New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-08
THE SABLE ISLAND WRECh.
AID NOT GIVEN THE AMSTERDAM.
.xo1rcrrp ny THE ISLANDERS FOR TWENTl-foOh =
a HoURs-A DRUNKEN CREW.



no. Il is nrobable they will 90 10 New-lork by the
aCitv of Mexico" which sails for that port on
SATURDAY. The Government steamer Newheld ieiV
for the scene of the wreck at o'clock to-hlent'
taking Light House Inspector Hutchins' hoper'
Piekford the Halifax agent OF the hhe auu O"P
tain Farquhar who goes 20 superlhtehu Vho :" ''"s
arrangements The Government sent down q Ioi'1
of men 20 assist in saving the cargo IL Is oeie'ou
that all the cargo between decks and in the forward
hold may be saved if the weather continues me
Anumber of diving schooners will go to saoie
Island tomorrow The cargo consists OF leaf
,ohacco gin rice wire, etc. The ship Will be
buried in the sand 10y the first storm, so that what-
ever is done must be done quickly
The stories told by passengers of the neticiency
of the sable Island officials and their treatment oi
the surviving passengers and crew OF the AilsVer-
dam have caused a sensation IN tins city, ana LlgU
Uouse Ipspector Hutchns left Immediately to In
yesticate them, having previously obtained state
,pents from many of the passengers. The whole
story is brought out in a conversation IHE IiIB-
,,vr correspopdent had with Constantine Ludwig
,be New.York representative of several German
bonses and who with his wife and children, were
cabin passengers.
How do YOU account for the steamship Amster-
dam beiug so far out Of her course when she srucA
on sable Island ?" he was asked.
He replied: by the extraordinary current
Captain Guilford of the Ncwfeld which brought
Us TO Halifax who has had half century 5 expert
ence on this coast, tells me that the current at
Sable Island is stronger this season than ever ne
bs. known it before. The fog at the time was not
very thick and was ahead of the ship rather than
surrounding her. From observations taken the day
urevious Captain Lucas calculated that ne was
tnirty-hve miles south of the light house point At
the moment the ship struck the second oihcer was
on the bridge At that time Captain Lucas believed
he was in his regular course lie mas ma0e
rooDthly trips across the Atlantic in the Anster
dam for four years. But this time he was carried
far ont of his reckoning By the extraordinary and
unprecedented current
What were the facts about the steeragc passen-
gers and crew left on the ship Thursday night |
breaking into the cabin and rifling the bagrageF
SIMPLY this: that when these people landed we
found them possessed of jewery and clothing lett
in the trunks OF the cabin passengers
what did Won do about II =
aNothing The steerage passengers and some OF
The crew acted very ugly. We saw that to com
plain or demand our own would cause trouble and
probablv precipitate a riot mutiny, and 50 We
gave everything mp for lost.
4" Was the captain powerless"
"No. the captain did his duty TO the utmost out
he was only one against $50. We have eS-
pressed our opinion of the captain IN an address
almost unanimously signed by the passengers. the
gst of which is that the captain is IN no way to
blame for the calamity; and expressing unquallhed
confidence in his courage aud seamauship.'
No AID FROM SABLE ISLAND.
Do Won consider that the officials on the Island
made proper efforts 10 rescue the passengers from
the stranded ship Y
4No: we struck at 10 O'Clock on Wednesday
night. The lighthouse people admit that they saw |
our SIGNALS of distress at noon on Thursday We /
saw the light house with the naked eye that thurs
a ,".f tlnt-r NOR d
befora their boat came TO the rescue of the ship or
thrtv-,ix hours after the ship struck and sixteen
bours after the ships boats had left with 200 pas
seng,rs 10 eudcavor to reach the light house.
Mark that il was nearly tweuty-tour hours after
they admit that they saw our signals before ther
hfe-boat arrived Now, suppose that a storm M
stead Of calm had prevailed. / don't believe
single one of the go passengers ana crew "ould
have been saved and If 10 takes the Island officials
thirtv-sx hours to reach ship in distress IN dead
calm what good would they Ice IN "a storm lh's +
matter requires thorough investigation Ih lH' IN
tere,ts of humanity. What reason dld they give lot
the delay There ls no teltphoHC "I "'e-l l'HtC t
communication between the light house ana the
main life saving station. They SAID IT took inIs.
teuger tive hours TO carry the news from we i-"o
house 10 the lfe-boat stations. Then 1t took them
twice as many hours 10 get the boats launched
smerg,ncies. When one or two Of the men get sick
the whole crowd are demorallzed. because certain
number of men are absolutely necessary 10 handle b
/. !" How were you treated after You old land'"
The acting Governor assisted by two others. |
Desbrisatz and Allen did all lie could for But /
the addition of 2jO souls TO the population soon |
created great scarcity Of provisions at the various
stations. There plenty OF iOod AT the nam ,
station but the passengers blIeted at the minor /
stations were in want. When we realized the stu
alton and after the captain and remainder OF the .
crew we're brought ashore IN the Island lle-Doat,
arrangements were made for landing provisions !
from the ship The Island lite-boat and one of the /
ships boats went Oft Il the wreck for provisions. |
The crew of the life-b boat came back drunk. The I
ships boat had not returned before we lett. HE /
crew of that hfe-boat were stil drunk when we /
were taken of the Island by tho Newheld.'
Were not some OF the passen gers threatened by |
the officials OF the Island ! ,
Yes While Captain Lucas was OF 20 the ship |
attempting 20 save some OF the small luggage we |
prepared supper for hm. A party of the Island
officials led by one Neil Mckmnon, came and took
the food the whole of the food we had. aud COM .
plant was made of this to the Governor next day.
Two days afterward two young men members OF
1he Island lfe-hOat crew, came to asked II Z
had complained and threatened that they would ,
Eul the man who had made the complaint. They
swore | would never leave the Island alive"
We're they drunk n
4No perfectv sober. Under these circumstances
Won can imagine why we cheered the arrival of the
kewfeld A part Of the Amsterdams crew united
with the Island officials IN stealing the PROVISIONS
and liquors landed in the boats with the passen-
gers CAPTAIN Lucas and part OF ms men are still
on the Island. bat how they VAL fare with the !
LIQUOR crazed Islanders until the return OF the |
Eswfeid God only knows
TThe names of those lost by the disaster are heh-
drIck Schcienberg twenty-five years OF age,
farmer of SwevtZ on his way % Wisconsin 10 JOIN
relatives: Hans DIX. q butcher OF Germany ana !
Franz Van Bomel, age twenty-One years. coal
trimmer Of the teameT, belonging 10 AmsteruaH'
HOW THE AMSTERDAM WAS LOST.
GOING ASHORE IN FoG-ALL THE PASSENGERS