The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-09
TELEGRAPHIC.
THE OCEAN HORROR.
statements of the Officers and
Others as to the Disaster.
Run Down on a Bright Star-lit
Night, No One Knows How.
A Case OF Somebody's Rlunder-One
Hundred and Thirty-Five Find
Graves i'm the Ocean-Seenes
en the Sinking Vessel.

QUEsEC. May 9.-The arrival here of tine
ship Ttan:a with part of the rescued from
the lost vessels State of Florida and
Ponema enables the press to ascertain the
facts of the disaster.
The captain of the Ttania reports: May 8,
at 8 p M, while proceeding up the gulf and
off Bird Rocks observed ship exhibiting
two bright lights, and thinking he wished to
communicate bore down upon him and took
off twenty-four of the passengers and crew
rescued from the State of Florida, of Glas-
gow The steamship City of Rome passed
them while on board the ship Louisa and an
swered their signals, but did not stop"
The third officer, james Allen, being inter
viewed, added;
The night on which the disaster occurred
was clear, though moonless, and the sea
smooth glass. He retired to his bunk at
O'clock, leaving Chief Officer Thompson in
charge of the deck. About 1l:l0 heard a
signal suddenly given to stop the
steamers engines, followed by a fear
ful crash. He rushed Immediately on
deck, and the first thing he noticed
was "a red light pretty close ON
their starboard bow. At the same moment
he heard the chief officers voice and the cry
~Collisionp Perceived the bark which had
run into them go down. The bark he after
wards 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 Mirimich Running to the
side of his own vessel he endeavored to as
certain the damage done, and, per-
ceiving an immense, gaping hole into
which the sea was fast pouring,
and feeling, as he said himself, that the
steamer was gouer," he at once hut ried to
ths csrtaiu, who immediately gave orders to
get ut the boats. four OF which were let down
il fifteen minutes, when the State of Florida
just keeled over TO port and went down stern
/ foremost AT far as he could calculate, the
disaster occurred il latitude 40 degrees north
longitude 36h degrees west. or about l2O
miles off the Irish coast, as when their last
bearings were taken that day were about
A degrees 50 minutes north, and SS degree
IS minutes west. As the vessel went doSn,
all on deck, including the captain, were
washed off by the sea-
Allen further stated that the captain was
| exceedingly cool-too cool in fact, as he did
not seem to look upon the danger as serious
or pressing; and this together with the fact
that he appeared in no hurry to save himself
was possibly the cause why more Of the pass
engers were not saved They would rot take
| to boats as they supposed, when they saw
| him so cool, that the danger was not so great,
| and moreover the sea was SO calm. OF the
eight boats carried five were safely
launched, and two smashed by the
collision. OF the other two he knew nothing,
but believed they were washed away when
the steamer went down. He did not believe
any one had escaped in them. However, il
they had he did not want to raise any false
hopes, his opinion being that they never
would be heard from again. When No
boat was being lowered the tackle was cut
too quickly, aud its occupants, all passengers
were upset into the sea. A number, includ
ing Bennett, of London, out, clung to the
boat bottom during the remainder of the
night and were picked up in the morning by
| the other boats.
James Bennett, of London, Ont, the only
tirst-class passenger saved, says when thu
| order was given rush was made for the
boats, and number of persons including
himself, got into boat No. 2 The panic on
beard the doomed ship was frightful. Tht
lady passengers, of whom there were only
three or four, refused to go into the boats, anc
the woman, Jane McFarlane, the stewardess
was to his knowledge at the time saved from
and the terrible fate impending, By
the self-sacrifice and gallantry of Jane
Blaine, who lost his own life il
saving hers. He had to use all his strength
to tear her from the deck of the vessel ans
force her into the boat Just at this momen
the ship careened to the starboard and wen
| licf NTH ha
the brave engineer and all the others remain
ing on board. Bennett complains that tn
boats were badly found, that they had n,
water-casks containing water, and he say
Allan alone of the ofscers showed all the wal
through any seif-possession and presence o
mind He added that the City of Rom
ignored all the Theresa's signals. Although
they were seen quite well she went on hel
way uncOncernedly, offering no assistance
When the ship was struck the frightenet
passengers rushed on deck in their night
clothes, and scene of indescribable con
fusion ensued. Women went into mysteries
and the men refused to move. The wome
especially objected to leaving the doome
vessel, some who could have been easily
saved absolutely refusing to bulge an inch
Those who clung to tn bottom of the car
sized boat all night suffered terribly froI
the icy cold water, though tn
sea was calm. Nevertheless they di
not lose heart. One of their number, q ma
named Donaldson, was underneath the caI
sized boat until they were picked up by on
of the other boats in the morning. Whe
she capsized he kept his hold and went owe
with her, managing to secure a positio
| olOva ba harc xxhara 10 inl1 to fRiny 4
himself and moaning until he swooned HI
companions on the outside were unable t
assist him. In the morning when the
were picked up the bottom of th
boat mad to be broken through t
get him out, when he presented
horrible appearance from his long exposur
to the waves and lack of fresh air. A fer
days afterwards, however, he got all rigi
again.
During the thirty-five hours they wei
afloat they had not a drop of water to drinl
and were beginning to feel all the horrors c
extreme thirst when rescued by the bar
Theresa, of the kindness of whose officers an
crew, as well as of the Louise Of Cardiff an
Titiana, the survivors all speak the highe.
terms of gratitude and praise.
The following is the list OF the saved broul
by the steamer Titania: James Allen, thil
officer; Andrew N. Steele, surgeon; Willial
Armstrong, able seaman; Francis Graham
able seaman; David Walker, passage worke
David Clume, torekesper; Alexand'
Mitchell, donkey man; James Thomas, fir
man; William h. Smith, passas
worker; George Forester secor
steward; Neil McKellar, assistant ste,
ard; James Mckenzie, assistant stewar,
Robert Young assistant stewary; John M
Donald, able seamen, John Sanstram, alb
seamen; John McGaw, assistant cook; Ada
MacFarlane, assistant cook; William Mile
bakers mate; James Bennett, London, Ont
first-class passenger, Andrew Fairbair
secsnd-cIass passenger: David struthsr
second-class PASSENGER; James Patient
steerage passenger; Eliza Churchouse, stet
age passenger.
Tho follavvinp are the names of the