The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-11-07
GREAT SHIPS GO down.
A Spanish-America steamer
and a Large Schooner i'm Col
HsiOn Off New Jersey.
In Less Than Seven Minutes
Both Ships Are at the
Bottom.
Between Sixty and Seventy Drowned,
According to Latest Reports
Asurvivor's Story.

New YORK, Nov. six short miles
off Barnegat, on the Jersey coast, on
Thursday evening, was the steamship
Vizcaya on her way to Havana. Near
by was an unknown and probably un-
seen schooner. The night was clear,
the moon shining brightly, the hour was
about half past seven. Seven minutes
later both vessels were at the bottom of
the sea and with them sank eighty-one
of their passengers and crews. In those
seven minutes collision and death
struggle with the waves had taken
place; a scene had occurred which even
the dozen survivors cannot give the de-
tails OF without stopping to be sure that
it is not all a horrible dream.
The Entire Lot of Passengers
Of the Vizcaya were lost. Their names
are:
Senior Juan Pedro, partner of the
firm of J. M. Ceballos & Co., of New
York, and one of the owners Of the lost
M. A. Calvo, wife and son.
M. Purr and two children,
Mr.. A. Ruiz, Joseph Acaibia, Ramon
Alavarez, Juan F. Hedman, Oscar
Islam, Ligui Pellion and Jose M. Gar.
cha. Twelve of the crew of seventy
seven were saved from the steamship.
The fate of the crew of the schooner is
still unknown. The first news received
of the disaster in this city was when the
steamer Humboldt from Brazil arrived
at her dock in Brooklyn, having board
the twelve survivors of the catastrophe,
whom she had picked up at daybreak
Friday.
The Captains Story.
Captain Black, of the Humboldt, said
that at daybreak his ship was off Barne-
gle Eght. Suddenly, frcnas of their pert.
bow, came cry for help. Peering in
that direction through the mist of the
early morning. the officers of the Hum
boldt saw three masts sticking out of
the water and clinging to the yards and
rigging the people were seen. Quickly
q boat was lowered and rowed to the
people, There were twelve
of them-all sailors-clinging to the
spars, and their JOY was unspeakable
when they were taken into the boat.
The men were chilled to the bone from
their exposure to wind and wave, and
could hold out but little longer They
were taken on board the Humboldt,
brought to this city and taken at once
to the Office of j. M. CeballoS q Co., No.
caya For the next hour all was excite
iyo oSH "a oh e. NJ
None of the survivors could talk En-
glish, and for some time it was impossi-
BILE to obtain from any of them correct
account of the wreck.
DIR. Rico's Account.
From DR.. Rico the best account was
obtained. DR.. Rico said: Everything
was working nicely. The weather was
fine, the moon shone brightly and the
sea was smooth. 1t was about o'cloc
when l was on deck and took few
turns back and forth while smoking an
cigarette. [ did not see
any vessel near us. The ship was in
charge of the first officer, who was on
the bridge l went down to the saloon
then, and there met Mrs. Calvo. We
sat down and began talking. Suddenly
heard the gong in the engine room
ring the ''stop" signal. Before l could
even wonder what it was for, there
came an awful shock, crashing sound
On. the deck over our heads and the
steamer rolled well over on her port
side. Everybody in the saloon was
thrown down. All was excitement;
men, women and children shrieking
,or help, from what they did not know.
Mrs. Calvo seized my hands and begged
ne to find and save her boy. told her
would. l started up to the deck to
ind him. When I got out of the COM
)anionway
Terrible Scene Met My Eyes.
The bridge, deck house and forerigging
we're all torn away; there was great
cash in the starboard side just abaft the
coal bunkers, and through this opening
he water was pouring in. Close by, on
,ur starboard beam was big four
nasted schooner, her bowsprit and fore
'igging gone, and her bow stove in.
She, too, was filling rapidly. Men were
'unning here and there all over our
lecks, shouting all kinds of orders, and
can remember seeing the crew of the
schooner doing the same thing on their
vessel. The next thing 1 knew the
water was making over our decks. The
teamer was fast sinking. With wild
dea of saving ourselves, several of the
rev and myself scrambled up the port
Down, down went the
teamer, and up we climbed. We
cached the fore-gallant yard and just
hen the hull reached the bottom. This
Left Us just Out of Water
,ut very large swell would wet our
egs. Some of our crew had tried to
each the schooner, but she had sunk
.lmost as quickly as had the Vizcaya
md as far as we could see, not soul
,ut ourselves was in sight. AL through
ne long night w. we eisng to that that yard.
,assed. Toward daybreak cold fog
ettled on us and made matters worse.