St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-21

pilot boat, the prov of the OncOming
steamship never swerved. The splash
of the water as it was thrown from the
bow of the big ship could be heard dis.
tinctly as though she was going at full
speed. In minute the crash came. The
iron prov of the French liner La Nor
mandie struck theWebb about seven feet
forward of the fore rigging and ground
through her like an adze into a plank.
Capt. Malcolm. it is said by his friends,
was standing Near the place of collis-
the impact over the low bulWarkS into
the sea. In the excitement of the mo-
ment no thought was given to save him.
1t was one of those occasions when
every mans nature claims self-help.
The boat was b0bbing OminOusly for
ward, pitching her stricken bow under
the water. The men who had been be-
low decks scrambled up and tried to
climb aloft, all the while calling for
help. The N0lmandie was not checked
Immediately, though her engines were
reversed and boats were lowered. but
before the reScuerS got to the spot
where the collision had occurred, with
in three minutes after it had taken
place, the Webb was sunk and the men
were striving to keep themselves af1oat
by means of the wreckage. When the
men were taken out of the water, some
little time after the boat had sunk. it
was found that Charles Fitzgerald, the
boatkeeper, was missing, as well as
Capt. Malcolm. Both were drowned.
These were the survivors: Pilots
James Heines, Robert Hammer, Jr.,
Alexander Scott, Steward Ansel Free
men; seamen, Dagert Olsen, Samuel
7 A
Capt. MalcOlm's guest, Mr.. Green, was
also saved. The Normandie was not
injured a particle, not even showing a
dent in her plates. According to An
derSon, the rescued sailors were no
sooner taken on board the Frenchman
than her captain and chief officer ap-
preached them, ana, instead of giving
them every assistance in their power,
BEGAN SWEARING AT THEM,
"because they had been in the way"
They kept up this billingsgate until
several of the passengers on the boat
interfered and suggested that the men
should be treated more like human be-
ings. s'They ought to be id glad
they're alive" the French captain is
said to have remarked. 1t was some
time after this that they were taken
below and given facilities for drying
their clothes. "The Frenchmen," said
Anderson, .sseemed mad because we
had delayed them. They expressed no
sorrow for the loss of life Or for the ac-
cident. They swore at us as though we
were to blame." The NOrmandie put
back and cast anchor near the Hook.
and at daylight, sighting the Etruria,
and continued her voyage. There. how
hai
night caused general sympathy. They
were very kindly treated, dry
clothing being generously provided, the
passengers subscribing 1865 to fund
for the Wehb's seamen. This amount
was divided pro rata among the five sea.
men. They were brought to this city,
whence they went to their homes.
James Heines was found at 126 Wander
bilt avenue, Brooklyn, last night, and
said that he and his fellows on the pilot
boat had heard the steamers whistles
for nearly half an hour, and sent up two
rockets and two torches. cit was black
as night" said he, ''and we didn't have
a breath of air. We feared from the
loud whistliBg that a big boat was too
near for safety. We were on the point
of sending up another rocket when the
huge bow of the Frenchman doomed up
on our bow, and IN an instant She cut
through us like knife going through a
cheese. / was with Albert Malcolm,
and we sank together. / came up, but
AL didn't. / swan about until the
Normandie's boats picked me up." The
pilots declare that the fault of the colli-
sion was entirely with the officers of
the NOrmandie. The steamship, they
assert. was going at full speed, in order
to make up for the time she lost the
afternoon of Saturday, when she fouled
with Buoy No. and got it's mooring
chains entangled in her propeller. They
say that they did everything in their
power to warn Off vessels, and that the
steamers people must have heard the
fog horn, even if they had not seen the
flash lights. a suit will be begun by
the surviving pilots against the French
company for damages.