The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-05-10
LOST In A COLLISION.
FATE OF THE STATE os FLORIDA.
The Unfortunate Vessel Runs Into tho
Bark Ponema-Both Go Down with
1876 souis-Only ~ Persons Res
cuCd-Storics of survivors.
CUT Down At NIGHT.


the fate of the steamship State OF Florida
are ended. The vessel was sunk April is
IN a collision in mid-ocean with the bark
Ponema, of Chatham, n. b. Ont OF 1877
persons ON board the State of Florida only
forty four were saved, while OF the bark
crew of fifteen only the Captain and two
men were rescued. One hundred and twenty
three souls went down with the steamer and
twelve with the bark, making a
total of one hundred and thirty-tive. Those
saved were picked up by the bark Iherera,
of Norway. Later twenty-four or them
were put on the bark Louisa and brought
as far rs the mouth Of the Gulf OF ST. Law
renee, where the Litania, bound from Glas-
gov to Montreal, was met The Iitanla took
off twenty-iou of the passengers and crew
rescued from the State of Florida, leaving
twenty on the bark, which is now on the
way to this port.
The third officer (James Allen says that
the night ON which the disaster occurred
was clear though moonleSs, and the sea As
smooth rs glass. lie retired to his bunk at
eight O'Clock, leaving the chief oiliser
(Thompson) in charge of the deck. About
ll:l0 he heard a signal ou denly given to
stop the steamers engines, followed by
a fearful crash. He rushed Immediate
ly on deck, and the first thing he
noticed was red light pretty close
on their starboard bow. At the
same moment he heard the chief
officers voice and the cry collision lie
then saw the bark which run into them go
down. This bark, he afterward learned
from its Captain and two of its crew who
were picked up and saved, was the Ponema,
of Chatham, n. b., bound from Liverpool
to Mirimichi Running to the side of his
own vessel he endeavOred to ascer-
tain the damage done, and perceivng
an immense gaping hole into which
the sea was fast pouring, and feeling the
steamer was lost, he at once hurried to the
Capt IN, who Immediately 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 As far as he could calculate
the disaster occurred about one hundred
and twenty miles of the Irish coast.
james Bennett of London, ont, the
only frSt-cass passenger saved, says that
when the order was given rush was made
for the boats, and number of persons, in
Guiding himself got into boat No. 2. The
panic on board the doomed ship W 5 fright
full. The lady passengers, of whom there
were only three or four refused to go in
the boat Jane McFarlane, the stew
ardess was only saved from her.
self and the terrible fate I'M
pending by the set-saCritlce and glllantry
of James Balm the chef engineer, VINO lost
his life in saving hens. lie had 10 use all
his strength to tear her from the deck OF
the vessel and force her into the boat. At
that moment the ship cdreened to star
board and went down, carrying with her the
brave engineer and all the others remaining
on board. Bennett says he pushed number
of friends into one OF the boats and jumped III
himself lie complains that the boat had
no water-casks containing water lie added
that the City OF Rome ignored all the
Theresas signals, although they were seen
quite well, but went on her way unconcern-
eddy, offering no assistance
Those on duty at the time remember Sec
ing a red light flash for an nstnt, followed
by an instantaneous crash, after which there
was nothing but confusion and hurried
preparations to launch the boats. The bark
went down instantaneously. The fright
ened passengers rushed Oh deck in their
night clothes. Women went into Mysteries,
and men refused to move. The women
especially objected to leaving the doomed
saved absolutely refusing to bulge an inch.
Those who chung to the bottom of the
capszed boat all night suffered terribly from
the cy-cold water, though the sea was calm.
One of their number, man named Donald
son, was underneath the capsized boat until
they were picked up by one of the boats in
the morning When she capsized he kept
his hold and went over with her, managing
to secure position above the bars, where
he remained talking to himself and moan
ing until he swOOned. His companions ON
the outside were unable to assist him. In
the morning when they were picked up, the
bottom of the boat had to be broken through
to get him out
The following is list Of the cabin pas
sengers:
J. j. Baker Daniel Cannon Lizzie Cannon,
Mrs. Elizabeth CObach and infant, James
delphia; Joseph Bennett, Andrew Fairbank,
Thomas Hall and wife, Mrs. Jane lngraham
and infant and David Slathers of New York:
a. Bethena, Toronto: George Eddington ana
Graham and Waiter King, OF Canada; Mrs.
Ward, of Cleveland: Andrew Farrts. Miss
Amy Taylor, Miss Anna Taylor, Miss Ida Tay-
lor, Thomas Taylor and wife, Thomas Taylor.
Jr., Abraham Williamson and Thomas Will
hanson, all of Chicago Mrs. 4. Wood, Henry
Wood, Miss Lillian K Wood Mrs: Murray and
MIS- MARY SHeChleStOlks III VI "tiiiusioh, W
The Titania arrived here last night on her
way to Montreal, but did not stop. The
previous orders to take off the rescued were
countermanded, and all were carried
through to Montreal. The saved on board
the Titania include eighteen members of the
crews of the lost vessels; James Bennett, OF
London, Can, first-class passenger An
drew Fairbairn and David Struthers, sec
ond- class passengers; James Patience,
Jonah Hale and l.. Churchans, Storage
passengers on the State of Florida.
The rescued now on their way to Quebec
on board the Norwegian bark ThereSe OF
Christiana, include sixteen members of the
different crews, and Hugh Morgan, p. J.
Renning, Martin Patterson and Francis Wat
son, steerage passengers on the State OF
Florida.
The State of Florida left New York on
April IL with a small list of passengers and
an assorted cargo. 1t was her thirty second
trip out under the care of the New York
agents, which regarded her in every respect
Q seaworthy vessel. The ship was in COM
mand Of Captain j. w. Sadler who had been
with the State line since 1873, and a ter
for twenty years She was built at Glas-
gov in 1874
CBIcAGo, May s.-The Taylor family