Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-01
MARINE DISASTER.
A Steamship and a Schooner
in Collision.
Both Vessels Almost Instantly
Submerged.
Nearly a Hundred Persons Clinging
to the Wrecks.
Only a Small Number of the Unfortu-
mates Saved-Wild Scenes of
Confusion.
Associated Press Dispatches.

negat by an unknown schooner yester-
day. Both vessels sank. The captain
and the passengers of the steamer were
lost. The fate of the crew Of the
schooner is unknown.
The chief officer, second officer, sur
geon, one engineer and eight of the
crew of the steamer were picked up.
One colored boy reached the shore in
one of the schooner's boats, at Barnegat.
So far as known, these are the only
persons out of the crew and passenger
list of eighty-six of the Vizcaya, and the
crew of the unknown schooner, that
have been saved. 1t is feared all the
others are lost, and that the list will
number up to eighty, if not more. De-
tails are meager.
The Vizcaya left New York yesterday
afternoon for Havana, with nine regular
passengers and crew of seventy-seyen.
1t is thought there were some others on
board not on the list. At half past eight
Thursday evening, large four-masted
schooner hove in sight and Immediately
bore down on the steamer, striking on
the starboard bunkers, carrying away
the bridge and cabin. The captain was
instantly killed. Seven minutes later
both vessels had sunk and the passen-
gers and crews were struggling in the
water.
The steamer was a staunch vessel,
and Captain Cunill was one of the most
trusted employees OF the line. One of
the passengers, not on the regular list,
was Juan Pedro, a Cuban millionaire
and director in the steamship line.
The other passengers on board, SO far
as learned, were M. A. Calvo, wife,
son and maid; Mr.. Parr and three
children; A. Ruiz. Jose Acaibr, Ramon
Alvarez, Juan F. Hedman, Oscar Islaur,
Luigi Pellion, Jose Garcia.
Surgeon Rico says at the time of the
collision he was in the cabin talking to
Mrs. Ca1vo. Suddenly there came an
awful shock, and the steamer rolled we'll
over on the port side. Everybody in
the cabin was thrown and Immediately
a scene of the widest confusion ensued.
Mrs. Calvo begged me to save her
SON." said the surgeon, "and | went up
on deck to find him. There terrible
scene met my eyes. The bridge, deck
house and fore-rigging were all torn
away. There was great cash in the
starboard side just abaft. the coal bunk
ers, and through this the water was
rushing. Close by on the starboard
beam was big four-masted schooner,
with her bowsprit and fore rigging gone
and beams stove in. The men were
running about wildly on our decks,
shouting all kinds of orders, and | can
remember seeing the crew of the
schooner doing the same on their vessel.
The next thing | knew the water was
rushing over our decks. With a wild
idea OF saving ourselves, several OF us
clambered up the port forerigging.
Down went the steamer, and up we
climbed. We reached the foretopgallant
yard, and just then the hull reached the
bottom. This left us just above the sur
face of the water, but each swell dashed
over our limbs. Twelve survivors were
there. Some Of our crew tried to reach
the schooner, but she went to the bot
tom almost as quick as the Vizcaya, and
as far as we could see there was not
sail in sight. One of the men on the
yard said that while climbing the rig
ging he had seen boat lowered from
the schooner and seven men got in and
rowed away, but we could not see
anything OF it, although it was
bright moonlight night. Then, in the
hope OF attracting attention, we cut
the tarred ropes from the yard and
lighting them, slung them in the air,
but in vain. All through the long night
we cluEg to that yard, growing colder
and sitter each hour. Toward daybreak
one of the men thought he heard
steamer passing, and we all shouted as
loud as we could. Then boat made its
appearance and we were taken on board
the Humboldt. We could not have
lasted much longer"
The collision is inexplicable, in view
of the statement of DR.. Rico that the
night was bright moonlight one.
The survivors are unable to give par
ticulars of the collision, or its cause.
The Vizcaya was 1888 ton vessel, and
belonged to a Spanish line plying be-
tween New York and Havana.
The steamer was bound for Havana,
Santiago de Cuba, Colon, and other Cen
trail American ports, with a general
cargo. Captain Francisco Ounill, one OF
the company, was in command. The
other officers were: First officer, Felipe
Hozas; second officer, Francisco Covas
third officer, name not known; purser,
Senior Deza; doctor, Valdez Rico; chief
engineer, Francisco Sierra; second en-
glneer, A. GueZala.
The vessel was staunch and seaworthy,
and had been entirely renovated short
time ago.
A dispatch from Lewes, Delaware, to-
night, says the tug Hercules arrived this
evening, and reports that the schooner
was the Cornelius Hargraves. Ten men
from the Hargraves and seven from the
Vizcaya were picked up by the schooner
Sarah L. Davis, and transferred to the
Hercules. The latter was proceeding to
the wreck to render assistance, but at
midnight met the tug Entler, which had
been to the scene and found both vessels
sunk and all hands gone. They picked
up the body of woman. The survivors
report that nearly one hundred people
were ciinging to the wreck at one time.
The schooner Hargraves cleared from
Lewes October 9th, with coal for Fall
River, Mass.
Killed by an Engine.