Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-01-09
THE STEAMER DISASTER.
Details of the Loss Of City of Brussels
Neither Passengers Nor Grew Able
to Save Anything.
The Captain of the Kirby Hall Doing AL
in His Power Passengers Draw
up Memorial.
LONDON. Jan 8.

LONDOS JAN
Further details of the disaster to the steam
ship City of Brussels. says:
Captain Loud was one of the first picked
up BY the boats, although he. with the chief
engineer. had been the last TO leave the rig
ging. When rescued, he was in the act of
passing a life buoy to a drowning comrade.
According to the statement of the purser, the
fog necessitated the stoppage of the steamer
about half an hour before the collision.
As showing the terrible nature of the col
lisiOn, he says: "The main compartment of
the CITY of Brussels was cut right in two.
After the collision. the fog thickened, and it
was dangerous. even for boats to move about
They, however, approached the sinking ves-
sci and found a boy named Hamilton half
drowned, clinging to the mizzen cross tree. "
One of the seamen of the steamer in de-
scribing the final scene, when the passen-
gers embarked and the remnant of the crew
took to the rigging. said TO a newspaper cor
respondent: ut was the coolest thing you
ever saw in Il e world"
The two Italians that were drowned seem
to have lost their wits from terror, and
jumped overheard without waiting to see
what could be done for their safety. The
persons lost included Mr.. Connor, a quarter
master. and Mr.. Cochrane, a steward of the
steamer.
Neither the passengers nor crew were able
to save anything, and many persons were
obliged to leave with the barest articles of
clothing. The captain of the Kirby Hall
was interchangeable in his endeavors to relieve
the passengers. but owing to the low tide, his
vessel was obliged to lie outside the bar
until shortly after seven o'clock last even
ing, when all landed at Woodside, and SUBJ
sequently were brought to Liverpool.
Many Of the passengers are stopping at
the railway hotel. There is no doubt that if
the fog had cleared little sooner. all would
have been saved.
The theory concerning the drowning of the
seamen, is that when the vessel lurched, they
were struck by the rigging. One man was
found by the boats, dead in the rigging. The
passengers of the City of Brussels have
drawn up the following memorial
''We, who have just been rescued from a
watery grave, wish to express our gratitude
and admiration of the courage, promptitude
and GOODNESS in danger. exemplifed by the
captain, purser and other officers of the ill =
fated vessel which has just gone down, so
near the termination of her voyage"
Before the steamer Kirby Hall arrived at
Liverpool, pilot boat boarded her with pro-
visions, which were very welcome. as the
passengers had not tasted food for many
hours. Many of them are suffering from the
shock.
Besides the breach in the hull, the bulk
head 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 engine
On first hearing the whistle of the City of
Brussels.
Up to II o'clock no further dispatches
were received at the office of the Inman
Steamship Co., New York city, regarding
the City of Brussels. The only additional
news received was the fact that the bow of
the steamer Kirby Hall struck the City of
Brussels amidships and not on the starboard
bow. The correct list of cabin passengers
is as follows j. M. Buckley, B. H. Buxton,
H. Cordell, Mrs. Cordell, NJ. R. Dufour,
G. II. Edbrook, f. Aubrey Hunt, J. E..
Jones, F. Nj. Kelley, J. MCGEE, Capt. G. W.
Masters, John J. Plummer, George Stain
ner, d. Siegel, Capt. J. Curvey, Francis
Young and Mrs. Young. The steerage pas
sengers were o. Dobing. r. NJ. A.. Bridget
Featherstone. Thos. Daley, G. and A. Gia-
commilla, M. Judge, Richard Goldworthy,
David and John Jones, VIM. Wright, Nor
ris Calloghan. w. w. Drinkwater, VIM.
Sheehan and two sisters. Thos. Sylvester,
Eugene Olamer, Patrick Ahene, A. Delgras-
so. Chas. McKeon, James Trevar, James
Cowling, John James, VIM. Eaton, Patrick
Ryan, Patrick Hanlev, Louis Gordon, VIM
Duffield, John Mitchell, Mary Riordan,
Sarah M. Keen and two children, G. Bal
RAM, Thos. Flynn, John Treloan, J. Ward.
James Chance, John Owens, O'Brien Owens.
VIM. Walsh, c. Mckinney, T. Truen and
Geachin Curtis. The steamer had q mis-
cellaneous cargo valued at 100000.