The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-08
SUNK In THE CHANNEL.
The Steamer City of Brussels Run
Down by a Glasgow Vessel.
The Accident OCcasioned by a Fog, Resulting
in the Drowning of Ten, Including
Two Passengers.

sons drowned were passengers.
CORK, Jan. 7.-Intelligence has Just been
received here that the Inman Line steamer
City of Brussels, Captain Land, from New
York Dec. %, for Liverpool, was run down
in the channel by a Glasgow steamer, during
a fog, and ten persons drowned.
LIVERPOOL, Jan. THE steamer Kirby
Hail, the steamer which was in collision
with the City of Brussels, has arrived. She
reports that the collision occurred at the
estuary Of the Mersey. The city of Brussels,
foundered almost Immediately. Eight
of her crew and two passengers
we're drowned. A dense fog
has prevailed in the vicinity of Liverpool
for several days. When the City Brussels ar
rived in the vicinity of the northwest light
ship, at about 6 o'clock Saturday morn
decided not to attempt to make Roadway,
but remain under steam near the light
ship. A careful lookout was kept,
the captain and second and fourth
officers being on the bridge, and the pilot
also looking out. Bells were kept ringing
and fog-horns were frequently sounded.
For some time the steamer lay in
in every part of the vessel. These
measures had a reassuring effect on the
passengers. Suddenly the low g~urgling
sound of a vessel approaching
was heard, and a large steamer
only a few yards distant, and moving quickly
through the water doomed up out of the fog,
anA hafOra INV y, a /. & - q OAp1l ha fnLap IN
avert it, a tremendous collision was
seen to be inevitable, and in a moment
the KIRBY Hall struck tine starboard bow of
the City of Brussels with terrific force,
cutting her down to the waters edge and
almost half through. The Kirby Hall was
only a few hours before, and was calling at
Liverpool to complete loading and to embark
passengers for the East. The moment the
collision was seen inevitable everything pos
sible was done on board the City OF Brussels
to prevent the loss of lives of the passengers
and crew. Those on board bear testimony
to the presence of mind and GOODNESS of
the captain and officers. Even after
the collision the passengers seemed to be I'M
conscious of the gravity of the situation, ow-
ing to the terrible gap which had been made
in the forward part of the vessel. She was
known to be leaking very rapidly. All pas
sengers were marshaled into their APP
DOiDteu pldCeS, SO UlaL LD6Ie was
no hurry or confusion. Life buoys were
served out, boats were swung, and every
preparation made for the emergency. This
proved to be more critical and immediate
than was anticipated. the passengers had
been put into boats, and some of the crew told
off to man each craft, the captain and the re-
mainder of the men remaining on board
until after the safety of the others
had been assured. The vessel got yisibly
lower in the water, and those of her crew who
had not escaped in boats climbed into the
rigging and awaited results. In about twenty
minutes after the collision the vessel gave
a tremendous lurch, hinging off those in
the rigging, and plunging into the depths
with a fearful swirl. The scene was heart
rending in the extreme. The people in the
boats were enveloped in darkness and those
in the water were without help. The
Kirby Hall, which Immediately
after the collision had ~rebounded
through the violence of the impact, and was
soon obscured in the fog, was unable to
ance. The boats of the City of Brussels
picked up all that could be recovered.
The fog lifting, the people were all taken
on board the Kirby Hall, and when they
were mustered on board her it was found
that two passengers of the City of Brussels
were drowned. They were Storage passen-
gers, and Italians. Eight of the crew
also were lost, including Second Officer
Young and Carpenter Woods. All the others
are believed to be saved. The Kirby Hall,
after searching for several hours, proceeded
to Liverpool, where she arrived at 10
last night and debarked the survivors
at the landing stage. One of the crew of the
City of Brussels states that some of
the City of Brussels boats returned to that
steamer before she sank, and pulled close to
her so as to give those on board
an opportunity of saving them
selves. Men dared not go actually
alongside the sinking vessel for fear their
boats would be sucked down with
her. Thus a number of those
rescued, among them the captain,
who was floating on a spar. While boats
were still being rowed about the yes
sci she suddenly plunged down, bow
first, in about fourteen fathoms of water,
leaving only her topmasts visible. The boats
were rowed for a time about the spot where
the City of Brussels had gone down, to make
sure there were no other sailors or
passengers in need of help, and after a time
the boats pulled to the Kirby Hall, which
stood by until the fog lifted. until about
5 in the afternoon. Young and Woods were
taken on board the Kirby Hall apparently
l~ifeless. All efforts to restore ANNA,
second boat reached the Kirby Hall
from the sinking steamer the purser shouted
out as they pulled up alongside to
send some boats at once. The
captain of the Kirby Hall replied
that this was impossible; that he had only
four or five seamen on board, and all he
could do was to stand by. The bow of the
Kirby Hall was stove.
PARTIAL LIST OF PASSENGERS.
NEW York. Jan. John g.. Dale, the
New York agent of the Inman line of
steamers at a late hour tonight had
heard nothing of the disaster to
the steamer City of Brussels. He
the vessel was at Queenstown
at s Saturday morning, and should have
reached Liverpool this morning; so the ca
lamity must have occurred between the ports
named.
The office of the Inman Line Steamship