The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-05-31

SERIOUS |.IIItInE MiI<1HM NtNT atNIfE&As
whereby Eight sAss~ Mere Lost and
Ia >tsamshsp Gynth.a sent q. the fsof-
tom hy the r.Is..-isn--Ihr saes.n~ Al
Gis.gow Men nh.spitshis Canadians.
Nn>rREA Al. Can. May e3-A serious
collision occurred on ths river yesterday
morning. helween the Royal Mail steam-
or rol,nc.ian. ~ the Allen line. com-
mandei by Captain Hngh wynr. anil tho
steamer Cynthia. 10 the Drnnll,oa iiur.
commanded BY Captain john Taylor. re-
snlting Ia the sinking ~ the latter vessel
aud the los ~ her crew. Tire l'oiyne~nn
left port shortly after hnlf-iaSf ihrv.
o'clock Yesterday morning. and pro-
creded down the Varrnnes channel. OPP
loSitr Point Trembies >he perceived 'As
Cynthia, inward bound.
From IN. details obtained il appears
that there Il a dangerous curve la the
hnEnel az this point, AMI that through
some misunderstanding ~ The 'rule~ "t
the ruad" the Ppiynesian was hrough.
into collision with the Cynthia. striking
her at the port low aud canSin. such a
gap IN her side A. 20 sink her ia a few
minutes. Those on deck had barely time
g. rush below anl warn the members ~
slAr crew WHO were on watch and asleep
in their bcrths - get on deck and swim
ashore ~ save their lives.
The Cynthia carried no passengers.
She was from Glasgow with a general
cargo. chiefly u pig iron. The following
j. a list ~ the crew ~ the Cynthia who
lost their liNess
Hugh Irving. chief-cook: Glasgow.
Alexander Nicholas. sailor; Glasgow.
Andrew Nauce, trimmer.
Charles NcCracken. trimmer.
James LOW, fireman.; Glasgow.
James Frrron. boat~wain.
Charles Blackstock. mes~-reom boy.
David Young. a >towaway from Glas-
Cow.
John co ates. chief officer II the Gym
thia, was seen on board the teamer Al
ciie<. He was clad IN a suit ~ clothes
borrowed from a brother officer. He Wa
below at the time ~ the caia~tropnc. He
felt d tremendous crash aud rushed on
deck. where he found that the Cynthia
had been struck by a biz steamer. which
he learned was the poiyne~ian. aud both
vessels backing from each other. he had
scarcely tirle 80 observe anything. a. the
Cynthia began 10 settle down.
IL appeared to be about seven minutes
from the time he felt the shock until She
sunk.
Captain Taylor was on the bridge az
the time with the pilot. and the Cynthia
was on the proper side Of the river
The rules ~ the sen. which prevail
likewise III the river. are that vessels
shall pass each other On the port side.
The position in which the Cynthia nos
lies. Mr.. Coates contends. l. evidence
that she wa~ Ia her proper course. aud ~
the Polynesian struck her on the star
board side. lie holds that this shows that
somehow or other she Wa going out ~
her proper course. He believes that
there Wa something wrong with the
steerage gear ~ the Py,yn-~ian. as 9th
erwiSe she colli hardly have gone aStray:
or that sLe was being sterrei from the
stern instead ~ from the bridge. which
he considers very dangerous. The Gym
thla was being ~teered from the bridge.
The Cynthia was built by Henderson. ~
Glasgow. Her sister ship. The Titania.
was wrecked about three years AZ, o1
Anficos.i-
The cargo OF the Cynthia comprised
about fifty thousand tons o. pig iron and
coal.
Mr.. Coates spoke In strong terms ~
the lack ~ hospitality on he part ~ the
Canadians. Notwithstanding the fact
that the survivors were dripping wet no
one offered them shelter Or refreshments.
and they had 10 walk all the way 70 the
town. About ten feet of mast. one boat.
full 81 water. and another almost totally
submerged, l. all there Is visible os the
Cynthia
The hull has Totally disappeared. andis
lying al the bottom. not more than twelve
feet from the shore.
According 70 the people in the vicinity
Of the shore who witnessed the cntas-
trophe. the collision took place about
twenty minutes 10 five o'clock- and in
twentym minutes more the boat had disap-
peared. Tie bow. which was struck. went
down first. lifting the screw partly out ~
the water. and then she lop,rd over.
throwing MI but three men into the wa
ter. Most os these could swim. aud saved
themselves. When a boat came ~ tire
assistance 81 the men on the hulk. they
refused r. leave until the pilot. who was
IN great danger ~ drowning. hal been
saved. They evidently did not know their
peril. and when the vessel suddenly sank
one 81 them. who was unable % swim.
was drowned. together with ssv~n others
whose retreat from below had been cut
un vs. the in-ru~Ling waters.
When the Cynthia struck bottom there
was a report like that of a cannon aud q
shock that made window paaes shiver
and chimueys tumble down