The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-15
In THE BAY OF BISCAY.
Graphic Account of the Collision Be.
tween the Gijon and Laxham.
Heroism of the Omcers-PfteOus
Scenes as the Ships WENT Down.
Suherings of a Roat-Load
of Survivors.


D'Granados, a wealthy Cuban, recently ar
rived from Europe on the steamer Bothnia,
gives the following account CT the wreck OF
the Laxham and Gijon, in the hay of Biscay,
he having been a passenger on the Gijon;
"As We steamed out of Corunna it becams
so foggy that those sitting in the stern of the
vessel could not see those sitting forward,
and | was just beginning to wonder what
would happen if an accident occurred, when
l heard an awful crash and long,
loud shrek, and the next thing | knew
was that the Gijon had struck the center of a
steamer which was passing across her bow.
1t was then about a quarter of O'Clock in
the evening, and we were not more than
twenty-five miles distant from the coast.
Capt. Valdamar lglesias at once ordered the
engines of the Gijon TO be stopped, 50 that
the men of the other steamer, which turned
out to be an English vessel, the Laxham
might he able to leap on board His orders
were obeyed, and nineteen men out
of twenty three reached our YES
sci. They told us, however, that
the captain of the English steamer
with his wife and infant daughter were either
on the Laxham OF in the water, and our cap,
tain at once lowered boat, and after short
search found them and brought them on
board a few seconds later the boilers of the
Laxham burst, and within eight minutes
after the collision took place she had disap-
peared from sight As she Went down a curl
GUS grinding noise was heard in our hold,
and we all knew that the Gijon had been
damaged by the bursting of the Laxharn,
and was doomed to go down also
Capt. IgleSias acted like a hero. He bade
his men lower the boats, and see that the
passengers lives were saved. Four out of
the eight boats were quickly lowered, and
eighty out Of the 100 persons on board
crowded into them. All of them, of course,
could not find room, and it was piteous to see
the agonized faces and hear the awful cries
Of husbands and wives who stood clutching
the iron rails of the vessel and clasping their
little children to their arms The agony OF
one family was terrible to witness.
1t consisted of a gentleman from Porto
Rico, his sisters-in-law, his wife, his
grandmother, and his nine little chill
dren. He might have escaped, hut
he preferred to die with his kindred than to
live without them. Nothing, too, exceeds
tie heroism of the two captains. The Eng
lish one, though he must have known that
our vessel was sinking, staid behind to com
fort his poor wife, and Capt. lglesias refused
positively to quit the steamer while there was
a timber of her together and swore that he
would shoot any man of his crew who flinched
from his work as long as there was breath ir
his body. And he meant it, too, for | saw
him standing there on the deck with his re
volver in his hand, and long after l had left
the vessel heard him eXhorting those of the
crew who staid by him to do their work
up to the last, and then, if it was
necessary, meet their doom like men. IL
this way died two brave captains, and with
them died 10 other persons, including most
of the crew Of the English steamer and most
of the first and second-class passengers of the
Gijon. | had the luck to find room in beat
in which there were sixteen others. There
were no women in our boat. So the seven
teen Of us rowed away from the Gijon, keep
ing clear of the other three equally vel
loaded boats, which, by the way, we never
saw afterward, though we heard that they
got safe to land, and when we were twenty
fathoms away a blood-curdling scream
| rang out over the water, and we looked
and saw that the Gijon had disappeared
We rowed On as best we could. and pres
emily a voice hailed U.s. and Ill a little while
the third officer of the Gijon swan alongside
and we took him on board We rowed al
that night in the Bay Of Bisoay, and whe1
| the morning came and puff of breeze sprane
UP we made a sail out of a coat, and two
| jibs of couple of pocket handkercniefs, 'ant
SO managed to make good headway until the
night fell again. All this time, remem
| Der, we We're without food or drink of any
kind, and bravely as we tried to bear oul
! bad luck some of us began to lose heart, anC
! to whisper that if no succor came at dawn i
would be necessary to draw lots in order thai
some one of US might be compelled to offel
| himself as a victim for the rest. Soon tn,
whisper grew into steady demand ant
! came at last to the ears of Pedro Mendez, 1
Roman Catholic priest.
This priest strenuOusly and successfully
| opposed our desire to safe life by subsistinl
| on human flesh That second morning w
| sighted two steamers but though we tried t
| attract their attention they evidently failet
| to see U.s. Soon after noon, however as W.
were nearing the coast of Portugal, an Eng
lish vessel the Zoe commanded by Capt W
| F. Husband, bore down on us and took us ol
| board
Almost all the passengers on the GiJol
were wealthy people, who were making thei
usual trip to Cuba, some of them being yer,
anxious to leave Spain on account of thel
| dread of cholera There were no passenger
on the Laxham The number of ladies o.
board the Gijon is said to have been betweel
fifty and sixty How many were saved
not accurately known.
! A Chinese Diplomat in Trouble.
| 4 nto.hE Ernrn llnr M