St. Paul daily globe., 1886-12-03
A SIORM-SWEPT SHIP.
Frightful Experience of the Steamer West
enland While at Sea Last Satur-
day Afternoon.
The Vessel Deluged By MOnstrous Wall
of Water at Least Forty
Feet High.
Six Men Killed and Thirteen Others
Injured by the Catas-
trophe.
Names of the Dead and Wounded
Other Accidents on Sea and
Land.

JERSEY O1l ~ Osa DOO' - - 1922
.ul disaster, involving the death OF SIX men
and the infliction of serious injuries to
thirteen others. was reported this afternoon
lpon the arrival of the steamship Weston
and. On Saturday afternoon, Nov. 27,
huge cross sea was suddenly encountered,
md it fell with terrific force upon the
forward deck of the steamship. The
Westenland was then seven days out from
Antwerp. The deck was crushed in and
buried the unfortunates beneath mass of
wooden and iron debris. The next instant
the water swept along the gangway,
carrying several persons with it.
THE CRASH WAS TERRIFIC,
but before the appalling nature Of the acci-
dent was realized by the passengers the
officers of the ship had all the men avail
able engaged in the work Of rescue. The
Injured were taken to the intermediate
cabin. which was transformed into hos
pital. Four men were found killed out
right. They were:
RASMUSS SANDAGEN, aged 81, of Ant
werp His skull was crushed to jelly.
GUSTAVE DUBART, aged 43, of Antwerp,
crushed TO death beneath heavy iron beam.
He leaves a wife and three children.
EMILE LACOCK, 26 years old, of Antwerp,
unmarried.
HENRY JARRENS. aged 81. unmarried.
His leg was broken and his throat was cut.
The two others killed were Steerage pas
sengers. Max Frank. IS years old. of Ger
many. and Gabriel Lavadiera, aged II, of
ConstantinOple. Franks abdomen was cut
open and his skull fractured. lie died at
1:3O o'clock Sunday morning.
TIE INJURED SEAMEN ARE:
Second Boatswain NEIL HANSON, left
leg and arm broken.
NILS OLSEN. both legs broken.
JAVINNUS DEJENJHE, leg broken and
ruptured.
HENRY VERSTRAIEN, both legs broken
and chest bruised.
FRANCIS FRANK. CHARLES BEDO and
FERDINAND HILDEMAND, slight bruises.
THE INJURED PASSENGERS ARE:
JOHN LIVADEN, both arms broken. He
is a brother Of the young passenger who
died from his injuries.
MAX K0GL, leg broken.
JULIUS WIEL, severe confusion on back
and abdomen.
FRANCIS TARGANI, three ribs broken
and lung punctured.
GUSTAVE BREENN, severe confusion on
back and thighs and face badly cut
JOSEPH CHRISTIAN, arm broken
MARTIN NIASERA. ankle sprained and
back bruised
The dead were buried at sea. Many af-
fecting scenes were witnessed at the I'M
provised hospital. when passengers inquired
about their injured friends. Everything
possible was done for the reliet OF the in
iured. The cabin passengers showed there
svmpathv with the unfortunate by many
kindly acts and raised a purse OF 1000
francs to be distributed among the families
of the dead and injured. An Inspection
of the vessel afforded some idea OF the terri
BILE blow she had received. The crushed deck
was known as the forward whales back.
1t was constructed of four inch pine plankS,
resting upon massive iron beams. These
in turn were upheld by three inch iron
StanchiOnS.
THE VAST VOLUME OF WATER
struck the whales back about fifteen feet
from the stem, and crushed in section 29
feet in length and extend ng the full width
of the steamship. Second Officer E. HOtf
made the following statement:
We left Antwerp on Saturday, Nov. 20, with
siYtv-uiue cabin aud 574 steerage passengers,
and q full cargo. At 2:3O O'Clock Saturday
afternoon. Nov. 81, we were in latitude A
deg 81 min, longitude 43 deg. 81 min. | was
on the main bridge when l noticed an enor-
NOUS wave on the starboard bow. The
next instant another towering wave joined
it from the port side. They seemed to leap
into the air as they mingled. They must
have been nearly forty feet high, as l saw
their united mass above the fol- emast. Then
came a crash of the water upon the deck.
thought that a dozen cannOns had been fire
at once The water swept from one END
TO the other of the main deck and carried
everything before it. The disaster was not
met with in a storm. Merely good, strong
breeze was blowing from the sou invest, with
q cbopping sea. The vessel was
STEAMING AT HALF-s PEED,
eiuht knots per hour. The day was clear
Most of the cabin pass engers were below
A group of sailors were on the forward
deck. under which is what is techni
cally known as the forward turtle-back
Moving around them were several steeragG
passengers who were IDLY watching the
sailors weaving 'senpet." a material fol
mating used for sails. The first officer wa.
below. 1t was the starbodrd watch, and the
captain and sect nd o-icer were on deck, the
latter heinu on the bridge.