, 1891-03-19
%HEARTRENDING SCENES.
Further Particulars of the Col
lision at Gibraltar
The Loss Of Life Larger than
at First Reported.
An Explosion Adds to the Panic
of the Passengers.
Hundreds Carried Down by the
Sinking Vessel.

GIBRALTAR, March is Petersen, tue
Swedish quartermaster, who had been
steering the Utopia IA short time before
the collision says that Just before the YES
sells came together, he went below. While
there he felt the shotk of the collision and
rushed from below, but before he reached
the main deck, the Utopia had gone
broadslde of the iron spar of the Anson's
ram. The commander OF the Utopia,
Captain McKeague, according to P, ter
sen, was on the steamships bridge until
the last moment. Petersen adds that as
the Utopia was crushed by the Anson's
ram, he clambered up the davits OF one of
the steamships boats and cut the ropes
holding it. He hal no time, however.
to lower the boat away, as the bows of
the Utopia had passed beneath the
warship. and it was evident that the pas
senger steamer was rapidly sinking. Soon
after the boats o. the Arson being
promptly lowered one of the man Of
wars cutters ran alongside the Utopia,
and Peterson managed u lump into her.
He says while GU board the Utopia alter
tine collision he was surrounded by a ter.
rible mass OF human beings, fighting their
way desperately and s~avagely, regardless
of sex or age, towards the boats. Men,
women aud children tumbled and climbed
over each other in that horrible fight for
a chance Of escape from drowning. One
poor woman who was rescued by the An
sons bluejackets went ravIng mad when
she was convinced that her children we're
drowned. There was similar distressing
incidents by the score, the most awful of
all occurring when the Utopia with a final
desperate luTch, sank with her human
freight c%lingIng about her and drew hun
drcds Of living persons down with her.
Many of those who sprung into the sea
as they saw the steamship could not fl at
many moments longer. were then also
drawn down in the awful whirlpool caused
BY the Utopia's disappearance. Some
came 70 the surface again for a few mo-
ments before sinking fiually in their
waterv tOmbs. Others. more lucky, we're
able to cling to the pieces of wreckage,
floating spars. oars, gratings, l~atchways,
boats, life belts, etc aud this kept tham
above the water until rescued by the war
war ships boats. But as usual
in such cases, the weaker %succumbed
more readily. Shriekins. praying women
sank t. rise no more with their terrified
off pring claspod to their breasts. Child.
rem chung to their parents SO desperately
as to, IN several eases, cause death 10 both,
where they mlnht have escaped had bet
ter judgment peeu used. At 4.3O n. M
it was auuO Iuced that the official report
of the uumber OF persons on board the
Utopia shows that when she lett Nanlcs
the steamship had $50 souls OF board. in.
Guiding passenger, aud crew. OF this
number only 81 have been saved. Thus
500 of her passengers and crew are either
drowned or missing,
The AnsUD's boats we're lowered in-
mediately alter the cOl,isou as we're ako
boats from the other vessels of the British
channel squadron. the two Swedish men-
of-war F.oyh and the ship Ambers. and
the iron-cluds turned their uoHerlul
electric s~elrch-lights on the scene Of the
disaster To assist the Ga shore
the news OF the disaster spread gu ckiy.
Enormous crowds soon gathered on the
parade and great excitement prevailed.
The sea was - heavy that the boats of
rescuers could not with safety approach
the wreck SO they were compelled to lay
TO the leeward, where they picked up the
people as they were swept from the deck.
As the Utopia's bow settled a terrible
scene was witnessed from the boats.
Those still on board of the sinking steamer
made a sudden rush en- mase to the
fore rigging, struggling for their lives and
vainly seeking places of refuge. Twenty
minutes later the forcastle was submerged
aud "A 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 10 ascend the rigging, were carried
away by the wave. A steam pinnace
rescued all the others who had taken
refuge in the man rigging. but the last
ones were not taken off until IL O'Clock at
night. While the steam %piunaoe belong
ing to the British lrIn clad Immortalte
was engaged in the work Of rescue, her
screw louled and she drifted on the rocks.
Two of the sailors were drowned. The
total number OF lives lost is now placed at
$40.
The officers of the Utopia, in talking
about the catastrophe say they will never
forget scenes that followed the collision.
The Italians were thrown into a state of
complete and clwardly panic. They
yelled frantically and fought madiy to
reach the fOrecastlc. A few of the mar
RED men brought their wives with them,
but the majority of the Italians acted
more like beasts han men. Tho fore
castle and rigging w.rc soon crowded and
the vessel b,gan To settle down. Pres
emily an explosion with defcaning report
occurred in the iorecnst'e. killing many
and throwing Others into the sea
Luckily the ma IS held and remained
some yards above the water as the vessel
touched bottom. From forty to fifty per-
sons were rescued from the masts. Among
the acts of valor at the height of the
gale was that of British MILDLY, who put
off alone in the dingy for the purpose of
rendering assistance to the persons cling
ing to the wreckage. Another hero was a
seaman on the irouclad Rodney, who
boldly plunged into the sea and, after a
desperate struggle. succeeded in saving
one of the woman floating in the water.
The drivers who went down today re-
port that there are hundreds of bodies
IN the s~teerage and between decks. Many
bodies came ashore todag.
Ingalls, OpInIOu of the Alliance.