The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-05-15

The State Of Florida Lost OF the
Irish Coast I'm Collision
with a Bark.
Immediate Sinking of Both Vessels
1876 Persons Drowned and "A
Rescued.
Starving In Ocean Boats - Thrilling
Stories OF the Survivors OF
the Wreck.

All doubts as to the fate Of the steamship
State Of Florida are ended, says Quebec
dispatch. The vessel was sunk April Is in
collision in mid-ooean with the bark
Ponema of Chatham, N. b. Out of l67 per-
sons on board the State Of Florida, only
forty four were saved, while of the barks
crew Of fifteen only the captain and two
men were rescued. One hundred and TWEEN
ty three souls went down with the steamer
and twelve with the bark, making a total loss
of 1876. Those saved were picked up by the
bark Theresa of Norway. Later twenty-four
of them were put on the bark Louisa and
brought as far as the mouth of the Gulf OF
ST Lawrence, where the Titania, bound
from Glasgow to Montreal, was met. The
Titania took off twenty four of the passen-
gers and crew rescued from the State OF
Florida, leaving twenty on the bark, which
is now on its way to this port.
The following is the official report of the
third officer of the State of Florida: Left
New York April IL, with about 1877 passen-
gers and crew, and full general cargo.
All went well until the night of the 18th.
At ii 80 o'clock we came in collision with
the bark Ponema, of Chatham, n. B.,
Capt. Hetburn. Both ships went down al
most instantly, and out of the steamers
passengers and crew only forty -four, includ-
ing the stewardess, managed to escape in
the boat, and out of the bark crew of fif-
teen only the captain and two seamen were
saved. The next morning the bark was OBJ
served bottom up. The survivors, after be-
ing thirty-fve hours in the boats without
food or water, were rescued by the Nor
nor of Ghrtcf nia
from that port for Quebec. On the Odd,
twenty four of them were transferred on
board the ship Louisa, of and from Cardiff
for Quebec, where they remained until May
5, when they were taken on board the Ii
tania for Quebec. 1t is believed that 135
lives were lost"
The third officer DANES Allen says that
the night on which the disaster occurred
was clear, though moonless, and the sea as
smooth as glass. He retired to his bunk at
o'clock, leaving the chief officer (Thomp-
SOM in charge of the deck. About lilo he
heard signal suddenly given to stop the
steamers engines, followed by fearful
crash. He rushed Immediately on deck, and
the first thinghe noticed was a red light
pretty close to their starboard bow. At the
same moment he heard the chief officers
voice and the cry Collision" He then
saw the bark which had run into them 60
down. This bark, he afterward learned
from its captain and two of its crew who
were saved, was the Ponema, of
Chatham. n. B., bound from Liverpool TO
Mirimichi. Running to the side of his own
vessel, he underworld TO ascertain the dam
age done, and perceiving an immense gap
ing hole into which the sea was fast pour
ing, and feeling the steamer was lost, he at
once hurried 10 the captain, who immedi-
ately gave oeders 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. Far
as he could calculate, the disaster occurred
about 100 miles off the Irish coast.
As the vessel went down, all on deck, in
Guiding the captain, were washed off by the
sea. 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 probably
the cause why more of the passengers were
not saved. They would not take to the boats,
as they supposed, when they saw him so cool,
that the danger was not SO great. OF the
eight boats carried four were safely
launched, and two were smashed by the
collision. OF the other two Allen knew
nothing, but believed they were washed
not believe any one had escaped in them.
However, if they had he did not want to
raise any false hopes, his opinion being
they would never be heard from again.
When No. 2 boat was being lowered the
tackle was cut too quickly and it's occupants,
all passengers, were upset into the sea. A
number, including Bennett, of London,
Canada, chung to the boats bottom during
the remainder of the night, and were picked
up in the morning by the other boats.
James Bennett, of London, Ontario, the
only first-class passenger saved, says that
when the order was given rush was made
for the boats, and II number of persons, in
GLIDING himself, got into boat No. 2. The
panic on board the doomed ship was fright
full. The lady passengers, of whom
there were only three or four, re-
fused to go in the boat. Jane McFar-
lane, the stewardess, was only saved
from herself and the terrible fate inn
pending by the elf-sacrifice and gallantry
of James Balm, the chief engineer, who
lost his life in saving hers. He had to use
all his strength TO tear her from the deck of
the vessel and force her into the boat. AT
that moment the ship careened to starboard
and went down, carrying with her the brave
engineer and all the others remaining on
board.
Bennett was standing so near the side
when the collision took place that had not
friend pulled him away he would have been
killed on the spot. The ships doctor,
alongside of him, was injured by a broken
spar. The crew all rushed for the boats
The passengers seemed paralyzed. as did
also the. captain, who was washed from the
deck just before the vessel went
down, within twelve minutes of
the time she was struck.
Allan, the third officer, was the first to give
the alarm that the vessel was sinking. Ben
nett says he pushed number of friends
into one of the boats and jumped in him
sci. He complains that the boat had no
water-casks containing water. He added
that the City of Rome ignored all the The
resa's signals, although they were seen quite
well. but went ON her way unconcernedly,