Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-01
|PERILS OF THE SEA,
Steamer Yilcaya Sunk in Col.
lision With 4 Schooner.
Goes Down Within Seven ninutes Win
Eishty-one People.

| EiShty-ons People.
Brought Into New York.
| MN YORK, Oct 3i--Steamer Vikexya.
from New York to Havana. was run into
by large schooner last evening about SIX
miles of BArnegat. on Jersey coast. With
| in seven minutes after the collision both
vessels sank. carrying down at least 81 OF
their passenger and crews. The night
Was clear, moon shining brightly and sea
| smooth, yet none of the IL survivors of the
| Vlzcaya's crew who reached the city this
morning could give the name of the
schooner which caused the disaster or tsli
how the accident happered.
| The first news Of the disaster reached
the city by the steamer Humboldt from
Brazil, which arrived, having on board the
survivors Of the catastrophe, whom il had
picked up at aybrexk this morning. Capt.
Black of the Humboldt said that while of
Bsrnegat light he suddenly heard cry for
help. Through the mist the officers saw
three masts sticking out of the water. and
people c;ingipg to the yards and rigging.
A boat was lowered and rescued ~ sailors,
all of whom belonged to the steamship Viz
csya. Among them were the first officer,
second officer, frs, engineer and surgeon.
The men were chilled to the bone by ex-
posure TO the wind and waves and could
have held on but little longer.
/ On reaching this city they were taken to
the office of j. NJ. Ceballos & Co, 30 Wall
street. the o~ners of the Nixcaya. None
of the survivors could talk English and for
some time it was impossible to obtain from
any Of them a correct account Of the wreck
II was learned that all the passengers of
the VizcayS was lost.
| Their names are Senor Jusn Pedro, part
r of the firm CT J. NJ. Ceballos & Co, of
This city owners of the lost steamship
NJ. A. Calvo, wife and son. NJ. Purr and
two children, A. Rnz, Jose Acadia, Ra-
mon Alvarez, Juan +. Hedman. Oscar Is.
lam. Luigi Pellion. jose VI. Garcia Twelve
of the crew of II were saved from the
steamship. The fate of the crew of the
schooner unknown. DR.. Rico of survivors
| gives this account of disaster
A Survivors, . Account.
| THE weather was fine, the moon shone
brightly and the was smooth. 1t WAS
| htuut : u NlUtk Nutn ! WAS uU ilttk. Dll
not see, any vessel near us. The ship was
in charge of the first officer. went down
to the saloon, and met Mrs. Cslvo We
began talking when suddenly I heard the
| gong in the engine room ring the signal to
stop. Before we could even wonder what
it was for, came an awful shock, and n
crashing, tcrsping sound on the deck over
our heads, the steamer rolled well over on
| thu .Nrt alta upI avavxGaI,- in Ia, AL
was thrown down. All was sxcitemen mt.
men, women and children shrieking for
help. Mrs Cslvo begged me to fni and
save her boy. started up to the deck TO
find him When got cut of the comp IN
ioLway, the bridge. deck house and iore
rigging were all torn away, there was n
great cash in the stsrbosrl side just absft
the coal hunkers and through tins the vat
was pouring in. Close by on the stirbo.fd
side was a big four mastcd schooner with
bowsprit Al d fore r'gg ny gone and buws
stove in. She, too, WAS filling rapidly
Men were running all over our decks shout
| ing all kinds of orders and the crew of the
schoonersswas doing the same thing on
their vessel. The next thing ! knew the
steamer was fast sinking. Several Of the
crew and myself scrambled up The
rort fore rigging. Down, down wen,
| the steamer, up climbed We
reached the fore gsllsnt-ysrd and
just then the hull touched bottom. This
left us just out of water, and a very large
swell would wet our legs. There were
twelve of Us on the yard. Some of our
crew tried to reach the schooner, but she
sunk almost ss quickly as had the Vizcsya,
ard a. far as We could see there was not u
soul but ourselves in sight One of the
men on the yard said that while climbing
into the rigging he had seen 4 boat lowered
from the schooner and seven men get in
and row away. We looked all around but
coul not see anything In the hope of at
tracing the attention of some passing YES
| sci or some one on shoe, we cut the tarred
rope on the yard into pieces foot or tSo
long, and lighting these. waved them in the
air ~ long rs they lasted No one cam, to
cur aid, and all through the biS Sht we cluog
to the yard. growing colder and s,ii1er each
hour. Toward daybreak a cold fog settled
and made matters worte. When vne Of the
men on the yard said he thought he heard
a stssmer passing we all halloed as loud
as our number and condition would print.
| A boat made its appearance and We were
taken on board the Humboldt. We could
net have held out much l,Dger.
The second officer was On deck standing
under the bridge when the collision occur
red. lie said the steamers lights were
| burn ng all right and the watch on deck at
their posts. He did not see the schooner
until the first officer on the bridge ranz the
,iypal 10 stop "At the time he rang to
| stop .aid the second officer Covas, Capt.
Cunill had just come from supper. and ~as
going upon The bridge. Before we had
time to move. III, schooner struck us, her
oowsprit striking and as far As could see,
io,tantly killing Capt. Cunill Oar head
! wsy carried US along, the bovsprit knocked
dow the bridge, house. and rigging
was covered by debri. and taily cut in the
head and side of the neck. | got out Of
the taDgle about the time the water com
menced to run over the deck', and took to
the rigging with Others. stayed there
from . O'Clock in the evening uni il J o'clock
the next morning / was comp etely tx
bsust.d when taken off by the crew Of the
| Humbolt"
A Sailcl's Story.
Late this evening one of the shipwrs cked
men was seen. He said At the time Of the
| Yizcaya's crew we're asleep. being worn
out wi b the hard work atiehiant upon
leaving port and only those on duty were
up. He said that before the iashinys Of
the boats could be taken on preparatory to
lowering them the yizcayas decks we're
under wa'er. lie saw several psrsols in
the water cling to h,slinz debris, spsrs
hssebes and wreckage and all soon sank
At the Office of the company but little in
formation could te obtained. No inter.
views could be bad With the survivors ard