The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-03-26
WATERY GRAVES.
FIVE HUNDRED ITALIANS DROWNED
AT THE BAY OF GIBRALTAR.

FILLED with wild, Horribls .,ppc,Is
and Shrisks OF Terror.
GIBIiALTAR, March IS.--It is now be-
lleVed that the loss Of life by the sink
ing or the Anchor Line steamer l'tOpia
which cOllidpd yesterday with the Brit
lSh lrOnclad Rodney while entering tho
bay here, was much larger than at first
estimated. 1t Is calculated that OF the
'OO Italian emigrantS and crew on board
the steamer $40 persons were drowned
Several bodies Of those who lost Their
lives in the disaster have been washed
ashore on the Spanish coast.
Another account Of the disaster attri
butcs 1t to the fact that the British war
snip AnSon was drifting before the gale
and rammcd the Utopia abaft the fun
mel. After ramming the Utopia the
AnSon Is said to have reversed her en-.
glneS, which caused her to back away
from the topia, which vessel WAS
practically lmpaled on the spur OF the
AnSon'S ram, and the Utopia almost inn
mcdlately afterwards sank. Everything
possible was done by the officers and
seamen Of the British war ship IN their
efforts to save life, and four %ramen
were washed over board ANA drowned
from one of the war ships steam
launches while taking part in thn work
OF rescue. Among the Ulupia'S officers
and petty officers who we've sawed hv
thC boats Of the war ship were C&rtaln
Mckeague, the ship doctor, ho2 swain.
chlct steward and carpenter.
The scene after the collision has pro-
badly never before been cUuallch in the
history OF miritimc disaster. On one
side was the passenger steamship
crowded with about 1OO emiCvantS. who
filled the air with wild. hurrblr an
pealS for help and ShrickS Of terror,
overhead the clouds rushed fUriOuSly,
driven along by Il strong SuUt!twrs;
gale, which had been one Of She causes
OF the calamity. TO the right and l"it
OF the sinking vessel were the two
monster battle ships, Rodney and An
son pouring the light Of their powerful
electric reilcCtOrS upon the disabled
Stea .nship, lighting up the agony ni her
passengers and showing too clearly the
terrible position in which they were
placed. Here and there were the war
ships small boats, manned hv sturdy
blue jackets, who strained every nerve
striving to reach the drowning n:lSsrn-
gers.
The rescued, estimated to The numhrr
OF $50. were most kindly cared for on
board the ships and were taken ashore
and housed in different government
buildings. At 3 O'clc> * the loss OF lifc
was placed at 400 or under.
~ naval court Of inquiry will be con-
Yened on board the AnSou Ii is OK
pected that the Anchor line people Will
shortly take steps to forward the ITO
pla'S Survivors to their destinations in
the United States by another steamship
OF their line. Some Of the Italians, how
ever, are so badly scared by their rypr-
rlences of last night that they announce
T. n Of
the dangers Of an ocean voyage.
The official report Of the number OF
persons on board the Utopia shows that
when she left Naples the steamship II id
$50 souls on board, including passengers
and crew. or this number only }lI
have been saved. Thus $50 Of her pas
ScngerS and crew are either drowned or
missing.
Not until now Gj p. m.) has it been
possible to give fun and authentic ar-
count of the appalling catastrophe fan
Ing light making it difficult last night to
see from shore what was going on at ne
scene of the disaster, and Il terrible gate
making 1t almost impoSsihl" to commit
nlcate with the vessels until Il late hour
to-day. Early last evening the Utopia
was seen Steaming into the bay in the
direction OF anchorage. When abreast
or the irOnclad AnSOn a strong gale,
combined with the current, swept the
vessel across the bows Of the AnSOn and
her hull was pierced by the ram Of the
ironclad. The Utopia, after pulling
clear Of the ironclad, driftcd about be-
lore the wind and sea and settled down
in five minutes from the time of the
first impact.
1he AnSOnS boats were lowered i'm
mediately as were also boats from other
vessels OF the British Chauucl SuIn,,-
room, the Swedish man-Of-war Frcpa
and the cable ship America and IRON
clads turned their powerful electric
search lights on the scene Of the disaS-
ter to assist the reScucrS.
On shore the news spread quickly anI
an enormous crowd soon gathered on
the parade and great excitement pre-
vailed. The shrickS OF the I'topjr's
passengers and crew could be plainly
heard above the roaring gale. The sea
was SO heavy that the beats Of the
reScucrS could not with safety approach
the wreck, 80 they were cumrcllrd to
| turn toward land where they picked uD
the people rs they were 8wrpI from ne
| decks.
AS the CtUpia'S bows settled, Il terri.
blc scene was witnessed from the boats,
Those still on board the sinking steamer
made sudden rush ,I1 14,,Nv to th,.
''i NN"'CAN o' 'PSS llI'S ioI liitll Ilh tS, oiGt
vainly seeking place Of refuge. Twrn-
ty minutes later the forccaS; IT, was sub
merged and the large number Of persons
gathered there, vino had not dared 20
| leap overheard with the hone Of being
rescued by the boats and who IHh failed
In their efforts to ascend tn" riCgiug,
were carried away by the waves. The
recucrs, blinded Dy the wind and T&Il,
saw nothlnR but Il confused &trugGli1i::;
mass OF human beings cntanglrd with
the wreckagc.
a. steam pinnaCc rescued all those
who had taken refuge in the man
rigging, but the last ones were not taken
Off until IL o'clock at night. Both
British and Swedish sailors dld plucky
and vigorous work. While the steam
plnnace belonging to the British iron
clad lmmor'alltc was engaged in The
work OF rescue, her screw r0ulcd and
she became helpless and driitcd on the
rocks. TWO Ca the sailors aboard the
plnnacc were drowned. The remainder