Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-05-09
TIE NEWs IN BRIEE.
Terrible Marine Disastsr-I9 Lives
Lnnf.

the l61 souls on board the tlOrlda ~ escaped |
In life boats and we're picked up, and Of 10 |
souls on the bark the captain and two others |
were saved The total number Of lives lost |
by the disaster is, therefore, 1877. The night |
on which the disaster occurred was clear,
though moonless and the sea was ns smooth
as glass. The third officer retired to his bunk
at o'clock, leaving Chief Officer Thompson
in charge of the deck. About II. 10 be heard
the signal suddenly given to stop the steamers
engines, followed by fearful crash. He
rushed Immediately on deck and the FIRST thing
he noticed was red light pretty close on
their starboard bow. AT the Same moment he
heard the chief officers voice and q cry Of
collision" and perceived the bark which had
run into them, go down. Running to the side
of his own vessel no endeavored to ascertain
the damage done, and perceiving an immense
gaping hole into which the sea was fast pour
ing, he at once hurried to tho captain who
gave orders to get out the boats, four of which
were down in 10 minutes, when the State Of
Florida keeled over to port and went down
stern foremost. As near as he could calculate
the disaster occurred in latitude 49o north,
longitude 3G' 30' west, or within about 1900
miles of the Irish coast. As the vessel went
down all on deck, including the captain, were
washed of by the sea. Mr.. Allen further
states 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 with the fact that he appeared in no hur-
ry to save himself, was probably tho reason
that moro of the passengers were not saved
They would not take to the boats, as they
supposed, when they saw him 80 cool, that
the danger was not 30 great, and moreover,
the sea was 30 calm OF the eight boats car
ried four were safely launched two were
smashed by the collision, and of tho other
I,,N tl,avT
washed away when the steamer went down.
When No boat was being lowered the tackle
was cut too quickly, and its occupants, who
were all passengers, were upset into the sea.
number of them chung to the boats bottom
during the rest of the night and were picked
up in the morning by the other boats. On
Sunday morning, after drifting 30 hours, his
boat was picked up by the Theresa. The sur
geon of the Florida, who was rescued, is of
the opinion that the real inwardness of the
accident will never be ascertained, as the
whole thing was too sudden. The passengers
we're all in bed at the time and 80 were the
sailors off duty. He says the officers, crew
and passengers all seemed to have lost their
heads.
DESTRUCTIVE FOREST FIREs-THoUsANDs FPEo.
PIE DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES AND SEVERAL
LIVES LOST.
-OIthl ubNdhlttlOu WIS llhAb INST Ntth ny
forest fires in Pennsylvania, New York and
New Jersey. The people OF the former state
are the greatest sufferers. The three villages
| of Brisbn, Thompson and Gilman's Depot,
about 10 miles from Port Jervis, N. Y, were
| destroyed. Great damage il also reported in
eight counties of Center, Clearfeld, Kean,
| Cameron, North Cumberland, Lycoming, Tio.
| ga and Berks. At Emporium 10000 acres
have been swept destroying among other
| property, four large mills and 30 other build
ings. The loss in mill property is 800, 600.
| The total loss at Brisbn is estimated al
| 81, O36 600. The number of families home.
less and destitute is about 1000 most of whom
are suffering for the necessaries of life. Sub.
scriptions are being Literally given in neigh
| boring towns and 1000 persons have already
| been furnished provisions. The sufferers are
mainly miners. All along the Pennsylvania
and Erie railroad, from Driftwood to Kane
and also along the Tioga railroad much dam
age has been done 800, 900 will not covei
the loss by the burning of Thompson. Som,
| II houses were burned at Arnot loss Slj
OOO Two million feet of lumber were alst
burned. An Ashland despatch puts the dam
age in that region at Sll2, 600, fully 45 squar,
miles of timber land having been run over
The loss at Gilmans station is put at $50,
900, mostly belonging to Alfred Gilman. Tn,
fire started on Friday and all day long TIL
men fought in vain. By > p. NJ. O strong ives
wind set in, and the fire travelled at the rat
Of three miles AL hour, compelling those VIII
were fighting it to run for their lives. Climb
ing the mountain which overlooks Gilman
station ON the west, it descended the side ant
in less than half an hour what was once tn
busiest hamlet on the line of the railroad wa
reduced to ashes, not a stick of timber beinl
left. No personal property was saved. Som
loss Of life is reported.
In New Jersey fires occurred in the vicinit
of Matawan, Marlboro and Browntown. A
the latter place the loss is placed at near
$50, 900. Between 1000 and 5000 acre
have been devastated. The fire is suppose
to have originated from the careless burnin
of brush by one Of the wealthy farmers, an
the losers will try and hold him responsible
The huckleberry crop, which brought nun
dreds of dollars to the poor people of Mats
wan is ruined. Much valuable timber Abou
Asbury park has been burned.
On Long Island upward of 1000 acres c
valuable timber have been destroyed near tn
towns Of Brookhaven, Islip, Huntington, an
East Hampton. Miles of brush and scru
oak in the vicinity of Deer Park Breslau
Babylon, East Port, and Moriches were burr
ed. At Flushing Friday night several hundre
acres of salt meadows were burned over an
there was apprehension for the safety of III
village. The smoke was so dense that horse
driven along the streets were overcome by i
A large quantity of timber land was destroy
ed in the Catskill mountains and serious fire
occurred at Kingston and in other parts of Ii
state.
, The crisis of the forest fires is now regart
ed as past and the losers thereby are estima
ing the losses, which are enormous. Onl
! about five persons have lost their lives so fl
as known, but many hundreds have lost the
: all and need help of every description.
: Gainesville Fla, had a S75, 600 incei
: diary fire, Saturday The Varnum and A
r lington hotels were among the buildings
stroyed.
New York had another six-days' walkir
match last week at Madison-squsre garden,
which the Irish champion Fitzgerald VOL
breaking the record by 10 miles and leadir
5 Rowell, the Englshman, who was second,
eight miles The distance covered was O.
a miles OF the $50, 600 gate receipts Fitzge
, aid gets $11, $50 for his weeks work.
. The National Baptist anniversaries vi
be held this year at Detroit, Mich, May 21-2
The ship Alantine of Drammen, Norwa
was wrecked Wednesday night of last week
t the Gulf of st. Lawrence, and 10 lives we
f lost. The second mate is the only survivor
l. "A company OF English capitalists, il
I said, are buying up all the black walnut tin
. Der at the west that they can get hold of ar
shipping it to England.
"A cyclone struck Del Rio, Tex, Thursdl
evening of last week, and the new Episcop
3 church and number of small cabins we
swept away. Charles Schnack was killed al
five other persons were severely injured. II
loss to the town is $4,000.
twenty-five Mormon elders have ju
n sailed for Liverpool, to work from two to f.
= years in various parts of Europe as missio
s aries.
e All the European steamer lines report
!, great exodus for the old world this year. ar
r most of them say that their cabin room is
b taken up to July.
q Abbott, the defaulting bank cashier
!, the Watertown, Mass, bank, has telegraph
Il his counsel at Pierce City, Mo-, to turn oV
8 to the bank $4,000 of bonds and money whiC
they hold. The bank has already recovert
$4,000 of his stealings.
Destructive storms ragged in Virginia al
Nebraska Tuesday.
e "A Wabash passenger coach and two slice
ers were thrown from the track by a broke
rail near Decatur, ILL.,, Tuesday night, and :
s persons were hurt only ~ of whom we
n prevented from continuing their journey.
j. The steamer Romano. from Hull Enc