Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-22

had f1Rfene0 = ufe pIk &cEvCI oAOoue -
roommate laughed Il me and said that had
hetter not wear the preserver - it might
frishten the passengers He refused to pat
on ope: came on deck and we say how bad
the sisuation vas; ve agreed to stand BY each
other to the last When the ship heeled
over and filed We we're separated; think
vas fi-st ON deck; saw the buoy on the port
aide asked IN officer whom l saw on deck
what the matter was; he replied that the yes
sel would soon be over the ledge and would
be ali right; vent to the sailors quarters and
saw them rushing up the companion way
thew told me thaf the vessel was aground
and things looked bad. l neSt vent along
by the cabin doors; cav some passenger
dressing. some still asleep. Everyone awake
asked if there vas any danger; l generally
replied keep cool and do your best. Get
your life preservers On l helped some OF
them to tie on the preservere; most everyone
got them on Pack side foremost; prayed
With n number of men. l asked one young
man il be was prepared to die. He said no,
and then took . pack Of cards out OF his
pocket, casting them to the winds, saying :
Il can't appear before God with pack OF
cards in my pocket
by this time the vessel had heeled over
and filed; the greatest confusion then en-
sued; women screamed and prayed; shrieks
could be heard above the roar of the sea; the
waves we're breaking clean over her; stood
for moment abaft of the after companion
way; saw . young woman in the companion
wsy holding up q baby over her head. She
was shrieking "Oh, my baby! My darling
BABY" The waves were dsshing around her
and the spray leaped over her head; then
monster wave seized her and carried both
her and the baby into the ocean.
81 heard . passenger complaining to the
captain that he had lost all his baggage.
'Your baggage" exclaimed the captain.
Don't think of that. Pity me, on whom all
the blame falls" l saw . man and woman
struggling With each other in the water. 1t
seemed as if every one was being swept OF
the deck into the sea- l saw my roommate
drop out of the rigging, frozen to death dur
ing the night. The Purser, Mr.. Spaulding.
danced jig on the main top, while others
whistled. did not suffer much from the
cold, although had no Ovcrcoat; my life
preserver kept me warm; l put my hands
into my bare bosom to keep them from
freezing There was much praying. When
the life boat came in the morning, the crew
shouted for Us to jump into the sea. l pre-
pared to do so. but an Irishman next to me
turned around with his arm raised to strike.
saying. You don't go into that boat ahead OF
me- dsdged the blew and the next instant
had leaped and was swimming for the boat /;
got on board all right; took an oar and
rowed hard, after six others had got in,
keeping myself warm by my exer-
tons; have not suffered since l
landed the natives have been kind to me /;
do not feel as l though | had passed through
such terrible trial; l regard myself as
having been saved by the grace of God"
Edward Leary. who was taken off Gay
Head BY the Storm King, was on the lookout
when the steamer struck the ledge. He says
II went on the lookout ut o'clock; when l
discovered that the buoy was on our port
bow l rushed aft and told the second mate,
Harding, that the buoy was on our port; he
at once gave an order to port and the captain
hearing the order came out and called hard
a-port' then we struck the rock in . few
minutes she heeled over and filed; the
greatest confusion then prevailed; it was
every man for himself and the devil for the
hindmost."
The other seamen tell similar stories, all
confirming the statement that no effort was
made to save the women and children. All
of the five survivors taken of today left for
Boston tonight. 1t is understood that an
effort will soon be made to secure the bodies
in the wreck if there are any there. There
are a great many visitors here who say they
are going to stay until they find the bodies of
their lost relatives. Capt Wright was on
the Storm King today. but positively refused
to see any one. Capt. Wright in his original
statement said he ordered the course west,
southwest.
The quartermaster contends that he was
ordered to steer southwest by west.
Mcdonald further stated that the vessel
fell off two points after striking the rocks.
The party on the tug Nellie took the pres
haa rinU of tho Wpock tOdav The vesapl
heads almost west by southwest, as the cap
tain says the course was ordered. But al
lowing for the falling of, spoken of by Nc
Donald, she must have been steered south
west by west when she struck.
Purser Spaulding's statement that the YES
sci only moved Is feet after striking directly
contradicts the captains story that the vessel
moved two lengths.
1t is not probable that any more bodies
will be picked up at present, although stray
ones may be beached at any time for the next
two weeks.
Capt. Wright is completely Frustrated and
keeps to the pilot house of the tug.
All trains into the city were even more
crowded than usual tonight. The excite.
ment seems to increase rather than abxte.
Searching parties are being organized among
persons now here seeking relatives. The
tug Nellie will take . large party in the after
noon to cruise along the shore of No Mans
Land and other points not visited. The Mel.
lies search party for tomorrow is a. follows
W. A. Boidman of Hyde Park, looking for
his son, VIM. ID. Bofdman; w. d. Eaton of
Bangor, Me-; J. B. L. Bartlett Of Mattapan.
searching for lady who started south with
Mrs. Rich, whose body was recognized today ;
H. A. Thompson of Dorchester, looking for
his brother-in-law, and also for Col Rand s
family; J. E. Goddard of Charlestown, look
ing for his brother; Geo. f. Goddard of
Stowe, Mass. G. J. Whitcomb of Hudson.
one Of the surviving passengers of the wreck,
looking for Mr.. Goddard, his companion; A.
S. Belyea, looking for his children and
brother-in-law; E. W. Lawrence of Fitch
burg, looking for his father, Capt Levi
Lawrence; j. B. Parker Of Nashua, N. H.,
looking for his brother-in-law: w. T. Cady
and son of Chelsea, looking for Mrs. Caro-
line E. Slade Frank Bell of Hollis, looking
for his brother; o. J. Slocum of Maine,
looking for his brother-in-law. Also several
others whose names are not given.
The party intend to visit the wreck and
other coast points. No one will be allowed
in the party except those who have lost
friends.
THE DOVER MURDER.