The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-19
THE MARINE HORROR
The Loss Of Life Far Greater Than
First Reported.
CHASTITY GROUPS ON THE SHORE.

Oome Nidspeu rightly III tue arms
of others-The Total Number Lost
in the Dreadful Calamity Now
Estimated ut 500.
LONDON, March 10. = The disaster
caused by the sinking of the steamship
Utopia off Gibraltar is more terrible
than at first supposed. The Utopia was
en- route from Trieste to New York
with $50 passengers, principally Italian
enigrants on board.
Bodies of men, women and children
are being washed ashore, forming
ghastly groups along the Spanish coast,
In some cases the bodies came singly,
in others two would float up, ono
clasped in the arms of the other, as if
portions of some little family of emil
grants mad, in the last moments, sought
= to die close together.
Il is now stated that the British IRON
clad Rodney had nothing to do with
the sinking Of the Utopia, but that the
vessel which did the fatal work was tho
fag ship Anson. of the channel squad
ron, Rear Admiral LOTUS F. Jones.
The ram of the Anson tore hole thirty
feet long in the side of the Utopia, near
the stern. The injured vessel sank
within ten minutes, going down stern
first, the funnel and masts showing just
above the water, A heavy southwest
erly gale was blowing at the time. and
the tremendous seas washed everything
movable overheard
Rescuers Drowned.
The boats of the British squadron
were Immediately lowered. The launch
of the gunboat Immortalte was
wrecked and several sailors were
drowned while on their way to the as
Bistance of the struggling wretches
who were being tossed about in the
waters near the sunken steamship
The Utopia went down off Ragged
Staff, and besides the British gnnboats
in the Gibraltar bay at the time there
was also the Swedish man OF war
Freya, which lent men and boats to the
work OF rescue. From 1S0 to 200 peo-
pie are believed to have been picked up
by men from the gunbolts, while others
escaped to shore by various means.
Aided by Electric Light.
Great aid was derived from tho use
of the electric lights, with which the
British fleet is provided, the scene of
tho wreck being fully illumined and
many thus seen and saved who would
otherwise have been drowned in tho
confusion and darkness. The boats of
the squadron were engaged all night in
cruising about, picking up bodies and
rescuing survivors.
Even the most moderate estimates
admit that two-thirds of the entire
number OF people carried by the Utopia
were drowned.
Among those saved are Capt Macken-
Eie, the doctor and the steward.
Up to The present time 81 people
have been saved, while ninety two
eorpses have been picked up. The total
number missing, probably all drowned
is 5a9
The authorities and citizens are doing
all IN theiF power to relieve the ship
wrecked passengers.
; One lady, saloon passenger has been
saved but the second officer and
Charles G.. Davis, of Boston, also
ealoon passenger, are missing.
! The divers OF the British fleet are at
work on board the wrecked vessel.
The officers and crew of the Utopia
Gre saved.
Story of an Eye Witness.
An eye witness gives the following
account of the wreck: The shrieks of
tae Utopia passengers and crew could
be plainly heard above the roaring OF
the gale. The sea was SO heavy that
the coats of the rescuers could not with
bdtety approach the wreck, and were
compelled to lie to leeward, where they
picked no tine people as they were swept.
from the decks. AS the Utopia's bows
settled terrible scone was witnessed
from the boats. Those still on board Of
the sinking steamer made sudden rush
co inasse to the fore rigging, struggling
for their lives and vainly seeking places
ofrefuge. Twenty minutes later the
foreeastle was submerged and large
number of persons gathered there, who
did not dare 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.
Sailors Worked Nobiy.
= The rescuers, blinded by wind and
rain, saw nothing but confused strug-
Cling Of human beings entangled with
wreekage. A steam pinnaco rescued all
those who had taken refuge in the main
rigging, but the last ones were not
taken off until L o'clock at night. The
fhlue jackets elambered into the shrouds
and passed the helpless people to the
rescuers in the boats. Both the British
and Swedish sails did plucky and vigor-
ous work.
The Bank Closed Its Doors.
Topeka Kan, March l9.-The United
States Saving bank, of this city, closed
Its doors yesterday and made an assign