St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-05-13
LOSS OF THE FLORIDA.
Statement of Capt. Hepburn of the Col
liding Vessel, the Ponema.
Capt. Munroe Contradicts Reports of His
Neglect of Signals.

QUEBEC, May 12.-The bark Theresa with the
remainder of the survivors of the State of Flori-
da has arrived, and is taken in charge by the
agent of the steamer, who refuses to talk of the
accident. Officer Thompson is much depressed
The seamen are less reticent than the officers,
but unable to throw light upon the cause of the
disaster, having been abed when the vessels col
lided. The Theresa had small accommodations
and spare rations. Those saved from the Ponema
are Capt. Hepburn, Angela Rosa and Thomas
Nicolson, The names of the lost of the Ponema
are not known. The Ponema was in ballast from
Liverpool for Merimachi.
The sailors of the Florida were secured by the
agent and kept away from newspaper men, They
seem impressed that Thompson was to blame for
the collision One sailor of the bark perished
from exposure in the boat. Capt Hepburn lost
everything. Nicolson, on the look out at the
time of the collision, ascribes the fault to the
steamer. All speak favorably of Officers Allen
and Agree. The City of Rome refused assis-
tance. She near it was impossible not to
have seen and understood the signals. All cor
roborate the bravery of Engineers Balm and And
erson, and testify to the activity of the second
officer of the Florida. who was lost.
Capt. Hepburn, of the Ponema, makes the first
says he can give no information as
to the cause of the accident He
retired half hour before
the collision which knocked him out of bed.
Three minutes afterward he found himself in the
without ship. All hands We're washed off
while trying to lower the boats. The other two
saved from the Ponema are Thos Nicholson, of
Shetland, Angelo Rosa, of Triest Lost: Will
steward; Blon, carpenter, and Norman, Shaw,
Davidson, Jacobsen, Paul, Busick Lyons, John
ston and two Italians TIA captain saved no
papers. Mate Williamson was ON dnty when the
disaster occurred. The captain saw none of the
officers after the collision. Hepburn said he did
not see the Florida and did not know she had
gone down. He did not know what struck
them. They were in the boat thirty-nine hours
The Theresa picked t1em up about
q half-hour before it came upon the first of the
Flordia's boats.
Captain Hansen, of the Theresa, made the follow
ing startling charge The steamship City of
Rome, sighted Wednesday, April 23d; sea
smooth; weather clear; one of the finest days
since taking the ship wrecked parties ON board.
GLOW near did she pass?" $50 near you could
heave biscuit Sat all events,'' said the cap
tain, within three ship lengths. We hung our
ensign upside down, the usual sign of distress.
She hoisted an answering pennant, but never
slowed and proceeded on her way.
Capt. Hayburn, Capt. Hansen, Miss MacFar-
lane, VIM. Hislop and several others agree to the
correctness of the above. They also deny the
possibility of the signal not having been seen.
When told that the City of Rome reported the
Theresa with portion IF shipwrecked crew on
board they insisted they never signaled the fact
h11t ta1 to Of off fror,, tha Tor, tIo
bark forecastle. They shouted ssCome back |!
come back we have the crew of the Florida y
But beyond hanging out the answering penant
the steamship took no notice of them
Thomas Nicholson was on the deck of the
Ponema when the collision occurred He was
not on duty but merely walking the deck He
says the bark was on the starboard tack showing
her port light. There must have been something
fearfully wrong about the steamship he says,
when she could not keep out of the way. He ad-
ded it was reported among the sailors of the
Florida that the BARK light was reported three
times that night by the lookout on board the
steamship.
New YORK, May 12.-Capt Munroe of the
City of Rome states that ON April %, while pass
ing six sailing vessels almost becamed, within
two or three miles of each other, a full rigged
ship was observed two to three miles distant dis
playing signals interpreted by me as sship-
wrecked crew, State, - but no urgency signal was
ulSPiayO VI IL uisPlay GU NdS HOb seen, Was
the name or nationality of the ship given. Had
the signal of urgency been displayed it would
have received immediate attention. As the day
was calm, the signals were dropping, and they
were difficult to make out, but it would have
been easy for the vessel to put
out boat which could have
intercepted the City of Rome. Not until
after my arrival at Liverpool hearing of state
line steamer overdue, did the incident become
connected in my mind with the indistinct signals,
when l at once reported my conjecture. GER
tainly would be the last man to neglect my duty
Every seaman knows l will render assistance to
any one in distress at sea, having on more than
one occasion been indebted to others for the
preservation of my own life. The second and
fourth officers of the watch, on duty at the time
of the signaling, assert the truthfulness of Nun
roes statements