Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-03-03
THE SINKING OF THE IOWA.

| Arrival of the ShfpWrecked Crew.
| story of How the Lost Steamer Wal
NfPped In the Ice-Manning the
Pumps-The Final Rescue.
NEW York, March 2.-The steamship
Chester, which arrived here to-day from
Rotterdam, brought the passengers and
crew of the steamer Iowa, which foun-
dered in mid-ocean. The following is the
| report of the wrecked vessel:
The steamer Iowa, Captain Owens, of
the Warren line, sailed from Boston on
Tuesday, February II, having on board a
general cargo and 422 head of cattle and a
crew of sixty men, fourteen cattlemen,
four refrigerator men and one stowaway-
total, seventy-nine souls. All went well
with her till Saturday, February 81, and
at noon on that day the ships position
was lat. 45.43 north, long. 1918 west,
wind north, moderate, clear weather,
long northeast swell, entered choppy
ice; pm, thin field of ice; TAO
pm, ice little thicker and went dead
slow; from then till 11:40 pm. passed
through more or less ice, and at midnight
found the ship making much water, fore
PodA 6uO 1OIo uOlO 1ull 1S:OO .. IL. Ouu-
day, 22nd, found leaks in after Cross
bunker, tried to stop leaks by hanging
sails over the presumed holes; got pumps
to work, but with no effect, the leaks
gaining and steered southeast to cross the
track of vessels bound east or west.
Swung out boats, watered and provisioned
them; one man named Michael Donnelly,
seaman, was injured in 80 doing. At day
light saw smoke to south steered for it
he otn
Chester. The steamer Iowa was then list
ed heavily to starboard and water had got
into No. compartment and the situation
was desperate. We had intended making
for the Azores, but saw we could not do it.
The boats were lowered and left the Iowa
at noon in latitude 40 north, longitude
so west. Captain Tolle of the steamer
Chester treated us with the greatest cour.
tesy and kindness. On February "a we
boarded the British steamer Dominion,
from Portland for Bristol, and obtained
provisions. We entered the ice in latitude |
46. 26, longitude Al. 25, and left the ice in !
was sinking rapidly when abandoned.
Captain Tolle of the Chester who was |
seen to-day made the following statement: |
We left Rotterdam for this port on Feb |
ruary 7th, at s o'clock on the morning of |
the 22nd we sighted four masted steamer |
which seemed to be in distress. We made |
her out to be the Iowa from Boston bound |
to Liverpool. Captain Owens of the Iowa |
reported that he had been in ice the pre-
vious night and was very badly injured. |
The steamer was still covered with ice and |
3 large piece of canvas at the bow showed
where the crew had sought to patch |
up the injury to the vessel and
stop the inward flow of water. We |
signalled to the Iowa offering assistance.
Captain Owens reported that he wished to
be reported and intended to proceed on
The way to the Azores. We remained near
The sinking vessel for time when it be-
came apparent that she could not long re-
main above water. We went alongside,
and Captain Owens decided to abandon
,he craft. We sent over four boats and
transferred the crew to the Chester.
Among those rescued were the stewardess
md an injured sailor. The work of rescue
was begun at 8 o'clock and continued until
noon when we left the wrecked ship,
which was sinking at the rate of twelve
inches in eighteen minutes, and in all
the Iowa went to the bottom
,ix or seven hours after we left her