaching,
and a large steamer only Il few yards
distant, and moving quickly through the
water, doomed out in the fog.
Almost instantly, and before any steps
could be taken to avert it,
A TREMENDOUS COLLISION
was seen TO be inevitable. The bow of the
| Kirby Hail struck the starboard bow of the
| City of Brussels with n terrific force, cut
ting her down 10 the waters edge, almost
| half through. The Kirby Hall was on her
maiden voyage. She left Glasgow only q
few hours before, and was calling ut Liver
pool to complete loading and to embark
passengers for the East.
The moment the collision was seen to be
inevitable everything possible was done on
| board OF the City OF Brussels to protect
the lives OF the passengers and crew.
| Those OH board bear testimony TO the pre-
sence OF mind and GOODNESS OF the captain
and officers. Even after the collision the
passengers seemed unconscious o. the gray
| ity Of the situation, or Of the terrible gap
which had been made in the forward part
OF the vessel She was known, however, to
be leaking very rapidly. All the pas
sengers were marshaled into their APP
pointed places, so that there was no
| hurry aud no confusion. Life-buoys
were served out, boats swung, and every
Preparation made for an emergency.
This proved more critical and immediate
than was anticipated. TIL" passengers
were put into the boats and some Of
the crew had been told of to man each
of these crafts, the captain and the re-
mainder of the men continuing on board
until after the safety Of the rest was assured.
The vessel got yisibly lower in the water.
and those of the crew who had not escaped
in the boats climbed into the rigging and
awaited the results. In about twenty
minutes after impact the vessel gave tre-
mendous lurch, fiinging of those in the
rigging and plunging into the depths with
q fearful swirl.
THE SCENE WAS HEARTRESDING
in the extreme. People in boats were en-
yel0ped in darkness, and those in the water
were without help. The Kirby Hall im-
mediately after the collision had rebOunded
I through the violence OF the impact, and
was soon obscured in the fog, and was I'M
able to lower her boats or render active
assistance.
The boats OF the City OF Brussels picked
M all who could be recovered. The fog
/ lifting. all the people were taken on board
the Kirby Hall, and when they were mus
tered on board OF her it was found that two
OF the passengers OF the City OF Brussels
were drowned. They were Storage pas
sengers, and Italians. Also, eight OF the
crew were lost, including Second-Oficer
Young and Carpenter Woods. All the
others are believed to have escaped. The
Kirby Hal, after searching for several
hours. proceeded to Liverpool, where she
arrived ut 10 O'Clock last night and landed
the survivors at the landing stage.
FURTHER DETAILS.
LONDON. January S.-Further details OF
the disaster 10 the steamer City OF Brussels
say that Captain Land was one OF the first
picked up w the boats, although he, with
the CHIEF engineer, bad been the last 10
leave the rigging. When rescued he was
in the act II passing life-buoy to drown
ing comrade. According 10 the statement
OF the purser the fog necessitated the stop
page of tie steamer about half an hour be-
fore the collision took place. As showing
the terrible nature Of the collision, he says
The main compartment OF the City 0f
Brussels was cut right IN two. After the
collision the fog thickened. and il was dam
gerous even for boats TO move about.
They. however, approached the sinking YES
sci and found hoy named Hamilton half
drowned and clinging TO the mizZen cross
trees. The two italians who were drowned
seemed TO have lost their wits from terror,
and jumped overheard without waiting TO
see what could he done for their safety.
The persons lost include Conner, the quar-
terIpaSter, and Cochrane, the steward OF
The steamer. Neither passengers nor crew
were able to save anything, and many per-
sons were Obliged to leave the ship with
the barest articles OF clothing. The cap
tain OF the Kirby Hall was indefatigable in
his endeavorS TO relieve the passengers, but
owing to the low tide his vessel was
1 Obliged to lie outside the bar until shortly
after ! O'Clock last evening, when all were
landed at Woodside, and subsequently
brought to Liverpool. Before the steamer
Kirby Hall arrived at Liverpool pilot
boat boarded her with provisions, which
were very welcome, rs the passengers had
not tasted food for a number OF hours.
Many Of them are suffering greatly from
the shock. Besides the breach in the hull
the bukhead OF the City Of Brussels was
shifted by the violence OF the collision,
thus accounting for her speedy sinking,
The captain OF the Kirby Hall states that
he backed his engines on first hearing the
whistles OF the City Of Brussels. The to-
tai value Of the cargo Of the City OF Brus-
sells was S350,000.
The Messrs. Inman state that the engine
of the City OF Brussels at the time OF the
disaster had been stationary fOrty-OnC