The Portland daily press., 1886-06-02
THE MISSING SIBERIAN.
Fears for the Safety Of an Allan
Steamship.
What the Alice Garter Reports off
Cape Race.

People of Halifax are alarmed over the
safety of the Allan line steamer Siberian,
which sailed over a week ago for st. johns
N. F., and Liverpool. The steamer arrived
at Halifax from Baltimore on Saturday,
May %, and number of passengers 1or ot'
Johns and Liverpool went on board there.
Since sailing she has not been heard from.
Under favorable circumstances the passage
to ST. Johns should be made in about 90
hours. but for the past eight days the New
foundland coast has been enveloped in dense
fog and surrounded by ice bergs, and during
all this time guns have been firing and
fog whistles sounding day and night at
the signal station at the entrace to st. Johns
harbor.
On her last voyage from Liverpool a few
weeks ago, some of the Siberian's iron bow
plates were bent by contact with ice, but no
danger from this condition was apprehended
if the captain carefully avoided ice fields on
the return passage. The ship was examined
several times before sailing, and it was be-
lieved that she could cross to England again
without the slightest fear being felt, the cap
tain being instructed to use the greatest pre-
cautions. The hopes of the friends of those
on board lie in the belief that the fog and ice
being met, the steamer is awaiting better
and less dangerous opportunity to reach port
1t is considered that either this precaution is
being taken or, finding it impossible to enter
| st. Johns, the captain has decided to pro-
coed to Liverpool without running any risk.
| The Siberian's commander, Capt. Moore, has
| been in charge of this ship only short time,
and is comparative stranger to the New
| foundland coast. No fear is felt because of
| this fact, as Capt. Myths of the Allan steam
| er Newfoundland is passenger on the ST.
berian, and is thoroughly acquainted with
| the coast.
The Siberian took on board at Halifax 20
saloon, intermediate and 40 steerage pas
sengers. The following are her first-class pas
sengers: Homer Ely of New York, Bishop
Jones of st. Johns, Miss Saint, Capt. Myli-
us, Mr.. Bingham, Mr.. Weber, Mrs. john
son and child, J. r. Rudolf, j. R. Rudolf,
Jr., Mr., Ellis. Mrs. Dart, two children and
nurse, Minnie Campbell, C. II. Fisher, Mr..
Wallace and Maj. Pectou and child.
| A dispatch dated st. Johns N. F., says the
| fears entertained for the safety of the Sibe-
rian are deepening. A coasting schooner
| from the northward arrived Sunday evening
and reported having seen large three-mast-
ed steamer off Torbay, nine miles east of ST..
Johns. The Hercules, a powerful steam
screw tug, was immediately dispatched. The
| ship proved to be the warship Emerald,
bound for st. Johns on fishery protection
| service, awaiting the fog to lift to enter port.
| The Emerald arrived yesterday morning.
| The Siberian was due at 10 o'clock last
| Wednesday morning, and during the interval
four steamships, including the Emerald, 10
foreign sailing ships, and numberless local
/ coasting crafts have arrived safely. Tug
boats were engaged yesterday and today zig
tagging the coast in vain quest of the missing
| steamship.
| The schooner Alice Carter, from Cape
| Breton, arrived in st. Johns, n. f., yester-
day, and reports having passed a three-mas-
ted steamer on Wednesday. The masthead
was barely visible above the fog. The steam
| er was blowing her steam whistle every few
minutes and discharging rockets. The wind
| was south at the time. The fog was dense
and the icebergs were in every direction.
| from the position of the steamer and dead to
leeward, terrible crash was heard. The
whistles ceased to blow. The rockets were
invisible. 1t was perfectly calm by this
| time, and the fog so dense that the captain
! of the schooner could not attempt to render
| any assistance. The position of the steam
er was about 10 miles east of Cape Race.