Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-05-29
EIGHT PERSONS ROWNED.
The Steamer Cynthia Sunk in Collision
Near Montreal.

The Steamer Cynthia Sunk in Collision
Near Montreal.
MONTREAL, Que, May pa serious
collision occurred in the river this
morning, between the Royal Mail steam
er ~Polynesian, of the Allan Line, COM
manded by Capt. Hugh Wylie, and the
steamer Cynthia, of the Donaldson Line,
commanded by Capt. John Taylor, re-
sulting in the sinking of the latter YES
'sel and the loss of eight of her crew.
The Polynesian left port shortly after
4:30 o'clock this morning, and proceed
ed down the Varennes Channel. Oppo-
site Point Trembles she perceived the
Cynthia, inward bound. From the de-
tails obtained it appears that there is a
point, and that through some mis-
understanding of the ''ruIe of the
road" the Polynesian was brought
into collision with the Gym
thia, striking her on the port
bow and causing such gap in her side
as to sink her in a few minutes, the YES
sci filling with great rapidity. Those on
deck had barely time to rush below and
warn the members of the crew who
were off watch and asleep in their
berths to get on deck and swim ashore
to save their lives. The Cynthia carried
no passengers. She was from Glasgow,
with a general cargo, chiefly Of pig iron.
Following is the list OF the crew of the
Cynthia who lost their lives: Hugh
Irving, chief cook, of Glasgow; Alex
ander Nicholas, sailor, Glasgow; An
drew Vance and Charles McCracken,
cow; James Ferron, boatswain, Charles
Young. a stowaway. from Glasgow.
John Coates, chief officer of the Gym
thia, was interviewed on board the
steamer Alcides. He was clad in a
suit of clothes borrowed from a brother
officer. He said he was below at the
time Of the catastrophe. He felt a tre-
mendous crash, and rushed on deck,
where he found that the Cynthia had
been struck by a big steam
er, which he learned was the
Po]ynesian. Both vessels were backing
from each other. He had barely time
to observe anything, as the Cynthia be-
gan to settle down. 1t appeared to be
about seven minutes from the time he
felt the shock to the time she sank.
Capt. Taylor was on the bridge at the
was on her proper side of the
river. The rule of the sea,
which prevails likewise in the
river, is that vessels shall pass each 9TH
er on the port side. The position in
which the Cynthia now lies, Mr. Coates
contends, is proof positive that she was
on her proper course, and as the Poly
nesian struck her on the starboard side,
he holds that this shows that somehow
or other she was going out of her prop
er course.
The bow, which was struck, went
down first, lifting the screw partly out
of the water, and then she Topped over,
throwing all but three men In the water.
Most of these could swim and saved
themselves. When a boat came to the
assistance of the men on the hull
they refused to leave until the
pilot, who was in great danger of drown
ing, had been saved. They evidently
did not know of their peril, and when
the vessel suddenly sank, one of them
tim of his heroism and was drowned,
together with sever others, whose re-
treat from below had been cut
of by the inrushing water. When the
Cynthia struck bottom there was a re-
port like that of a cannon, and q shock
that made window panes shlver and
chimneys tumble down.
Tbs Cynthia was built by Henderson,
of Glasgow. Her sister ship, the Tt
tania, was wrecked about three years
age off A~nticosti. The cargo of the Gym
thia comprised about sou toms of pig
iron and 500 tons of coal.