The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-21

seventeen feet of water her forefoot was in
eleven feet.
Fairbanks is of the opinion that many passen-
gers did not leave the cabin until their bodies
were washed out by the waves which soon tore
off the after part of the deck and carried out
bodies, furniture and baggage before the eyes OF
the Mortified survivors. Oscar Jaslag1 was IL
the rigging with him, and he persisted before aid
came to hand. Not woman or child was seen
by him alive after the vessel went ashore. He
thinks Morton. of the Boston Globe, did not sue
coed in gaining the deck.
IL. W1edman, of Lawrence, who was In MS berth
in cabin state room, awakened by the first
shock, and aroused his companion, Frederick NJ:
Sargent, of Merrimac who was lost The vessel
then toppled over. He reached the main rigging
with great difficulty. He tells of the sweep
ing away. one by one of those in the rigging.
as the cold caused them to lose their hold, or the
waves tore the rigging from their grasp. When
ne was leaving the cabin he one gentleman
keeping a lady and two boys in their stateroom
None of this party was seen afterward, the
cabin and all in it being whelmed in the sea-
One third of the passengers were women and
children, none of whom, so far as known. were
saved A young man named Sargent of Merri-
mac, was knocked off the rigging by falling spar
and lost. The steamship had moderate cargo
of miscellaneous freight. The wreck lies 100
yards inside the Devils Bridge buoy.
John Madden, a sailor, said: ''When l came
on deck | heard either the captain or mate,
don't know which. say: We shall lose the poor
ship but don't be alarmed, we'll be saved Then
cut adrift, but five Of them were broken up at
once. The other one got off with four men on
board, who. think, were sailors | made for
the main rigging with the engineer and first as
sistant and got on top of the after house, on top
of which a raft. The weight broke the
roof of the house Then we showed the
raft into the water, and Phillips, first
sistant and myself got on board, but l
was afraid we would get washed off so
left it and went back TO the mast. The after
house did not stand fifteen minutes. Billy Muir
ray, Mike Day, one of the passengers, the chief
engineer and the mate stayed on the raft.
Phillips told them it was broken and they should
get off. but they stayed ON it. l did not see
them afterward We chung to the rigging eight
or nine hours, l guess Every once in a while
man would get numbed and drop off dead.
When the cutter came up | jumped into the
water, but got foul of a piece of wreck, which
held me under water until thought | was done
for. l managed to get loose and swan for the
boat. | was Just sinking when some one seized
my hands and pulled me on board. Two of my
ribs are broken.
Thomas OLeary fireman, stated he saw two
boats filed with people dropped into the water,
but he knew none of them had plugs in the bot
toms. and no one seemed to know where they
were. He got into the rigging, and after suffer
a ing fearfully for eleven hours the rescuing party
in the boat took him off. Only those who could
swim had much chance of being saved Two
boys are among the survivors, George W. and
Herbert w. Farnsworth, twelve and seventeen
years of age, of Townsend, Mass.
WHAT OTHER SURVIVORS SAY.
Other survivors in their statements say it was
veryid when the steamer struck, and the yes
sci remained upright, drifting backward, while
the passengers were crowded on deck. After
drifting several lengths astern the vessel lurched,
and the sea swept everything. The Falnsworth
boys climbed into the rigging, and We're saved
through the energy Of John White a seaman.
The survivors saw one boat containing seven
women upset The demolished the
boat 1t was fearful the way the women were
swept away Some rushed on deck with their
husbands and as the full force of the storm
broke upon them, realizing that all was lost,
they threw their arms around their husbands
necks and babe them goodby. A few moments
later they were swept overheard. A mother,
holding her child tightly in her arms, was borne
away by the waves almost before reaching the
deck. Not one woman reached the rigging. The
majority were washed overheard by the waves
A number were probably smothered in their
berths.
After the vessel struck the quartermaster
came and said the steamer making water
He then got all the boats ready. The shiplisted,
anG all who could got the starboard side.
Soiae were washed from the port side into the
sea. In five minutes the ship righted and sunk
From the time she struck until she listed
fifteen minutes.
On the arrival of the Boston special New Bed
forl train 800 people were at the depot, and inn
meliatey surrounded the fifteen survivors of
the wreck. All bore marks of the struggle for
life. Hardly one had complete suit of cloth
ing. The most cheerful of all in appearance
were the FaFuSworth bows, who appeared not to
have suffered severely from their exposure, and
who were neatly clad in clothing furnished by
citizens of New Bedford. The survivors were
placed in carriages and driven to the Office of the
steamship company Here men and women
hastily scanned each face. but their friends were
not among the rescued Anxious relatives and
friends soon came in. A few met husbands,
fathers, and neighbors.
Devils Bridge is formed like a shepherds
crook. 1t begins near the shore, just north of
the light, and runs westerly about half a mile
and then extends in a northerly direction few
hundred yards further. The buoy marking the
outside reef is distant about quarter of mile
from the west end of the reef, and not over
three quarters of a mile from shore
1t is not usual for steamers bound from Bos-
ton for ports as far south as Savannah to take
the course pursued by the Columbus. They gen
orally sail south of Nantucket giving the dan
gerous shoals extending fifty miles south of that
island wide berth. 1t seems probable that
Captain Wright in laying his course for the
ocean, departed from the usual course too soon
steering relatively northwest COURSE which
brought him inside the buoy marking the outside
of Devils Bridge, and consequently full upon
the reef
Edward Sprague Rand, who with his wife, is
among the lost, one of the Oldest and best
known conveyancers of Suffolk county. Rand
was nearly seventy-five years of age. He was a
graduate of Harvard. Oscar Jasiagi, consul-g gen
eral for Turkey the last seven years, and also
treasurer of the Vassalboro wooden mills was
thirty eight years of age. Mr.. and Mrs. Wright
of Lynn, are among the lost. Wright was a
brother Of Col Carroll D. Wright, chief of the
Bureau of Statistics and Labor, and one of the
best known men of Lynn. DR.. Horace C. Bart
lett. of Lyndon, Vt, and wife, going to
Florida on account of Mrs Bartetts health Dr.
Bartlett and about fifty years of age. Mrs
Dwight B. Rich of Boston, whose name does not
appear on the passenger list, because she was
making a voyage as a guest of the captain was
among the lost. She was about sixty years of
age. and leaves five children.
Cantain WRIGHT WAS shown the statement Of