The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-05-08
SUNK IN MID-OCEAN.
Steamer State Of Florida Collides
with Barque.
Both Vessels Wrecked and Sink to the
Bottom.

Both Vessels Wrecked and Sink to the
Bottom.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE
PERSONS DROWNED.
Arrival of Some of the Survivors
at Quebec.
Their Thrilling Narratives of the Disaster
FATHER POINT, Que, May 1.-THE steamship
Ittania, from Glasgow, passed inward at 5.45
O'Clock this morning. She has on board "a of the
crew OF the steamship State of Florida that vessel
having been sunk by collision with baraue in
mid-ocean. Out Of 1877 persons on the State of
Florida only A were saved, and of the barque's
crew only the captain and two Of the men were
rescued: One hundred and twenty-three souls went
no%h with the steamer and with the barque,
Will probably be landed at Quebec.
new YORK, May The distance from Father
POINT to Quebec, where the steamer Titania, with
the crew of the wrecked State of Florida, is ex-
pected TO make her landing, being nearly 300 miles,
makes y doubtful whether particulars Of the disas
Austin Baldwin & Co.. the general agents of the
State Steamship Company, received this morning a
received by the Associated Press. IL was as fol-
lows: Father Poin Que. May THE Donald
son steamship Titania, inward bound, has on board
"a of the crew of the steamship State of Florida.
The latter vessel collded with barQue il mid
ocean and went down. Out of 1877 souls only "A
were saved, if the other q have also been picked
IN. The harQue also went down with IL souls. The
Survivors will be Ia ded at Quebec tonight. These
dispatches are not inconsistent with the report
-lfD
ed her in mid ocean had on board portion of the
of the State of Florida, but the other hand
they corroborate that story and lead to the conclu
sion that the 20 who were not picked up by the
Titania were rescued b. another vessel. The
agents cannot account for the collision the
men of the State of Florida well trained, and
the officers from the captain down were experienced
And careful men.
The State Of Florida was built in 1879 at Glas-
gov, and was first known as the Queen Margaret.
She was brig-rgged iron steamship of 4, 900 tons
gross measurement. She 81 feet long SO
feet breadth of beam and % feet depth of hold She
was built after the most approved Clyde methods
and had five bulkheads. She REGARDED as the
leading of the State line ships. She was loaded
with merchandise mostly provisions.
LATFR.
QUEBEC, May THE Titania passed on to Mon
treal to-dyy without landing the survivors of the
State of Florida disaster.
The painful suspension that has prevailed here all
day with regard to the survivors of the disaster of
the IL fated steamer State of Florida was relieved
tonight by the arrival of the Donaldson steamer
way to Quebec with "a Of the survivors. The
1itania reached this port at SIS and proceeded
direct to Montreal The Titania was boarded here
by representatives of the press who accompanied
her some distance up the river and on the ways OBJ.
taiRed the names of the saved and some thrilling
particulars of the disaster.
The following list of the saved was brought by
the steamer: james Allen, third officer; Andrew
N. Steel, surgeon VIM. Armstrong, Francis Ora
ham, David Walker, David Clume, Alex. Mitchell,
James Thomas. VIM. H. Smith, Geo. Forester
Neil McKillan, james Mckenzie, Robert Young,
John Mcdonald, Jonn Sanstram, John McGaw,
Adams McFarlane, VIM. Miller. members of the
crew; and James Burnett, Andrew Fairbairn,
David Struthers JAS Patience, Jonah Hale, Eliza
Churchouse, passengers Total "a.
Following the names of the remainder of
those saved who are on their way to Quebec on the
Norwegian bark Theresa of Christfana James
Thompson, chief officer; Thomas Bair, John Smith,
Peter Paterson, Henry Anderson, John Olverblade,
John Miller, John Smith, Charles Love, George
Edward Boyle and John Mcdonald, all members Of
the crew; Jane McFarlane, stewardess; Hugh Nor
gan. Peter j. Renning, Martin Paterson and Fran
els watson, steerage passengers-20.
Report of the Third Officer.
The following is the official report of the third
Officer of the State of Florida
We left New York on the 18th of April with
1877 passengers and crew ahd full general cargo.
All went well until the night of the 18th at IL 80,
when collided with the bark Panema of Chat
ham, n. B., Ca tain Hepburn, and both vessels
went down almost Immediately, and out of the
steamers passengers and crew only A. including
the stewardess managed to escape in the boats. Of
the PARKS crew Oh b only the captain and two
men were saved. Next morning the bark was OBJ.
served bottom up.
The survivors, after having been So hours in the
Norwegian bark Theresa, of Christian, from that
pgrt bound for Qunbec and on the 22d "a of them
we're transferred on board the ship Louisa of and
from Cardiff for Quebec. They remained on that
vessel until the B tn of May, when they were taken
on on board the itania, for Quebec, 1t is believed
The same officer (Jamef Allen,) in the interview.
told the following story: The night on which the
the sea was as smooth as glass. The third officer
retired to his bunk at O'clock leaving Chief Off
DER Thompson in charge of the decks. About lilo
ne heard signal gwen to stop the steamers
gines, followed by fearful crash. He rushed i'm
mediately on deck and the first thing he noticed
was red light pretty close on the starboard
bow and at the same moment he heard the chief
officers voice and the cry of collision and per-
ceived the bark which had run into them go down.
and two of the crew who were picked up and saved
was the Pomona" of Chatham N. B.. bound from
Liverpool to Miramichi. Running to the side of
his own vessel he endeavored to ascertain the dam
age done and perceiving an immense gaping hole
into which the SEQ was last pouring, and feeling as
he sold himself that the schooner was ga goner" he
hurried to the captain who at once gave orders to
get out The boats, four of which we're down in fif
teen minutes when the State of Florida just keeled
over to port and went down stern foremost. As
near as he could calculate the disaster occurred
within 12O miles of the Irish coast. AS the vessel
went down all on deck, includinging the captain
were washed off by the sea.
Mr.. Allen stated further that the captain was
exceedingly cool-too cool, in fact-as he did not
seem to look upon the danger as serious pressing
and this together with the fact that he appeared In
no hurry to save himself, was possibly the reason
that more of the passengers were not saved. They
would not take to the boats, as they supposed when
they him cool that the danger was not so
great, and moreover, the sea was so calm. Of the
eight boats carried four were safely launched, two
were smashed by the collision, and of the other two
he knew nothing, but believed that they were
%ssned away waen the steamer went DOWN ana he
When No. boat was being launched the tackle
cut too quickly and it's occupants, all psssen-
gers were upset into the sea. A number of them
Including Mr.. Bennett of London, Ont. chung to
the boat IS bottom during the rest Of the night and
were picked up in the morning BY other boats. ON
Sunday, after drifting 30 hours were picked up
by the Theresa and on the following Tuesday the
party now on boaId the itania were transferred to
the bark Louise of Cardiff while off Bird Rocks but
the latter being over-crowded the party were agaia
transferred to the Titania. Mr.. Allan declined to
give his opinion of the accident.
A Pitiful sight.
A member of the rescued party on board the Tt
tania presented pitful appearance. So sudden
was the accident that many who were in their hunks
at the time had to hurry deck and into the boats
Those on duty when the crash came remember
seeing red lisht fash for instant, followed by
an instantaneous crash, after which nothing but
confusion followed. The steamer began TO sink.
and hurried preparations were being made to
lannch the boats. The bark which colided with
them went down instantaneously. The frightened
passengers rushed on deck in their night clothes,
and scene of understandable confusion ensued.
women went into Mysteries, and the men refused
to move The women especially objected to
leaving the doomed vessel, some who could have
been easily saved absolutely refusing to bulge an
inch. Those who chung to the bottom of the cae-
sized boat all night suffered terribly from the icy
cold water though he sea calm; nevertheless
they old not lose heart. During the thirty-fve
hours they were a1oat they had not drop of water
to drink and were beginning to feel all the horrors
of extreme thirst when they were rescued by the
bark Theresa, of the kindness of whose officers and
crew, as well as that of the officers and crew of
the Louise of Cardiff and Titania they all spoke in
the highest terms of gratitude and praise.
The rescued seamen all agreed that the case af
the State of Florida the quickest and most APP
palling disaster they ever heard of.
Opinion of the Steamers Surgeon.
James Steel, surgeon of the State of Florida was
of the opinion that the real nwardness of the ac-
cident would never be ascertained the whole
thing was too sudden. The passeu gers were all in
bed at the time and so were the sailors OFF duty.
He says the officers crew and passengers all SEEM
ed to have lost their heads.
The lady passengers, of whom there were only 3
or A. refused to go in the boats, and only won-
an, Jane Mcfarland, the stewardess, was to bis
knowledged saved, and she by the self sacrifice and
gallantry of James Balm, chief engineer, who lost
his life in saving hers. He had to use all his
strength to tear her from the deck of the vessel
and force her iato the boat. just at this moment
the ship careened over TO starb0ard, and went down
with heavy list carrying with her the brave eDg-