Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-13
STATE OF FLORIDA.
The Last of the Survivors Arrive At
Quebec.

VIkbENs MAY
The balance of the survivors of the State
of Florida disaster landed here last night
from the bark Therese, which arrived under
sail last evening, and anchored at the upper
ballast ground. The list has already been
published. All those whose names appeared
are well and hearty. Mr.. Cleary of New
York, agent of the State line, is understood
to have boarded the bark on its srrival and
taken charge of the surviving officers and 10
have lodged them in a comfortable hotel. He
did the same for the four steerege passengers
whose names appeared in the list of the
saved. Chief Officer Thompson appeared
much worn and detected. The party were
called on but refused to speak of the accident
al all. The names of those saved from the
bark Ponema, which was in collision, are
Captain Hepburn of Liverpool, Angelo Rosa
and Thomas Nicholson.
The captain of the Ponema says there
were fifteen men on board besides himself.
making l2 lost. He has been unable to give
any details of the accident. having been in
bed at the time, and was apparently too dazed
when the catastrophe occurred to notice what
was transpiring He did not see steamer at
all. Young Nicholson is the only survivor
of the Penoma, who saw the collision. He
insists that the steamer was to blame, as the
Ponema was showing both lights. Mrs.
McFalane, stewardess of the i'll fated steam
er. is unable to describe what occurred at the
time of the collision, and expresses herself
as unable to appreciate what she has gone
through She is the only female survivor,
First officer Thomson persists in refusing to
speak. He is defended by the second engin-
eer. Everyone else seems against him.
Hislop persists that Thomson is one of the
best officers the line ever had. All who
have been spoken to on the subject insist
that the City OF Rome when signalled and
shouted to when passing by was not more
that 400 yards distant. 1t is said that Allen.
the third officer of the State of Florida, has
been placed in the police station, and will be
detained on a charge of drunkenness.
A report has been circulated that the fault
of the collision lay with the bark, and had
she not changed her course on the approach
of the steamer the catastrophe would not have
occurred.
New YORK, May l2.
Capt. Munro, of the Anchor Line steam
ship City of Rome, whose conduct in passing
the ships with the survivors of the State of
Florida has been severely criticised, has made
the following statement: "On the 23d OF
April last, while passing group of six sail
ing vessels, almost becalmed within a dis
tance of two or three miles of each other, one
a full rugged ship was observed at a distance
of two or three miles, displaying signals
which were interpreted by me to be "ship-
wrecked crew state" but no urgency signal
was displayed or if displayed not seen by
us. If any urgency signal had been displayed
and seen by US it would have received imme-
date attention, but as it is not an unusual
occurance for vessel to have on board the
crew of some disabled ship it is not thought
necessary to tender assistance without being
asked, when there is no danger to life. 1t
was not until after my arrival in Liverpool,
hearing that the State Line steamer was over
due, that the incident became connected in
my mind with the signals which the above
vessel had made, when l reported my con-
lecture to the proper quarter" The other
officers corroborate the captains story.
MONTREAL, May 12.
The State of Florida's second boatswain,
Thomas Barr, who arrived yesterday, said he
was below when he heard the command Of
chief officer Thomson to reverse the engines.
He rushed on deck when he saw bark bear
ing down upon the steamer showing a red
light. 1t was plain at once that if the two
hold on in the course collision was una
voidable, but the next moment the pilot of
the steamer swung her to the starboard,
leaving sufficient room for the bark to pass
had she kept on her course. The man in
charge of the bark ported the helm and thus
brought the vessels back to the same posi-
tions. He denies that the steamer attempted
to cross the bow of the bark and says every
thing was done by Captain Sadler to avoid
the collision. First officer Thomson was
the last man to leave the steamer and third
officer Allen, he says, made no attempt to
save any one and looked at himself.