The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-13
THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
Arrival of the Balance of the Survivors
at Quebec -OtheF Stories of the Disas-


ter.
QUEBEC, May 1.-THE balance of the survivors
of the State of Florida disaster landed here last
night from the barque Theresa. The list has been
already published. All those whose names appear
ed are well and hearty. Mr. Ceary. the New York
agent of the State line, is understood to have
boarded the barque its arrival and taken charge
in a comfortable hotel. He did the same for the
four steeIage passengers, whose names appeared in
peared much worn and detected The party were
called upoD bet refused to speak of the accident at
ALL The names of those saved from the barque Po-
nema which was in collision are Capt. Hepburn of
Liverpool, Angela Rosa and Thomas Nicholson.
The captain GA the Ponema says that there
were 10 men on board besides himself, making IL
lost He is unable to give any details of the acct
dent, having been in bed at the time, and was APP
parently too dazed when the catastrophe occurred
to notice what was transpirng. He did not see the
steamer at all.
Young Nicholson is the only survivor of the
fonema who saw the collision. He insists that the
steamer was to blame as the Ponema was showing
both port and starboard lights
Mis- Mcfarland, stewardess of the Inflated
steamer is unable to describe what occurred at the
time of the collision and expresses herself unable to
appreciate what she has gone through. She is the
only female survivor.
First Officer Thompson persists in refusing to
speak. He is warmly defended by the second engi-
neer but everyone else seems against him Hislop
persists that Thompson is one of the best officers
the State line ever had All who have been landed
slst that the City of Rome when signalled and
shouted to when passing by them was not more
than 400 yard distant and that the weather was
practically fine. Much surprise exists among
agents and crews of other steamship lines in port
at the small number of passengers saved. The
boats seem to have been nearly all filled with the
crew.
1t is said that Allen, third officer OF the State of
Florida, has been placed in the Water police sta
ton by order of the New York agent and that he
VIII be detained on charge of drunkenness. Since
the ofhcers and crew have come ashore and been
Tor some time under control of the agent, report
mas been circulated that the fault of the collision
unquestionably lay with the bark and that had she
not changed her course on approaching the steamer
the catastrophe would not have occurred.
MONTREAL, May 1.-THE State of Floridas
second boatswain, Thomas Barr, who arrived at
Quebec yesterday, said he was below when he heard
the command of Chief Officer Thomson to reverse
the engines. He then rushed on deck when he
saw bark bearing down upon the steamer showing
red light. 1t was plain at once that if the two
he'd on the course collision inevitable but the
next moment the pilot of the steamer swung her to
starboard, leaving sufficient for the bark to
pass bad she kept straight ahead her course.
helm and this brought the vessels back to the orig
lnal positions. He denies that the steamer at
tempted to cross the bow of the bark and saws
everything was done by Captain Sadlier to avoid
colison The captain, he says stood at his post to
the last and did all in bis power to save the vessel
and passengers. First Officer Thomson was the last
man to leave the steamer and Third Officer Allan
he says stampeded and made no attempt to save
any one and only looked out for himself.