Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-14
TERRIBLE DISASTER AT SEA.
The Steamship State of Florida Run Down
by Bark-Both Vessels Sink in q Very
Short Time-One Hundred and Thirty
Five Lives Lost.

had on board twenty-four of the crew OF
the steamship State of Florida, that YES
sci having been sunk by collision with
bark. in mid-ocean. Twenty survivors
are on board the bark Theresa, bound
for this port. Out of 1877 persons on the
State of Florida, only A were saved.
OF the bark's crew only the captain and
two men were rescued. One hundred
and twenty-three persons went down
with the steamer, and twelve with the
bark, making total loss of 135.
The following is the official report OF
the third officer of the State of Florida:
We left New York, April IL, with about l67
passengers and crew and full general cargo:
All went well until the night of the 18th. At
Ii 80 we came in collision with the bark POne-
ma, of Chatham, N. B., Capt Hatburn. Both
ships went down almost instantly, and out of
the steamers passengers and crew only forty
four, including the stewardess, managed TO es-
cape in boats, aud out of the barks crew OF nj
teen only the captain and two seamen were
saved. The next morning the BARR was OBJ
served bottom up. The survivors, after belng
thirty five hours In the boats without 1000 or
water, rescued by the Norwegian bark
Theresa, of Christiana, from that port bound
to Quebec. On the 22d twenty-fouI Of them
were transferred on board the ship Louisa, of
and from Cardiff to Quebec, where they re-
manned until the 9Th day of May, when they
were taken on board the Titania for Quebec.
1t is believed 1876 lives were lost.
In an interview Mr.. Allen gave the
following additional particulars:
The night on which the disaster occurred
was clear, though moonless and the sea was
smooth as glass. He retired to his bunk at
o'clock, leaving the chief officer, Thompson, IN
charge OH deck. About IL o'clock he heard
signal suddenly given to stop the steamers en-
CINE, followed by a fearful crash. He rushed
Immediately on deck, and the first thing he no
ticed was red light pretty close on their star
board bow. At the same moment he heard the
chief officers voice and the cry ''colllslon!"
He perceived the bark which had run into
learned from its captain and two OF its crew, who
were picked up and saved was the Ponema, of
Chatham. n. B., bound from Liver
pool to Mi hi HI, Run Cunning e to
deavored to ascertain the damage done, and,
perceivng an immense gaping hole into which
the sea was fast pouring, and feellng-as he
said himself-that the steamer was goner,
he at once hurried to the captain, who I'M
mediately 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 in
latitude 40 degrees north, longitude 3615 de-
coast. as when their last bearings were taken
that day they were about 1850 north, 1885
west. AS the vessel went down all on deck,
including the captain, were washed off by the
sea. All on board further stated, that the
captain was exceedingly cool-too COOL In
fact, as he did not seem to look upon the dan
ger 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 passengers were not saved. They
NO IA n RI boats
when they saw him so COOL the danger was not
great and, moreover, the sea was so calm. Of
the eight boats carried four 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 anyone had escaped
in them. However, if they had, he did not
want to raise any false hopes. his opinion being
that they never would be heard from again.
When No. 2 boat was being lowered the tackle
cut too quickly, and its occupants, all
passengers, upset into the sea. number, in
Guiding Mr.. Bennett, of London. Ont, chung
to the boats bottom during the remainder of
the night and were picked up in the morning
by other boats. Sunday, after drifting thirty
five hours, they were picked up by the Theresa,
and the following Tuesday the party now. on
board the Titania were transferred to the bark
Louise, of Cardiff, while off Bird rocks, tut.
the latter being overcroWded, the party was
again transferred to the Tltania.
Members of the present party on
beard the Titania presented pitiable
appearance. So sudden was the calami-
ty that many of them, in the hunks at
the time, had to hurry on deck and in
to the boats in their night clothes. Most
of them had but confused idea of what
really took place. All could distinctly
remember, however, the crash and the
rush for the deck.
no tot IF h111It of 1r0Y1
at the works of the Liverpool and Glas-
gov Engineering and Ship-building
Company, on the Clyde, and was
launched IN May, 1875. She was origin
ally called the Queen Margaret, but her
former owners sold her to the State
Line Company, which had her name
changed to the State of Florida. Her
last owners purchased her soon after she
was completed. She was fitted up
specially for the Atlantic trade. The
Florida was regarded as the best steam
ship of the State Line, with the excep-
ton of their new vessel, the State of
Nebraska. She measured 1000 tons
gross and 3, 155 tons net register. Her
dimensions were: Length 3711 feet;
breadth of beam, 385 feet, and
depth of hold, 28f feet. The hull
was provided with five bulkheads, max
ing in all six water-tight compartments.
It was thought that the vessel would
float safely should any one of these be.
come flooded. She was barkantine-rigge d,
and carried good spread of canvas.
She was provided with the regulation
number of life boats, which hung along
the upper deck in davits, from which
they could be lowered at moments no
tice. The vessel was fully insured in
English companies.
QUEBEC, May 12-The bark Their
esa, with the remainder of the survi-
vors of the State of Florida, has arrived.
The agent of the steamer refuses to talk