The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-05-15
CUT DOWN AT NIGHT.
The Steamship State Of Florida
In Collision with the Bark
Ponema.
Both Vessels Sink Almost Immediately,
Carrying l37 Persons to the
Bottom.
The Survivors Float About In Small
Boats Until Rescued by
Other Ships.


Other Ships.
All doubts as to the fate of the steamship
State of Florida are ended, says Quebec
dispatch. The vessel was sunk April Is in
a collision in mid-ocean with the bark
Ponema of Chatham, N. B. Out of 167 per-
sons on board the State of Florida, only
forty-four were saved, while of the bark's
crew of fifteen only the captain and two
men were rescued. One hundred and TWEEN
ty-thrce souls went down with the steamer
and twelve with the bark, making total loss
of 1876. Those saved were picked up by the
bark Theresa Of Norway. Later twenty -four
of them were put on the bark Louisa and
brought MS far as the mouth of the Gulf OF
ST. Lawrence, where the Titania, bound
from Glasgow to Montreal, was met. The
Titania took off twenty -four of the passen-
gers and crew rescued from the State OF
Florida, leaving twenty on the bark, which
is now on its way to this port.
The following is the official report of the
third officer Of the State of Florida: Left
New York April H. with about 167 passen-
gers and crew, and full general cargo.
All went well until the night of the 18th.
At IL 80 o'clock we came in collision with
the bark ponema, of Chatham, N. B.,
Capt. Hetburn. Both ships went down al
most instantly, and out of the steamers
passengers and crew only forty four, includ-
ing the stewardess, managed to escape in
teen only the captain and two seamen were
saved. The next morning the bark was OBJ
served bottom mp. The survivors, after be-
ing thirty-five hours in the boats without
food or water, were rescued by the Nor
wegian bark Theresa, of Christiania, bound
from that port for Quebec. On the 23d,
twenty four of them were transferred on
board the ship Louisa, of and from Cardiff
for Quebec, where they remained until May
5, when they were taken on board the Ii
tania for Quebec. 1t is believed that 135
lives were lost"
The third officer DANES Allen) says that
the night on which the disaster occurred
was clear, though moonless, and the sea as
smooth as glass. He retired to his bunk OF
o'clock, leaving the chief officer (Thomp-
sony in charge of the deck. About 1l:l0 he
heard signal suddenly given to stop the
steamers engines, followed by fearful
crash. He rushed immediately on deck, and
the first thing he noticed was red light
pretty close to their starboard bow. At the
same luOuieut uo utdIu tlc C1llcA OAuSCA .
voice and the cry Collision" He then
saw the bark which had run into them 60
down. This bark, he afterward learned
from its captain and two of its crew who
were saved, was tho Ponema, OF
Chatham. N. B., bound from Liverpool to
Mirimichi. Running to the side of his own
vessel, he endeavored to ascertain the dam
age done, and perceiying an immense gap
ing hole into which the sea was fast pour
ing, and feeling the steamer was lost, he al
once hurried to the captain, who immedi-
ately gave orders to get out the boats, four
of which were down in fifteen minutes,
when the State of Florida just keeled over
to port and went down stern foremost. Fal
as he could calculate, the disaster occurred
about 100 miles of the Irish coast
As the vessel went down, all on deck, in
GLIDING the captain, were washed off by the
sea. The captain was exceedingly cool
too cool, in fact, as he did not seem to lool
upon the danger as serious or pressing; ano
this, together with the fact that he appeared
! in no hurry to save himself, was probabl,
the cause why more Of the passengers were
not saved. They would not take to the boats
ms they supposed, when they saw him so cool
that the danger was not SO great OF tn,
eight boats carried, four were safel.
collision. OF the other two Allen knew
nothing, but believed they were WASHED
away when the steamer went down. He dit
not believe any one had escaped in them
| However, if they had he did not want I,
! raise any false hopes, his opinion being
they would never be heard from again
! When No. 2 boat was being lowered til,
/ tackle was cut too quickly and its occupants
! all passengers, were upset into the sea. 4
| number, including Bennett, Of London
| Canada, chung to the boats bottom during
the remainder of the night, and were picket
| up in the morning by the other boats.
| James Bennett, of London, Ontario, tn
only first class passenger saved, says tina
/ when the order was given rush was mad
| for the boats, and number of persons, in
Guiding himself, got into boat No. 2. TIL
panic on board the doomed ship was fright
full. The lady passengers, Of whom
| there were only three or four, re
fused to go in the boat. Jane McFar
lane, the stewardess, was only save'
pending by the self-sacrifice and gallantr,
Of james Balm, the chief engineer, VIII
lost his life in saving hers. He had to us
all his strength TO tear her from the deck o
the vessel and force her into the boat A
that moment the ship careened to starboar,
and went down, carrying with her the BRAY
engineer and all the others remaining o.
board.
Bennett was standing so near the sid
when the collision took place that had not
friend pulled him away he would have bee
killed on the spot. The ships doctor
alongside of him, was injured by a broke
spar. The crew all rushed for the boats
The passengers seemed paralyzed, rs di
also the captain, who was washed from tn
deck just before the vessel wer
down, within twelve minutes {
the time she was struck
Allan, the third officer, was the first to Civ
the alarm that the vessel was sinking. Ben
nett says he pushed number of friend
into one Of the boats and jumped in him
sci. He complains that the boat had n
water-casks containing water. He adde
resas signals, although they were seen quit
Offering no assistance.
james Patience, an American seaman
said he was in his bunk when he heard tn
signals to stop and reverse the steamer
engines. He rushed on deck, and saw
light bearing down on their starboard. u
heard one of the officers shout Collision
This was followed by terrific crash, an
shortly afterward he saw the third offic,
going to the side with globe lamp to Of
certain The damage. He followed, an,
looking over. saw a hole about six fe
} square, through which the water was pou
/ ing in volumes.
Those on duty ut the time rememb
, seeing red light flash for an instant, TO
, lowed by an instantaneous crash, aft
which there was nothing but confusion m
hurried preparations to launch the boat
: The frightened passengers rushed on DEF
in their night clothes. Women went in