Connecticut western news., 1884-04-16
LOSS OF THE DANIEL sTEINMANN.
Statement Made ny tbe Captain=A sea.
 mans ~tntrmcnts
THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT.

THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT.
 Capt. Sehoonhoycn presented the fol. lowing statement respecting the calam- ity:
 '"On April 8, after voyage of l3l days from Antwerp, at G p. m, bearing of Chebueto by dead reckoning and the soundings, I found I was west one. half south by the compass Q dis. tanee of 25 miles. There was q dense fog and heavy rain. The steamer slowed. steering west, c-quarter south, and sounding every hour. About 9:l5 saw through the mist faint light about two points otf the starbonrd bow, disap- bearing at times for four or five minutes. Taking it for Chebucto, stecrod for it; soundings 30 fathoms. Ten or twenty minutes later saw that it was the fixed light of Sambro, appearing clear, and at the same time saw faint show of what took for Chebucto light, about four points on the stnrboard bow. Sounded 26 fathoms. Put the helm hard a-port, but it was too late. Just before fine ship struck we had heard the fog whistle of Sambro.
 "The first shock was light, the second heavy, carrying away the steering gear, and we could no longer get the engines to work. Next We drifted over the rocks and anchored the ship, laying to; pretty quiet and little sen. l ordered the chief and second mates to lower the boats and get the children and female passengers in first. While I saw this going on, having already one boat in the water, and the crew working with will, I saw the ship coming nearer the breakers again. l ran for. ward to see if the chain cable was not broken. Before getting there a mon- strous sea broke over the poop, washing every passenger, children and women, who stood on deck overheard. This was followed immediately by an awful crash, and the ship went down as quick as lightning, stern first, carrying every one down who was on the deck and bridges. I ran mp the fore rigging, but was washed out before getting half way, but I succeeded afterward in catch. ing the topsuil yard, which stood just above water. A moment afterward a passenger was able to join me. The night was foggy and rainy. We saw nothing more. The next morning about o'clock we were gallantly rescued by the men upon Sambro Island in ono of our own boats, there being no life boat or rocket apparatus on the island. Some of the crew had already succeeded in reaching the land through the surf. The number of passengers drowned was ninety, and the number of the crew drowned was thirty-three. The number of passengers saved was three, and the number of the crew six"
 A sEAAiAN-s STATEMENT.
 Florentine Deserne, of Antwerp, ono of the surviving seamen, who wns inc strumental in launching the life boat that carried seven men safely to Snmbro Island, says: On the order being given by the commander to launch the boats l made for one life boat hanging in the davits, and, calling another seaman to get in, told him to cut the ropes when I gave the word. As the vessel plugged beneath the water | cried out "Cutp and, each severing rope, we freed ourselves from the davits and fIoated on the surface clear of the wreck. All around us people who had been swept off were plunging in the water and crying for help, and it was only with the greatest difficulty we pre- vented the boat being seized on all sides and swnmped.
 The appeals of drowning women and children were heartrending, but our lives were at stake, and we could render but few others assistance. The boat. swain's mate was first hauled on board, and shortly after we took in two tiremcn and two passengers. One of the latter, an Italian, was surrounded by a crowd of persisting uniortunates. As the boat passed, and as he made an effort to clutch the side and haul himself in, half score of others clung to his limbs and body, and it was thought our little craft would be upset. The Italian, however, per ceiving the danger in which he was throwing us, as well as perhaps risking losing his own life, released his hold of the boats side, took Q dive down into the water and, rising a moment later, with all the others shaken off, he clam bered on board. Seven of us now were in the boat and were knocked about in the rough sea for about an hour and a half. Finally we got close to Sambro Island, and observing the guiding lights of those on shore we followed their directions and effected safe, though
 
 difficult, landing.
 Florentine Deserne ascribes the disas- ter to the very thick and tempestuous weather experienced. He is also of opinion there was deviation of the com- pass. Deserne has been the victim of shipwrecks on half a dozen previous occasions, but states that his latest os- cape was the narrowest by far in all his experience.
 NO LIFEBoAT THERE.
 The signal men on Sambro Island say they burned along the shore over l50 gallons of oil, with tar barrels and other material, to warn the steamer of. Be- fore the vessel struck she could be seen with her decks crowded with passengers, men, women and children being dis tinctly heard uttering most lamentable aud heartrending cries. Rescue was now impossible. Only two light flats were on the island, which it would have been madness to launch in sncha terrific sea- Had there been lifeboat on tho island a crewof the signal men, who owerea all ready and willing, could, if they had got of in time, have saved the ship from danger by guiding her ont of the shoal, aud later they certainly could have saved half the passengers. This is their greatest lament, that they were powerless to save through lack of appliances which should have been on hand at the governments ex' pense.
 stt.................a 1au..