New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-01
DROWNED IN A COLLISION.
SEVENTY LIVES NAY BE LOST.
A SPANISH STEAMER CUT DOWN BY BIG
SCHOONER

DUH SlNh WITHIN SEVEN MlNUIES-ALb ihE
PASSENGERS ON THE vIzCAYA SUPPOSED
TO BE DRowNED-HER CAPTAIN IN
sTANTLY KILLED-sAILoRs CLING
TO THE RIGGING FOR HOURS
WEALTHY CUBAN MISS
ING.
The Spanish steamer Vizcaya and the schooner
Ccti clius Hargrave were in collision off BarneSat
on Thursday night. Both vessels went down.
II is impossible yet 10 tell the loss of life, but
of the ninety.three people on board the steamer
only nineteen have been reported alive. Twelve
were brought to this city by the steamer Hum
boldt and seven were carried into LeweS, Del,
by the tug Hercules. The officers and crew of
the Vizcaya numbered sercnty-sevcn people. She
had sixteen passengers. Ten OF the crew of the
Hargrave were also reported as saved
The Vizcaya left this port on Thursday after
noon with general cargo for Havana and other
West Indian and Central and South American
ports. Her passengers were all Cubans or Span
ards. They we're:
JUAN PEDRO, JOSE ACAIBIA,
Mrs CALvo, a son and a JUAN H@tpM.1ASS. @
Mr.; rtRE and three chill IIGNI IdeN rEd!,I,II1oSSi
A. ruiz.
The night was clear one. bright moon shin
ing. At 8 80 the Vizcaya was off Barncsat, the
shore being about six miles distant. II was after
dinner and most of the passengers were on deck
enjoying the night. The children had been put
TO bed below. Captain Francisco Cunill. the
commander of the Nizcaya, was on the bridge A
large four-massed schooner was coming up the
coast standing off shore on the port tack Some
how. Just exactly how will probably never be
learned the schooner struck the steamer on the
starboard side, nearly amidships, cutting through
into the coal bunkers. The bridge and upper works
of the steamer amidships were carried away, and
Captain Cunill was instantly killed, being struck.
it is thought, by the bowsprit of the schooner
BOTH VESSELS SINK.
In seven minutes both vessels sank The crew
attempted to lower the boats of the Vizcaya, but
there was no time for this. and the steamer sank
stern first into the waves. The schooner had re-
bounded from the shock of the collision and sank
near the steamer The passengers when the
vessels struck. were thrown into state
Of the greatest excitement. Some rushed
wildly about the decks and went down with the
steamer Others of the passengers and crew
jumped into the water, clnging to pieces CT
wrcckage They hung to these until chilled by
the cold water and exhausted with the terror OF
the situation they relayed their hold and went
into the foretop, which was above water, and
clung there for nearly twelve hours, until the
steamer Humboldt from Rio de Janeiro came along
and rescued them.
1t was not until daylight that the twelve men
were rescued and all the terrible night while
they hung there they could hear the calls for help
Of the drowning people floating about OIL planks
Esd ut-,s ~ = r-,' &C. and every row and tlen
a CRY as sc1nc one gave up exhausted and sank
beneath the waves.
When morning broke those twelve men were
apparently the only survivors of the ninety-thrce
souls that sailed from New-fork on the Nizcaya.
Then by the light of the morning they saw the
Uumbolt coming toward them, and knew that thcy
were saved.
The rescued men were Filpe Haas, first officer;
Gabriel Cavas second officer; the ships doctor,
Vades Rico; Francisco Sierra, chief engineer, and
Carlos Zaccarias, F. Lopez, Juan leyias,
Angel Leon. Jose Mendinna, Ramon Martinez,
Ramon Perez and Pedro Arelano, all
seamcn. The officers lost were Captain Cunill
Purser Deza, second engineer A. Guezala and the
third officer. whose name is not known
JUAN PEDRO DROWNED.
Among the passengers lost Juan Pedro,
the wcll-known Cuban millionaire. When last
seen he was rushing frantically from one side of
the steamer to the other. looking in vain for
some means of safety. Mrs Calvo one of the
women passengers. when the crash of the collision
came rushed below and came on deck again hear
ing in her arms her baby-boy. The chief engineer
tried to assist her to the mast. but the rush of
waters as the ship went down tore her away
from his grasp, and she sank claspng her baby
10 her breast.
There was rumor afoat last night that one of
bod ,iol-, I,-
a surf boat from shore.
As soon as the steamer Humboldt arrived here
with the rescued men yesterday and reported the
to which the vizcaya belonged sent a tug to the
scene Of the wreck.
Captain Cunill, who commanded the Vizcaya,
was native OF Minorca. lie was fifty years old
and had been in the employ of the company for
twenty years. lie leaves wife in Havana. Juan
Pedro was a special partner in the Spanish Transat
lantic Line. lie worth several million dollars
and had two beautiful plantations near Matanzas.
One of these plantations is named La Conchita and
the other La AssumciOn. They are i'll the sugar
district of Cuba.
Senor Pedro was born in Barcelona fifty-nine
years ago, but went to Cuba when boy. He
married. thirty years ago, the daughter of jose
Baro, Marquis of Santa Rita. The Marquis died
about eight years ago and left large property
TO his daughter. One Of SenOr Pcdro's brothers
in-law is the Count Diano. member OF the Span
sh Cortes from Cuba. Another brother-in-law Is
tic Governor of the Province of Matanzas Senor
Pedro came to this city from Paris recently and
has been staying at the Hoffman House lie left
his wife, a married son and a niece in Paris. They
were 70 go to Spain, and, taking steamer from
Spanish port, meet him in Cuba.
Two Cubans booked TO sail on the Vizcaya saved
their lives by procrastination. They were Pablo
Turutti and VI. Perez They got TO the pier too
late to take the steamer and are now congratu-
lating themselves on their narrow escape.
EAGER FOR NEWS
The loss Of the Vizcaya was theme Of con-
versation in maritime and commercial circles all
day Yesterday J. NJ Ccballos & Co.'S office was
filed with people all anxious for news of the ac-
cident The rescued men brought In by the Hum
boldt were tnken to the steamer Ciudad Condal, Of
the same lire as the illfated Vizcaya, whifs was