The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-01-24
ONE HUNDRED PERISH.
Loss OF the Steamer City o.
Columbus Off Martha's
Vineyard.
Passengers Summoned from Sleep to
Face Their Death in the
Raging Sea.
or One Hundred and Twenty-Five Per.
sons on Board, All bnt Twenty
four Lose Their Lives.

Tie steamship City of Columbus, bouud
from Boston TO savannah, with nfty-nine
Hrstclass and twenty-five stecragc passcn-
gers and crew OF forty-fsc, struck n rock
and sunk or the coast OF Martha's Vineyard.
Mass. One hundred and four lives were
lost. Only twenty-five persons were saved
The ill-fated vessel struck on the outside OF
rsvils Bridge buoy at 3.3o In the morning.
the wind ~ the time blowing y
gale. The vessel Immediately f!ilel ana
kccled over. the water breaking IN ana tlood-
ing the par-sdc saloon. All the lassen ers.
excepting few women and children, came
on deck, nearly all wearing lifcprcHcr,.rs.
All the boats were cleared away. but were
Immediately swamped. A majority OF tac
passengers were washed overheard ANA
drowned. Seven left the vessel on life
raft and about forty more took to the iigpin-.
At 10 30 a. III. the Gayhcad II chnat put on and
took seven persons. Another lifchoat put OH
between II and o clock. The revenue cut
ter Dexter caluc along about l2:3O y. m, ana
sent or two boats. TMenty-one persons. one
Of whom Is dead, were placed aboard the
Dexter, and, after ail persons had lscn taken
from the vessel, the Dexter proceeded 10 AeW
Bedford. Three persons died after going
aboard the revenue cutter. The total num-
her saved was tweniy-threc. Five deni
bodies were recovered and 10 souls are un-
accounted for.
Capt Wright. the commander OF the lost
steamer, says he passed Cross Rip ightshiu
Ut l. o Clock. and continued hy east AMI VEST,
with strong breeze west by southwest.
| "Attcr passing Nobska, the course being
west southwest" he says, Il stepped into my
| room to warm myself, Us IL was very cold.
| Everything was working well. After being
| below q short time heard the second mate.
who was in the p.lo,-housc with the mate
sing out to the quartermastcr To port hc'ni
IL jumped out OF my ros M, thinking We had
/ come across some vessel bound down ths
| sound. | then cried out hard aport. not
4 knowing but II was vessel, and in the moon.
/ light | saw the buoy on Deyils bridge
| on the port. about two points forward of tho
| beam and about 600 yards distant. The vessel
| Immediately struck. | ordered the engine
/ reversed, ana she backed about twice her
! length. The steamer immediately stopped,
/ and ordered the iih hosted and endeasored
to head her u the north but she nllcd FOR
ward ana listed over TO port. SD that her
1 planks were about four feet under water. !
went aft and told the passengers to keep cool
and get life-pres,rtcrS. next told the OH
| GERS Oh the dcsk to ret the boats ready. The
steamer settled down att ana riIhtca. II
was blowing very hard, and heavy sea was
/ running. We launched On the port side,
/ No. boat, which Immediately cap
| sized The sea was breaking over tie
steamers deck and her stern being entirely
/ under the water, W. were fore ii to 40 unan
/ the top house. lsta.a there awhile, but we were
| finally obliged to take 10 the rigging. The
| mate, second mate the chief engineer, and
| fourth en2 2inccr took 10 raft. think the
steamer struck on selone rock. Tic captain
is positive he struck outside the tuoy. and In
| backing driitcd inside
Officers OF the cutter Dexter furnished tie
following statement. About la:3a O'clock we
sighted avcsSel ashore on reef near Cay
head The wind VAS blowing a gale. ami IL
terrible sea was running. Aswe approached
we saw the vessel wis steamer, and that
the waves were breaking over hsr. We an-
chorcd on her startoard quarter, Two or
three hundred yards away. The cutters
boat was al once lowered AMI manned
with nve men IN charge ot Iieat.
Rhodes, who brought OF seven men, A ~.
turn trip was made ard ono man brought TO
the vessel. Lieut. Kennedy WAS then dis.
patched in the gig. with four men, and took
oil four or Ave men. Meanwhile the ltehoat
transferred several men To the cutter. and ut
length the rigging was cleared of survivors.
The vessel sank in about tour fataoms of
water. and the railing ai her bow was the only
portion of her hull visible. We found II en- in
the fore and main tops and rigging.
twas impossible to row over 10 the rigging.
as the boats would haze ben pounded to
peces, The men iii the rigging were forced
To jump into the sea, and We caught them u
they arose To tn surface and pallc a them
into the boats. Some q; tie men could not
swim, but nearly every one in the rigging was
saved.
Eugene McGarrs jumped from the rigging.
Lieut.. Rhodes jumped Tor him, but the toai
was lifted fifteen feet ON the crest Of n wave.
and II was necessary to go TO the starhoartl
To avoid being crushed. Mctsarry vas not
seen aftcrward. At nearly the same instant
Mciarrs's brother was pulled mo the boat.
Capt. Wright was among the last To leave the
ship. Two men were frozen sn still thar they
were unable To relinau'sh their ha,a ON the
rigging. They we're nj length the onls per.
sons remaining on the steamer except the
Captain. Lieut.. khod asked him To jump,
hut he shouted. "Sa,e those men Lr>t."
"They are frozen WAS the Lieutenant
answer The Captain then jumped, ami.
although he could NOT swim stroke, hc was
rescued by Lieut.. Kennedy.
Lieut.. Rhodes performed heroic at.
which elcits hearty sonlmendatiun. I've
men hung in the rigging. unable II move
from exhaustion. The u heer determined ta
save them at the peril OF his life. Returning
to the cutter, he asked Capt. Gaarelscn 4.
give him man To steer that he might swim
To the wreck and rescue the unfortunate
m.n. The Captain granted the requ, st, and
Lieut.. Rhodes was placed on the boat. Ba,
on nearing the steamer II was found il would
be folly 10 attempt IL 20 alongside. Lieut.
Rhodes refused To abandon the attempt, an,
sang out to the men in the lite-hoat to faAi
him TO the wreck. Lieut.. Rhodes boarded th,
life-hoat. and, tying n rope about him. Maites
until within atout thirty feet of the vessel
when he srrang into the sea.
Rhodes had nearly reached the wreck wher
! he was struck by piece of timber, and sank
He WAS pulled aboard the boat ana taken I.
the cutter. His ley was found to he cut, hu
after changing his elo,hing. as the sea wa
smoother, he determined To make "A a>t III
} tempt. lie again set out Tor the wreck. an,
this time the men We're reached. anc VA
hanging by the feet and arms through th,
ratlins. head down. Lieut.. Rhodes nut
hcw-linc about him, when he murE. arcd
.For Gods sake, don touch me-. The man
who found to hc Mr. Richard .un, VII
, placed In a hoat. hut died before reaching tn
cutter About S4o0 was found in a wallet il
his pocket. The second man. the last persoi
removed from the wreck, was in the tatlin
III the aeather-rgging, and. although breath
, | ing when placed In the boat, also expired h.
fore reaching the cutter.
All the rescued give tie highest fraise /,
1 tho officers OF the revenue cutter for III
/ bravery manifested In saving them from til
wreck. The 1lts of Columbus was one q
The finest vessels ON tie coast. s',e WA
5 valued at S3oo,ou and insured for Sa5aaas
i r=---@-s@5S<z-sz--~zz=
BOLDLY DEFIING THE LAWS.