Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-16
TIle Sire prrss.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
sunk In Wild Ocean Terrible scenes on
Bonrd Among the An, lighted Pas
ssngcrs and crew.

A"ouG tne
ssngcrs aud Crew.
The Telegraph has already given our read
ers N cCount of that dreadful catastrophe
the sinking of The steamer Stale Of Florida,
but the following additional details, takou
mainly from the New York Herald, will be
OF interest The third officer of the steam
ship states that they left New York on the
18Th of April with about one hundred and
siYty-seveu passengers and crew and full
general cargo. All went well until the night
OF the lSrh when at half.past eleven p. NJ.
they colided with the bark Pomona, Of
Chatham, N b., Captain Ilelburn. Both
chips went down almost Instantly, and ont
OF the steamers passengers and crew only
furtv-fOur, iuCluhng the slewardcss man.
aged 10 escape in the boats Out of the
batk'S crew of fifteen only the captain and
two seamen were saved. Next morning the
bark was obs rv,d bottom up.
The survivors after being thrty-tive hours
in the boats ,hou' food or water were
rescued on the % by the Norwegian bark
Theresa, Of Chrstiana, from Chrstlana
bound lor @ Iehec. Twenty-Iour Of them
were subsequently, transferred on board the
ship Louisa, Of aud from Carhiff for Quchcc,
WutTt lUt1 TtlllHlItil uIll lUt Olll VI way.
Tiny presented u piiabIe app arancr. The
suIdenness of the accident permitted ~ Al.
tempts of any klud TO secure much OF their
clothing, and many OF them had tumhlcd
into the boats IN their night clothes. The
vessel which picked them up had supplieh
the deficiency us much as possible, but in
tpite Of their best end'avors the crew sto I'd
shivering with cold on the deck
Most of them had hut very confused idea
l,,t 1o thntt
b rcd u sudden crash being heard about mid
nrghr, a rush for he boats, into which they
tumbed as fast as they cuud, when the shin
went down amid the 8 rrams q d cries Of
the passengers. Exactly how tie accident
took place they can not tell. Tnusr on duty
So" TN red light Of the bark na,h upon
them for moment, followed by an ins,an-
tame uis or sh, after which the steamship
immed Atply began TO sink, and preparations
were ma le to launch the boats
As the passengers, many OF them in their
nigh clothes. rushed upon the deck scene
of indies, rosbe confusion prevailed. Tue
women went mo byslercs, white the male
passengers were to- much astOnished to- fully
comprehend the situation OF to take ANY
steps toward saving themselves. The women
esp, cially refused 10 ave the vessel One
sailor sud thai lady whu could easily have
been saved absolutely refused to move aD
inch.
The sailors who passed all night on The
keel of the boat which had capsiz d said
that their sliun was terrible one. AL
though it was n elm night, the cold zee and
waves wASht d over them It regu ar utter
vtls emil ing hem 10 The bone. They were
out IN the wide sea with nothing between
them and death, excepting IL b. at upside
uuNn. Nevertheless no one lost heart or
became dlspited. Toward morning they
heard one of the boats passing and halted it.
In thus, however, they were unsuccessful,
AMI for u couple If hours IN IRE they drlted,
unll one of tn boats passed within hailug
distance and they werr p ok, d up.
D nj the whole time they were floating
one If their number, ID maids N by nam ,
was undcruearh the boat. When she cap
sized he kept ns hold aid went over with
her, but manag' d to SECURE position ah v,
the nars If the nuat. There he renamed
taking to hius If and IN "a ing until toward
morning ne became unconscious. AS may
OF them had lost friends their anxiety to MS
certain who was the imprisoned man may
be better imagined than de crbrd
When they were rescued in the morning II
required liberal applications of The oars tC
break through the bottom o! the bOrt am
free til, ir mate, Who presented a hnrirl,
APPEARANCE, being half mAulac from bis
long exposure to the waves AMI his want OF
fresh air. In u few DAYS, no viewer, he wa,
all righ, aga,n. During he thirly~>ix hour
they wrr, If mt they had not "a drop of wal
er, aud they "ere giuuing 70 endure all IN,
horrors OF extreme thirst when they wtr
1ucked up by the bark Theresa, OF Christ
liam.
James Allan, third oiicer OF the State O
FlJrda is the highest officer Of the untOriu
maze vessel saved, except James Thompson
who is coming up t Quebec on board tn
Norwegian bark Tn resa, with the Ienaiude
of the rescued. He stated That the nigh
was clear, though III re WAS no moon, an,
tn sea was smooth as glass. He left tn
bridge AT eight O'clock ani retired to HI
bunk, leaving James Thompson, the chic
officer, on duly on deck. Al ten minut
past elcven he was aroused from lgt
elnmb by the sigma to STOP the steamer
engines, which Was quickly followed ty
crash. He rushed immediately on dcci
when he Jaw AIRED light pretty close on tn
slarhoard bow. AT the Same moment III
chrf fiic,r erred cut Collision! and h
saw a bark G. 'wn. FROM the captain an
two seamen # tue bark-wRo were afe
wtri picket up and are with the rrmalnd,
Of The res ucd parly-lhey atlerward lrarne
TINT her name WAS the Pomona, OF Chatham
bound from Lv rpool to Mranlichi
He (AIlhn) Immediately went With a glol
lamp To the side of the steamer Where Il
had teen struck and, looking over, saw
immsnse IA ing hole by which she WAS ia
fill Z. Couvlnrei that the steamer w
doom ed, he ran at once b he Cap ain, wi
said on hearing the fatal news, Get o
bUhs.'
He pr CO, drd at once to cXecutc the nrdt
a9i + ur boats had heru got ont when, rs
graphically d..s rir, d The dcuouement t
steamer Just keel d over to port and We
down sem foremost. He cnlcuiat
trnt they were then in htlitu
40 depr,es north ami longitude
deg. 70 min, west, or abOnt IL
miles n the Irish cost. AS The s'eam,l
went down." sari MIR. Alien, "Ihr S. a va,
ed the peupe oil he d. ok wi hout glvi
them as.CInd of time. The Ciltliu
the Sale of Florida was anne z thasc wash
OIL
"iIow did the Captain comport huns If
qucrled the reporter "WAs ne cr,l p
Far TOO 'ul' was the reply. lie
not believe the disaster was as s,rlOu, a IN
tcrHs really was. | had 10 dpuht Of
for saw the large hole in her side uun kn
she vas ing down
"How is II TINT there was not lar
numher a T. s-uug, - saved p. -.I :. #
"fhty al not take to tn hl1i.
suppose WHEN tL,y saw tie CtpJa,u So C.
tney IN ugut there WIS no great danger, II
then The SEA "as So calm
luqury crnCtrulrH lhe boats elClcu
fact hat Of the eight carried by the We.
four were safely huuchcd. The coils
smashed two
j mes Steel, Of Ayr, the surgeon IT
vessel, who formerly ted II similar post
on the steamer Gencya, saws The ra o.
of the ccidrnl VIII never he revealed, "a
was so sudden ana uncxp, c,ed That 40
had time t. ind ont the particulars. I
pass, nge!s were all III bed, az were NE s
ors WIN were not on duty when the a.
came, and 4 terrible scene ensued. All
mas euprrs were awakened aud rushed Il