Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-03-19
TIE AMS0N'S FATAL RAM
1t Sent Many Souls to Death
in the Sea.
rHE DROWNED NOW NUMBER 500.


iIeartrending scenes Aboard the Doomed
UtopiaA Desperate Battle for the
noats Women and children TrampIed
Under Foot and Finally Engulfed.
GmnALrER, March l9.-The official state
ment in regard to the disaster to the Utopia
is as follows: Number Of persons aboard
leaving Naples, $50; number saved 81;
number missing, probably all drowned, 500
An Eye witness story.
An eye witness gives the following ac-
count Of the wrecking Of the Utopia: "1'he
shiieks OF the Utopia's passengers and
crew could be plainly heard above the roar
ing of the gale The sen was so heavy that
the boats Of the rescuers could not with
safety approach the wreck, so they were
compelled to lie to leeward, where they
picked up the people as they were swept
from the decks. AS the Utopia's bows set
tied q terrible scene was witnessed by those
in the boats. Those still on board the sink
ING steamer made rush en- masse to the
fore rigging, struggling for their lives and
yanly seeking places Of refuge. Twenty
minutes later the forecastle was submerged
and large number Of persons gathered
there Who had not dared to 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
saved by the shrouds.
"The resegers blinded by the wind and
rain, saw nothing but a confused, strug-
Cling mass Of human beings entangled
with the wreckage. A steam pinnace res
cued all those who had taken refuge in the
main rigging, but the last ones were not
taken oil until II o'clock at night They
were so exhausted that they could do moth.
ing for themselves. The blue jackets clam
bercd into the shrouds and PASSED the help
less people TO the reecuers in the boats
Both the British and the Swedish sailors
did plucky and vigorous work.
Two English Tars Perished.
While steam pinnaee belonging to the
British ironclad lmmortalite was engaged
in the work OF rescue her screw fouled and
She became helpless and drifted on the
rocks. Two Of the sailors aboard the PIN
mace were drowned.
Ripped by the Anson's Ram.
Petersen, a Swedish quartermaster who
had been steering the Utopia a short time
before the collision, says that just before
the vessels came together he went below
While there he felt the shock of the col
lision and rushed from below, but before
he reached the main deck the Utopia had
gone broadside upon the spur of the iron
clad Anson's ram. The commander of
the Utopia, Captain McKeague, was on
the steamships bridge until the last mo-
ment 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 hold
ing 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
rapidly sinking. Soon after, the boats of
the Arson having been promptly lowered,
one Of the man-of wars cutters ran along
side the Utopia and Petersen jumped into
her
A Desperate Fight for the Boats.
He says that while on board the Utopia
after the collision he was surrounded BY
terrible mass Of human beings fighting
their way desperately and savagely, regard
less Of sex or age, toward the boats Men,
women and children tumbled and climbed
over each other in that fight for chance
Of escape from drowning One poor woman
who was rescued by the Arson blue jackets
went raving mad when she was convinced
that her children were drowned There
were similarly distressing incidents by the
score the most awful Of all occurring when
the Utopia, with final desperate lurch
sank with her human freight clinging
about her.
sucked Into the whirlpool.
Many who had sprang into the sea as
they saw the steamship could not float
much longer were drawn in the whirlpool
caused by the Utopia's disappearance.
Some came to the surface again for few
moments before sinking finally into their
watery tomb.
Others were able to cling to pieces Of the
wreckage, floating spars, oars, gradings,
hatchways boats, life boats, etc, and thus
kept themselves above water until rescued
by the warships boats, but the weaker
succumbed more readily. Shrisking, pray
ing women sank to rise no more with
their terrified offspring clasped in their
arms.
Scenes of Awful Terror.
Children chung to their parents SO des-
perately as, in several cases, to cause the
death Of both where both might have es-
capped had better judgement been used
Husbands and wives sank while grasping
each other IN frantic efforts to keep one
another ahoat, and good swimmer went
down with some Mortified, fear maddened
person clinging to him with the tenacity
Of despair
Twelve Men wrecked.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 10. -Advices have
been received here that the Norwegian
bark Imperator was wrecked at Boavista
/ Cape De Verde Islands. The crew, num-
bering twelve men, were drowned. The
Imperator was bound from Cardiff to