Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-19
Revenue Cutter Dexter Res
cues II From the Wreck.
Heroic Conduct of 1t. Rhodes,
Who Risks His Life to Save
Two Of the Sufferers.
Statement Of the Captain, Stew
ard and Other Survivors.

BosIoN, Jan. IL.
The steamer City of Columbus. Boston for
Savannah, has gone down of Gay Head.
Over 100 lives have been lost
New BEDFORD, Jan. Is.
The folio xing 10 q corrected account of
the terrible disaster to tie steamer City OF
Columbus of Gay Head this morning: The
steamer left Boston Thursday with so FIRST
class and % Storage passengers, about one
third Of whom are ladies and children, and
crew of as Thursday night the wind blew
a hurricane from the northwest and ire
mendous sea was running. At 3.45 A. NJ,
with the wind bearing south, half east, the
vessel struck on the reef outside Devils
bridge. She filled and keeled over, the
water breaking in and flooding the port side
of the saloon. Nearly all the passengers
hurried to the decks, most Of them wearing
life preservers, but most of them were swept
into the sea and persisted at once. The boats
were cleared, but Immediately swamped.
Seven passengers left the vessel on a life
raft and were not again heard from. About
40 men took refuge in the rigging, where
they remained till 10. so A. NJ, when a life
boat put of from Gay Head and took away
seven passengers, one of whom died soon
after. Shortly after noon another boat put
of and meanwhile the revenue cutter Dexter
came and sent off two boats. Twenty-one
men were taken from the wreck and placed
aboard the Dexter, four of when died after
wards. After all the persons on the wreck
had been taken of. the Dexter sailed for
here, where she arrived this evening. The
total number of persons saved is 80; five
dead bodies have been recovered and 1l9
souls are thus unaccounted for. Seventeen
of the saved and four of the dead were
brought here and six supposed to be living
and one dead are at Gay Head. The names
of those at the latter place are not known.
The crew list as made up by some of the
survivors was as follows:
Captain, S. f. Wright.
First mate, Edward Fuller.
Second mate, Augustus Harding.
Quartermasters, Phillip Clark, Dominick
Mcdonald. James Dunn.
Purser. VIM. Spaulding.
Chief Engineer, Archibald Morrison.
First Assistant Engineer, II. A. Phillips.
Second Assistant Engineer, Henry Collins.
Third Assistant Engineer. VIM. Murray.
Seamen, John Madden, Edward O'Brien,
Edward Leary, John White, Michael Ken
needy.
Firemen, Thomas O'Leary, John Hines,
Thomas Butler, Michael Smith, VIM. Muir
ray.
Oilers, Michael Day, John McKenna, Jas
Lowe.
Coal passers, John Roach, Alex. McGIg-
gan, Cornelius O'Leary.
Chief Stewerd, AT. Pitman.
Second Steward, Charles II. Howes.
Stewardess, Teresa Smith.
Cook, John Whitehouse.
Second Cook, Thomas Gallagher.
Porter, Edward Briggs.
Pantry Men, VIM. Fitzpatrick and Frank
Mahoney.
Walters, Furber Hanson. Harry Moore,
VIM. Boardman, Daniel Bigney.
Mess man, John Mcdonald.
Mess boy, Daniel Mcdonald
Those of the crew know to be saved are /;
Capt. Wright; Asst Engineer Phillips; Fire
men C'Leary Steward Pitman and Seaman
Madden.
The following are the names of those
taken ashore at Gay Head, one of them
known to be dead: Harry Collins, third en-
gineer; VIM. Spsulding, purser; Michael
Kennedy, purser; O'Brien. waiter; Holmes,
pipeman; one passenger, name not known.
The following are those on the RAFT: Nor
rison. chief engineer; Fuller, first mate
Harding, second mate; Murray and Fitzpat-
rick, pantry men, Richard Sullivan of P. f. |.
Capt Wright says in addition to the fore
going, that he passed the Cross Rip light ship
at II o'clock, and continued east and west
chop with a strong breeze west BY south
west; pa. sed Nobska, and with the C. urse
w. S. W., stepped into my room to get
warm; was very cold everything was work
ing well. | went below q short time, and
soon after heard the second mate, who was in
the pilot house with the mate. sing out to the
quartermaster to port. 1 jumped out of nv
room, thinking We had come across vessel
ham, A Il .,
Hard apori ~ and in the moonlight saw the
buoy on Devils Bridge on the port side
about two points forward of the beam and
about 800 yards away.
She Immediately struck. I ordered the
engineer and she backed about twice her
length. The steamer Immediately stopped
and | ordered the jib hoisted and endeavored
to head her to the north; but she filled for
ward and listed over to the port 90 that the
plank vas about four feet under water went
aft and told the passengers to keep cool and
get life preservers; next told the officers of
the deck to get the boats ready; the steamer
settled down aft and righted; it Was blowing
very hard and a heavy sea was Running:
launched port boat No. 6. which was can.
sized The sea vas breaking over the
steamers deck, and the storm deck being
entirely under water, We we're forced to 20
awhile but We were obliged to take to the
rigging. The mate, second mate, chief en-
eineer and fourth engineer took to the raft.
think the steamer struck On lone rock.
The captain is positive that he struck out
side the buoy and in backing drifted inside.
The officers of the cutter furnished the fol.
lowing statement:
cat about Il, 80 we sighted a vessel ashore
on the reef near Gay Head. The Wind vas
blowing gale and q heavy sea running. As
We approached we saw that the vessel vas
steamer and that the waves we're breaking
over her. We anchored on her starboard
quarter, two or three hundred yards away.
The cutter boat was at once lowered and
manned BY crew Of i've men, in charge of
Lieut. Rodes, who brought of seven men. A
return trip vas made and one man vas
brought to the vessel Lieut. Kennedy vas
then despatched in the gig With four men and
took OF four or Eve men Meanwhile the
lifeboat transferred several men and NJ
length the rigging vas cleared. The vessel
sank in four fathoms of water and the rail-