Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-05-30
SENT TO DAVY JONES.

1 -
Serious Maritime Collision Near NIontreal
| Whereby Eight Lives Were Lost ant
the Steamship Cynthia Sent to the Bot
tom by the Polynesian-The Victims AL
Glasgow Men-Inhospitable Canadians
MONTREAL, Can, May pa serious
collision occurred on the river yesterday
morning, between the Royal Mail steam.
er Polynesan, Of the Allen line, COM
manded by Captain Hugh Wyne, and the
steamer Cynthia, of the Donaldson line,
commanded by Captain John Taylor, re-
sulting in the sinking of the latter vessel
and the loss of her crew. The Polynesian
left port shortly after half-past three
O'Clock yesterday morning, and pro-
ceeded down the Varennes channel. OPP
posite Point Trembles she perceived the
Cynthia, inward bound.
From the details obtained it appears
that there is dangerous curve in the
| channel at this point, and that through
some misunderstanding Of the ''rules of
| the road" the Polynesian was brought
into collision with the Cynthia, striking
| her at the port bow and causing such a
| gap in her side as to sink her in a few
minutes. Those on deck had barely time
to rush below and warn the members Of
| the crew who were off watch and asleep
| III their berths to get on deck and swim
| ashore to save their lives.
The Cynthia carried no passengers.
Sac was from Glasgow with q general
cargo. chiefly of pig iron. The following
is a list Of the crew of the Cynthia who
lost their lives:
Hugh Irving, chiaf-cook; Glasgow.
Alexander Nicholas, sailor; Glasgow.
Andrew Vance, trimmer.
Charles McCracken, trimmer.
James Low, fireman; Glasgow.
James Ferron, boatswaiu.
Charles Blackstock, mess room boy.
David Young, a stowaway from Glas-
gov.
John Co ates, chief officer of the Gym
thla, was seen on board the steamer AL
cides. He was clad in suit of clothes
borrowed from brother officer. He was
below at the time of the catastrophe. He
felt tremendous crash and rushed on
deck, where he found that the Cynthia
had been struck by big steamer, which
he learned was the Polynesian, and both
vessels backing from each other, he had
scarcely time to observe anything, as the
Cynthia began to settle down.
1t appeared to be about seven minutes
from the time he felt the shock until she
sunk.
Captain Taylor was the bridge at
the time with the pilot. and the Cynthia
was on the proper side of the river.
The rules of the sea, which prevail
likewise in the river, are that vessels
shall pass each other on the port side.
The position in which the Cynthia now
lies, Mr.. Coates contends, is evidence
that she was in her proper course, and as
the Polynesian struck her on the star
board side, he holds that this shows that
somehow or other she was going out of
her proper course. He believes that
there was something wrong with the
steerage gear Of the Polynesian, as 9TH
erwise she could hardly have gone astray;
or that she was being steered from the
stern instead of from the bridge. which
he considers very dangerous. The Gym
thia was being steered from the bridge.
The Cynthia was built by Henderson, of
Glasgow. Her sister ship, the Titania,
was wrecked about three years ago off
Anticosti.
The cargo of the Cynthia comprised
about fifty thousand tons Of pig iron and
coal.
Mr.. Coates spoke in strong terms Of
the lack Of hospitality on the part Of the
Canadians. Notwithstanding the fact
that the survivors were dripping wet, no
one offered them shelter or refreshments,
and they had to walk all the way to the
tOWn. ABOUT ten IeeC Oh mast, one DDaC,
full of water, and another almost totally
submerged, is all there is visible of the
Cynthia.
The hull has totally disappeared, and is
lying at the bottom, not more than twelve
feet from the shore.
According to the people in the vicinity
of the shore who witnessed the catas-
trophe, the collision took place about
twenty minutes to five O'Clock, and in
twenty minutes more the boat had disap-
peared. The bow, which was struck, went
down first, lifting the screw partly out Of
the water, and then she Topped over,
all but three men into the wa
ter. Most of these could swim, and saved
When a boat came to the
assistance of the men on the hulk, they
refused to leave until the pilot, who was
in great danger Of drowning. had been
saved. They evidently did not know their
peril, and when the vessel suddenly sank
one of them, who was unable to swim,
was drowned, together with seven others
whose retreat from below had been cut
off by the in-rushing waters.
When the Cynthia struck bottom there
was report like that of cannon and
shock that made window panes shiver
md chimneys tumble down.