Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-01-23
The City of Columbus.
One HUNDRED AND I HREE LOST.

One HUNDRED AND L HREE LOST.
The early report Of the magnitude
of the loss of life by the wrecking OF
the steamship City of Columbus on
the rocks off Gay Head, Mass, at an
early hour Friday morning, are all
verified by the latest particulars. Of
the 80 passengers Ouly 0 survive, and
of As officers and crew only Is. Not
a single woman or child of several on
board is saved. The survivors tell
of helpless women swept by the sea
from the deck and dashed back again
only to sink beneath the awful waves;
of the terror of the little children, and
the dreadful sc.ues Of a few Acquiring
moments.
The trains arriving at New Bed
ford, Mass, carried crowds Of auxiou 5
people to the point at which the re-
covered bodies were to be delivered.
About five O'clock in the afternoon
the steamtug Nellie arrived from the
wreck. In an incredibly short time
thousands blocked the wharf to view
diseu barkation Of the bodies which
the Nellie brought, and which were
slid up the planks from tn e deck of
the vessel TO the wharf. All Of the
bodies were frozen stiff and the arms
Of all we're stitched in positions indi..
eating that the victims had fcozen to
doaih while cliuging to the wreckage
The Nellie brought five bodies of
victims.
1t was showing very hard and blow
ing fercely from the northeast when
the Nellie started for the wreck. The
sea outside was running very high,
while the gale increased in violenc e
as the morning advanced. The Nellie
stood off to the northeastward of the
wr( cked steamer aud picked up the
body Of well>dressed young woman
about two aud a half miles to the east
ward of the Devils Bridge. She
was apparently % years old. She bad
long dark brown wavy hair and dark
eyes. From her pocket was taken a
package of iewelry, done up in a hand
kercbief, consisting of a god brooch,
earrings, necklace aud a locket, as
well as little steel purse containing
a small sum of money. There were
no papers found on the body. The
Nellie then ran close in toward the
wreck, which showed about ID feet Of
the bow and the topgallant foreclstle
above the water. The masis were all
standing except the foretOpmast. The
sea was running too high to permit
of close Inspection of the wreck, and
the Nellie again steamed away on an
urse.
About a mile from the wreck the
body of blonde man with full San
dy beard was picked up. The Nellie
next picked up what is supposed to
be the body of Mr.. Morton, formerly
Of the Boston Globe. The features
are swollen from the cold salt water,
aud even bis most intimate friends
cannot say that the body is that Of
Merton. Another body picked up by |
he Nellie was that Of woman, pro-
oably 40 years Of age. Her form was
smaciated and covered only by her
She was badly bruised,
by contact with floating de-
1ris from the wreck. The fifth Of the
,odies taken on board by the tug was
hat of a man apparently 20 years
Did. He was dressed like a seanen,
md was probably one of the crew.
The Nellie also picked up a coat be-
onging TO T. X. Hale, Of Boston
llso, two silk dress's and other cloths
ng. Nearly all of tie bodies were
'ound in a line duo east from the
DEVILS Back Ledge, wnere two cur
.enls formed an eddy aud kept the
bodies floating around within a radius
# mile aud half.
Nearly all Of the bodies had on life
'reservers, and were a,ating on their
packs. The elder woman, however,
Who did not have on life-preserver,
vas found floating face downward.
Ter appearance indicated that che had
'een carried away in her birth when