The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-09
THE LOST FLORIDA.
DETAILS OF THE CATASTROPHE.

Instantly Engulphed-The Bewildered Pas
senpers-statemcn or survivors Terrible
Suspense and Suffering.
We condensc the following details Of the
sinking OF the Florida from Quebec spe.
cials:
The steamship left New York on April
18th. aud bad a prosperous voyage until
the night OF April 18th. About IL O'Clock
a bark was seen bearing down on the
steamship, showing a red light, and though
MIR. Allan Immediately gave the order to
stop and reverse the engines, IL was too
late to avert the disaster, and moment
later the bark struck the ship with terrific
force, staying i'm the side. Mr.. Allan
rushed to The side OF the vessel and saw
the bark go down like lash, while the
State OF Florida began also to settle down.
A glance showed that the steamship
would sink almost Immediately, SO the
captain ordered the boats to be prepared,
and, taking globe-lamp, aroused the pas
! sengers. A moment afterward a wave
washed over the deck and took the captain
overheard. The boats were cleared away:
four were filed almost Immediately with
the passengers and crew; two were broken
unaccounted for. The passengers who
were awakened came on deck in so Devil.
dered a condition that they could not be
made to realize their dangerous position
until the ship gave q tremendous lurcb,
carrying down with her 121 souls. Third
Officer Allan refused to give any opinion
about the disaster.
Mr.. Bennett, Of London, Ontario, the
only surviving saloon passenger, says that
the panic which took place after the an
nOuncement was made that the ship was
sinking was simply Undesirable. The
women were especially intractable and alb
solutely refused to enter the boats on any
consideration whatever. As the ship was
rapidly sinking, those who were able clam
bered into the boats, and they had lust
time to push away when the ship went
down. One OF the boats, No. 2, which was
overloaded, capsized almost Immediately,
throwing twenty Of its occupants IN the
water. Five managed to swim and grasp
the keel Of the boat and ore got under the
boat, above the cross-bars. while the re-
mander soon became chilled and sank.
They loated in this manner all night and
were picked up by one OF the other boats
in the morning in most exhausted condi-
ton. the man under the boat being uncon-
scious.
In the morning the four boats OF the
steamship were Joined by small boat con-
tanning Captain Hepburn and two seamen
OF the unfortunate bark Ponema, which
was bound for Miramichi from Liverpool.
and they stated that they were the only
ones saved out OF crew OF fifteen. The
sea was fortunately calm, but the unfor-
tunate men were out on n wide ocean in
nothing but open boats, with nothing to |
shield them from the GOODNESS OF tue wea- |
Their, and with neither food nor water on
board. AS hour after hour passed the sur
viyors began to suffer all the terrors OF |
extreme thirst and hunger. This state OF |
affairs continued for thirty-siX hours, I'M |
til Sunday at noon, when they were sight |
ed and picked up by the Norwegian bark |
Theresa. OF Christianla, bound for Quebec. |
The sailors, all Of whom are in urgent |
need OF sufficient clothing to protect them
from the cold of this northern climate, as
slred the TimeS'S correspondent that the
disaster was simply appalling, and none Of |
them was able to give any explanation Of |
the causes OF the collision. As it was |
clear night and the water perfectly calm,
and the bark was carrying ared light, they |
are at loss to account for the fact that the |
sailing vessel ran right on to them before |
its red light was observed. Many of those |
who were saved have a most indiStinct |
recollection OF the entire affair, but the |
terrible scenes which took place on the |
deck OF the vessel when it was sinking |
impressed themselves indelibly on the |
minds OF all who saw them.
One sailor said 10 the 1imeS'S cor1espon- !
dent: 81 never saw anything TO equal it,
and rs long as i live / will never be able 20 |
forget those terrible and pitiful cries for
help"
DIR. Stee,, the surgeon OF the vessel, SUBJ |
stimulates these statements, and says that |
the scene beggared description. As usual |
at wrecks, acts OF the greatest heroism were |
performed, and the chief engineer OF the |
lost ship went down after saving the stew
ardess Of the vessel, Jane MacFarIane. He |
was in the boat, which was preparing to
push off, when he saw this girl on the
deck, and he Immediately clambered up |
again to aid her to escape. She. however.
refused to leave the vessel, whereupon, he
caught and iorcibly threw her III the
boat. Before, however, he could follow
her the ship went down, carrying HIM
along.
The Theresa, which rescued the sur
vivorS, met the Louisa, OF Cardiff,
bound for Quebec, soon after, and
placed twenty-four OF the survivors on
board OF her. On May Sd the Louisa met
the Titania and transferred her passengers
to her. The Theresa has the remainder on
board. including the sailors who escaped
from the bark. but it will not arrive for a
day or so, and until that time it will BE- i'm
possible to give the names OF the sailors
who went down with the Ponema. This
bark, although registered at Chatham,
New Brunswick, belongs in. Liverpool,
and the crew belonged to that port. The
sailors on the Titana went right through
to Montreal tonight, and will reach there
tomorrow. The Department OF Marine
and Fisheries have made arrangements for
their hospitable reception, and they will be
to Glasgow as soon rs possible.