Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-25
HOW CAPT. GRACE DIED.
PANIC AND DEATH ON BOARD THE
STEAMER AMERICA.

The Captains Heroic Exposure to the
Storm for Forty-Two Hours People
Cry of Fire" Adds Terror to the Scene
A Leap Overheard.
NEW YORK, Oct 25-The death Of Capt
Grace Of the steamer America, which was
announced in these dispatches yesterday, Is
surrounded by halo of heroism. The noble
captain died from congestive chill brought
on by being exposed TO a severe storm for
forty-two hours. The story as taken from
the log of the vessel is as follows:
The America left Queenstown on Thursday
morning week ago, with fair weather, but
wi thin two hours after leaving the harbor a
storm came up, which the officers of the shin
describe as the most violent that the vessel
ever passed through. Capt Grace went to
| the bridge at the first sign of bad weather
and remained there for fortyt two hours, ex-
posed not only to the wind and
rain but TO the waves, which, during
Thursday night, washed clear over the
bridge, filling the lifeboats with water and
clearing everything from the decks that the
the midst of the storm a stoker, who had
narrowly escaped being hurled INTO the fire
by the pitc hing of the vessel. deserted his
post and rushed up on deck with the avowed
intention Of jumping overb card rather than
risk again the danger of his work. He was
forced back to the furnace-room, but his
fright soon developed into insanity, and he
was found crouching between two furnaces
in abiect terror, awaiting another opportu-
nifty TO commit suicide He was placed in
iron
At the same time panic was created in
the steerage by the alarm of Fire and
several hundred men and women rushed to
the matches endeavoring TO get to the boats
Dense volumes of what seemed to be smoke
throughout the ship caused the alarm, and
the officers in charge had desperate fight
for some time to control the frightened
steerage passengers Investigation showed
that the 'snoke" was merely steam caused
by some water having washed over hot
steam-pipes.
But again fright had developed into case
of insanity, and one of the steerage passen-
gers, an Englishman who had deserted his
family and his position on an English 20
llce force, now attacked the stewards with
razor and threatened to kill any
one who tried to prevent his jump
ing overheard. He was placed under watch
after being disarmed and became quioter
after the storm had sIbsided cook was
severely injured during the storm by being
thrown across the kitchen with knife in his
hand, cutting his head About noon on Sat
urday Capt. Grace left the bridge, the ship
being entirely out of danger, but his forty
two hours exposure without sleep, and the
nervous strain caused by the chapter of Incl
dents referred to, was too much for him
Five minutes after coming off duty the reac-
ton developed into congestive chill. and at
1880 p. m. he died His daughter was with
him.
On Sunday morning the insane English
man succeeded in breaking away from his
guards in the steerage, and, amid great ex-
citement among the men, women and chill
dren who witnessed the struggle, he leaped
overheard and was drowned On Monday
baby died in the steer age and il was buried in
the sea the next morning The death of
Capt. Grace caused deep grief among the
cabin passengers, and at general meeting
in the saloon appropriate resoluti ons were
adopted by them