The record-union., 1891-03-19
Special 10 the REcoRD-US1oS.

Special 10 the RECoRD-UNIoN.
LONDON, March 1S.-The agents in this
city of the Anchor line, to which the
Utopia, which sunk in Gibraltar Bay yes
terday, belonged, have been informed
that the Utopia was struck abaft the en-
gine room, and that she sank stern fore
most, five minutes after the collision, in
seven fathoms of water.
The agents announce that they find
1t difficult to ascertain the exact number
OF lives lost, but they say that 130 Italians
were saved; that eight bodies have been
washed ashore, and that there are 173 per-
sons rescued from the Utopia alive on
board the British warships.
The agents add that the force of the
gale, which still prevails i'll Gibraltar
Bay, prevents people on the shore from
communicating satisfactorily with the
commanders of the warships, so they are
unable to ascertain the names of the sur
VivorS.
Several boats belonging to the fleet
were wrecked while engaged in the
rescue.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
GIBRALTAR, March 1S.-Another ac-
count OF the disaster attributes it to the
fact that the British warship Arson was
drifting before the gale and rammed the
Utopia abaft the funnel.
The Utopia was impaled on the spur of
the Anson's ram and almost Immediately
sank. Everything possible was done by
the officers and seamen. Four seamen
were washed overheard and drowned
from one of the warships steam launches.
while taking part in the rescue.
The scene after the collision was fright
ful. One side of the sinking steamship
was crowded with 700 immigrants shrek
ing with terror. To the right and left of
the sinking vessel were the monster bat
tie ships Rodney and Anson pouring the
light OF their powerful electric refectors
upon the disabled steamship.
The AnSon'S boats were lowered imme-
diately after the collision. as were also the
boats from other vessels of the British
Channel squadron, the Swedish man-of-
war Freyn and the ship Amber
Here and there were the warships' small
boats manned. by blue jackets who
strained every nerve as they bent to their
oars in the heavy sea, striving gallantly
to reach the drowning passengers.
On shore the news of the disaster spread
quickly. An enormous crowd soon
gathered on the parade, and great excite
ment prevailed.
The sea was so heavy that the boats of
the rescuers could not with safety ap-
proach the wreck, SO they were COM
PEELED to lie toleeward, where they picked
up people as they were swept from the
deck. As the Utopia bows settled
A TERRIBLE SCENE
Was witnessed from the boats. Those
still on board the sinking steamer made
q sudden rush en- maSse to the fore-rig-
ging, struggling for their lives and vainIy
seeking places of refuge. Twenty min
utes later the forecastle was submerged
and large number of persons gathered
there who had not dared to leap over
board with the hope of being picked up
by the boats, and who had failed in their
efforts to ascend the rigging, were carried
away by the waves. a steam pinnace
rescued all others who had taken refuge
in the main rigging, but the last ones
were not taken off until IL o'clock at
night.
While the steam pinnace belonging to
the British ironclad Immortalite was en-
gagged in the work OF rescue her screw
touled and she dritted on the rocks. Two
of her sailors We're drowned. The re-
malnder were rescued.
THE QUARTERMASTER'S STATEMENT.
Petersen, the Swedish quartermaster,
who had been steering the Utopia short
time before the collision, says that Just
before the vessels came together he went
below. While there he felt the shock of
the collision, and rushed from below, but
before he reached the main deck the
Utopia had gone broadside upon the spar
of the Anson'S ram. The commander
of the Utopia, Captain McKeague, accord
ing to Petersen, was on the steamships
bridge until the last moment
Petersen adds that as the Utopia was
crushed by the Anson's ram, he Chamber
ed up the davits of one of the steamships
boats and cut the ropes holding it. He
had no time. however, to lower the boat
away, as the bows of the Utopia had
passed beneath the warship, and it was
evident the passenger steamer was rapid
ly sinking. Soon after, the boats of the
Anson having been promptly lowered,
one of the man-of-wars S cutters ran along
side the Utopia, and Petersen managed to
jump into her.
He says while on board the Utopia after
the collision, he was surrounded by ter
rible mass of human beings, fighting
their way desperately and savageiy, re-
gardleSS of sex or age, towards the boats
. Men, women and children tumbled and
climbed over each other in that horrible
fight for a chance to escape from drown
ing. One poor woman, who was rescued
10y the Anson's blue jackets, went raving
mad when she was convinced her chill
dren were drowned.
There were similar distressing incl
dents by the score, the most awful of all
occurring when the Utopia, with final
desperate lurch, sank with her human
freight clinging about her, and drew hun
dreds OF living persons down with her.
Many OF those who had sprung into the
water, as they saw the steamship could
not float many moments longer, were
then also drawn down in the awful whirl-
pool caused by the Utopia's disappear
ance. Some came to the surface again
for a few moments before sinking finally
an their watery tombs. Others, more
lucky, were able to cling to pieces
of the wreckage, floating spars, oars,
gratings, hatchways, boats, life belts. ETC.,
and this kept them above the water until
rescued by the war-ships' boats.
But, as usual in such cases, the weaker
succumbed more readily. Shieking,
praying women sank to rise no more
with their terrified offspring clasped to
their breasts. Children clung to their
parents so desperately as to, in several
cases, cause death to both, where they
might have escaped had better judgment
been used.
The divers and boats crews who have
been at work all day in the efforts being
made by the British naval authorities TO
recover as many as possible of the bodies
Of messengers and crew of the sunken
steamer Utopia, have at this hour a p NJ. }
recovered ninety bodies.
Among those saved from the sinking
vessel by the boats of the men-of-war
ware twenty of the Utopia's crew. c. G.
Davis of Boston, a saloon passenger is
among those reported missing. The
officers and crew OF ii. NJ 3. Anson
stated that the Utopia fouled with the