The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-21
The Pilot Lashed the Wheel and Sought
a Corner Elsewhere.
The Rigging Filled with Freezing Passen-
gers, Who Died While Waiting for
Relief That Failed to Come.
THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.
Additional Particulars of the Wreck of
Steamer and Loss of Life.

Boston this morning was heavily laden with rel
atives and friends of victims of the City of Co
lumbus disaster But little information could
be gained here regarding individual victims, and
they have since been wandering to and fro along
the wharves, importuning all they meet about
the wreck. The revenue cutter Dexter sailed
with the tug Nellie for the wreck and to search
for bodies.
H. A. Phillips, first assistant engineer of the
City of Columbus, states: FWhen we struck,
Morrison (chief engineer) exclaimed, The YES.
sells ashore We shut down right off, and the
ship backed off. Then we got bells to 90 ahead,
and she drove right on to the reef again II
didn't seem ten minutes before she sank had
just time to get a life-preserver. The boat was
outside the buoy, but there was terrific cur
rent
Another Of the bodies brought here by the
Dexter is identified as F. K Hale produce deal
en- of Boston. Not one woman on the steamer
was saved, and only one of their bodies has thus
far been recovered. The direction of the wind
was off shore, and the vessel must have been
steered close to the lodges to have overcome tho
force of the gale and reached the place of the
wreck
The tug Nellie arrived this evening from the
scene of the wreck, bringing five bodies, one OF
which is supposed to be that of Morton, of tho
Boston Globe. The bodies were frozen stiff. and
the arms were stiffened in positions indicating
that the victims died while clinging to the wreck
age One of the bodies picked up by the Nellie
was that of well dressed woman about twenty
two years of age A package of iewelry and
small sum of money were found in the dress. but
nothing to show who she was. Another was that
of a woman of forty, dressed only in nightclothes
The others were Of men, one supposed to be
seaman.
Nearly all the bodies were found in a line duo
east from Devils Back Ledge, where two cur-
rents formed an eddy and kept the bodies float
ing around within radius of a mile and a half.
Owing to the heavy sea great difficulty was ex.
perenced in getting the bodies aboard the tug
and Captain Hart reports seeing bodies which it
was impossible to recover owing to the gale and
thick snow In the lap of the younger woman
was found pair of baby's shoes. Nearly all the
bodies had on life-preservers and were floating
on their backs The five victims were badly cut
and disfgured.
Captain Hart reports that when off Gayhead
light a boat put off from Gayhead, manned by
two men, who reported that ten survivors in all
had landed there, one of whom died yesterday,
making two that have died among those previ.
ously reported as having landed there.
The medical examiners investigation resulted
in the Identification of all but one of the five
bodies. That of Morton was recognized bv his
relatives Another proved to be +. May of Bos.
ton. The older lady was recognized as Miss
Beach, residence unknown, and the supposed
seaman proves to be Richard w. Sullivan
waiter on the steamer The young woman is
not identified.
1t is rumored that the steamer Hunter pieke,l
up large number of bodies. The Exeter has
not arrived here and it is believed she will ls.
main at Woods Hole over night
Capt. T. r. Hammond of Gollsboro Ne, ond
of the survivors, states that between and on
Friday morning the steamer Claucus passed to
the westward of the wreck but took not the
slightest notice Of the terrible tragedy which
was enacting so near. He says from his lookout
in the rigging of the City of Columbus he could
have distinctly seen a man standing against tho
house of the passing steamer, and cannot con
ceive how she could overlook the crowd oi
human beings in the rigging Of the wrecked VS.
sci.
The mate of the Glaucus. of New York staf,,
the Columbus having taken the southerly course
and the Glaucus the northern, the latter passed
the wreck at a considerable distance, eight OF
ten miles AT the time the wreck was sighted
by the Glaucus there were forty human bei1c.
in the rigging; but the mate AYERS he concludet
the wrecked steamer was on the reef but after
prolonged scrutiny through glass he could as
cover no evidence of any human being
Captain E. S. Wright says the wreck is
mile and half from the shore, bow out of water
and with her stern lying in about four fathoms
Her upper works are gone. If the weather mod
crates it may be possible TO save some part OF
the vessel
Columbus arrived this morning from New Bed
ford. Many of them are in Il pitablc condition.
and some are too daZed to give an intelligent ac
count of the disaster.
STATEMENT OF MR.. FAIRBANKS
F. w. Fairbanks, of Gorham, Me, says he was
in his berth in the steerage, but awake and
somewhat uneasy when the accident occurred
He is OF the opinion the steamer struck on the
rocks several times before she came on them
finally He noted three successive shocks and
thought it might be that high sea was hurting
ice against her side When the steamer was
jammed upon the rocks, water rushed into tho
steerage, and he scrambled out, taking tho
greater part of his clothing. As the vessel filled
she keeled over and he got into the rigging
where he cung for hours, with the sea breaking
over him at frequent intervals.
At one time some rigging gave way and fell
upon him. and he received a blow across tho
forehead which stunned him. and another in the
chest but his fingers We're then frozen to the rig
ging and he was not swept off. He attributes
he had tied around him. and thus
kept his clothing dry Many more, hs
thinks, would have been saved, but for the high
sea running Boats could not approach tho
wreck. When his turn came he Jumped into tho
raging water and after reaching the surface was
swept within reach of the rcscucrs. He saw two
who made the perilous leap overheard washed
away to DEATH and believes many met the same
fate. Before the rescue was attempted, a single
boat with several Indians in IT, came of from
Gayhead, but they could not approach the
wreck. They were engaged iii picking up float
ing matter.
While in the rigging the pilot told him he fixed
the course Of the vessel and fastened the wheel
a.N1 L. Al