The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-03-25
WATERY GRAVES.

" ATERl GRAVES.
FIVE HUNDRED ITALIANS DROWNED
AT THE BAY OF GIBRALTAR.
Utopia Worse Than Reported-The Air
Filled With Wild, Horrible Appeals
and ShrIeks Of Terror.
GIBRALTAR, March 1S.-1t is now be-
lieyed that the loss of life by the sink
ing of the Anchor Line steamer Utopia,
which collided yesterday with the Brit
ish ironclad Rodney while entering the
bay here, was much larger than at first
estimated. II is calculated that of the
700 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 attrl-
butes it to the fact that the British war
ship Arson was drifting before the gale
and rammed the Utopia abaft the fun
mel. After ramming the Utopia the
Arson is said to have reversed her en-.
gines, which caused her to back away
from the Utopia, which vessel was
practically impaled on the spur of the
Anson's ram, and the Utopia almost i'm
mcdiately afterwards sank. Everything
possible was done by the officers and
Seamen of the British war ship in their
efforts to save life, and four seamen
were washed over board and drowned
from one of the war ships steam
launches while taking part in the work
of rescue. Among the Utopia's officers
and petty officers who were saved by
the boats of the war ship were Captain
McKeague, the ships doctor, boatsWaln.
chief steward and carpenter.
The scene after the collision has pro-
badly never before been eQualled in the
history of miritime disaster. On one
side was the passenger steamship
crowded with about 700 emigrants, who
filed the air with wild, horrible ap-
peals for help and shrleks of terror,
overhead the clouds rushed furiously,
driven along by strong Southwest
gale, which had been one Of the causes
Of the calamity. To the right and left
Of the sinking vessel were the two
monster battle ships, Rodney and An
son pouring the light of their powerful
electric refectors upon the disabled
steamship, lighting UP the agony of her
passengers and showing too clearly the
terrible position in which they were
placed. Here and there were the war
Ships small boats, manned by sturdy
blue Jackets, who strained every nerve
striving to reach the drowning passen-
gers.
The rescued, estimated to the number
of $50. were most kindly cared Tor on
board the ships and were taken ashore
and housed in different government
buildings. At 3 o'clock the loss of life
was placed at 400 or under.
a naval court of inquiry will be con-
yened on board the Arson. 1t is ex-
pected that the Anchor line people will
Shortly take steps to forward the Uto-
pia's survivors to their destinations in
the United States by another steamship
of their line. Some of the Italians, how
ever, are so oadly scared by their expe-
riences of last night that they announce
their intention Of never again Drawing
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 had
$50 souls on board, including passengers
and crew. Of this number only 3ll
have been saved. Thus $50 of her pas
sengers and crew are either drowned or
missing.
Not until now Is p. n.y. has it been
possible to give full and authentic ac-
count of the appalling catastrophe. fail
Ing light making it difficult last night to
see from shore what was going On at the
scene of the disaster, and terrible gale
making it almost impossible to commu-
nicate with the vessels until late hour
to-day. Early last evening the Utopia
was seen steaming into the bay in the
direction of anchorage. When abreast
of the ironclad Arson strong gale,
combined with the current, swept the
vessel across the bows Of the Anson ard
her hull was pierced by the ram OF the
ironclad. The Utopia, after pulling
clear OF the ironclad, drifted about be-
fore the wind and sea and settled down
in five minutes from the time of the
first impact.
The Anson'S boats were lowered i'm
mediately as were also boats from other
vessels of the British Channel Squad
room, the Swedish man-of-war Frega,
and the cable ship America and Iron
clads turned their powerful electric
search lights on the scene OF the GlsaS-
ter to assist the rescuers.
On shore the news spread quickly and
an enormous crowd soon gathered on
the parade and great excitement pre-
vailed. The shriekS Of the UtoplaS
passengers and crew could be plainly
heard above the roaring gale. The sea
was 50 heavy that the boats OF the
rescuers could not with safety approach
the wreck, so they were compelled to
turn toward land where they picked up
the people as they were swept from the
decks.
As the Jtopia's bows settled, terri
BILE scene was witnessed from the boats
Those still on board thesinklng steamer
made sudden rush en- naos$e to the
forecastle struggling for their lives, and
vainly seeking place of refuge. Twen'
ty minutes later the forecasUle was sub
merged and the large number of persons
gathered there, who had not dared tc
leap overheard with the hope Of being
rescued by the boats and who had failed
in their efforts to ascend the rigging
were carried away by the waves. The
recuers, blinded by the wind and rain
saw nothing but a confused struggling
mass of human beings entangled with
the wreckage.
a steam pinnace rescued all those
who had taken refuge in the main
rigging, but the last ones were not taEer
off until - o'clock at night. Botf
British and Swedish sailors did plucky
and vigorous work. While the steam
pinnace belonging to the British iron
clad Immor.alite was engaged ID tht
work of rescue, her screw fouled anC