The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1891-03-28
AN AWFUL DISASTER.
A STEAMER LOST AT CHICAMIC.
OMICO.

1t was Thrilling Sc ne on the Barren
COast--The Survivors are at Eliza.
beth City.
NORFOLK, March 81 As soon as the
Strathairly struck on the North Carolina
coast, ,theCaptain, ChiefEng and first
officer took refuge aft, buf the second
or third sea that rushed over the Steam
er carried them away. O har members
Of the the crew took the for ward rigging
| All day efforts were made to get line
to the wreck, but they failed. About
p. N. the men realizing that their only
chance for life was to jump overheard,
prepared for the struggle 1t was
thrilling scene on that barren coast. On
the sands were hundred fisher folks
and the members of two life saving
| crews.
Clinging to the wreck were seventeen
men. Each one could be seen dives ting
himself of wearing apparel, and they
were preparing to fight with death.
Soon seventeen naked figures stood up
naked save for the life belt. They hesi-
tated minute, then at signal jumped
into the boiling waters. A hundred men
on shore rushed into the surf as far as
they dared and met the oncoming waves
that were burdened with human freight
1t was all over in minute or two
i, Each life-saver caught hand, leg or
tuft of hair, and struggled with his
!, freight to the beach. Seventeen bodies
were laid on the sands. The terrible
under-tow haG crushed the life out of
all but six, who were saved and cared
for by the fsher-folk.
The survivors are being cared fol
at Elizabeth City, which place they
reached yesterday afternoon, and from
where, after recovery, they will be SEN
n home.
The Place of the Disaster.
9 The place that the ill-fated steame
went ashore at is one unusually desolate
barren, wild and fate. Four miles, reef
L and shoals, make navigation utterly i'm
It possible without disasters. Chickami
h comico is 130 miles from Norfolk, an
II thirteen from the Kitty Hawk Sigma
At cffice. All information from the life
"a saving station is by patrolmen to Orego
. Inlet, from thence by boat to Kitty Haw
and there, Norfolk or to Wilmington
NC.
a Sixty Miles Out of Her Course.
be The Strathairly was at least siXt
tn miles out Of her course when she strue
at the reefs, which ripped through h
C wooden hull almost Immediately, faster
all ing the steamship as if anchored, viii
he water poured in the large gaps th1
We made, and the high seas dashed over he
sweeping man after man overboar
n, while those on board clung with despa
of to anything atloat, unable to rend
or their defenceless comrades the slighte
lg- assistance Had they dared to let
he their hold they, too, would have be-
in washed overheard by the waters whi
ro- rolled over them.
lot The Ill-fated Vessel.
his The weight of her cargo bore b
down. AS she filled with water s
rapidly settled and the wash of t
water rapidly split her timbers and th
:, caused her to slowly break up. 1t "
" dark as midnight, the sailors being uI
BILE to see more than the dark form
OK their fellows as they were hurled ov
80 board and then tossed about with
IL. debris from the vessel, which pow
dashed against the struggling men W
end such force as to stun th
los- and thus prevent even any faint he
as of escaping from their Immediate dea
tea The vessel was wooden built and pr
IS ably worth about $35O,OOO. Mr. 81.
nan Dick, observer in charge of Cape Her
ong signal office, was in Norfolk yesterd
nee and stated that this would have been
arly last voyage of the Straithairly for
sur Foard Transportation Company, (
TO having gone out of commission for the
loly and they would have turned her o
plo to he1 owner, J. Mcintyre, of Engla
rnr The Officers of the Steamer.
voc va Captain William Wynn belonged
Jaron- on Tyne, England, where he lea
a wife. He was about forty-fve ye
old, and his whole life at sea was sp
in the employ of Mcintyre Broth'
Shot Previous to taking command of
Strathairly he was her chief officer.
The first officer was Mr.. James v
u son, of Sunderland, England. He
this about ffty-seven years Of age, and
nan. been with the vessel since last Octol
oent Mr. Jane Fraser, of Typort, Scotia
hich was chief engineer. He was thirty-se
ker years old. VIM. Whitman was sec
oacb engineer He was from London.
,rsu- The third engineer was J. G. Blal
an of Newcastle.
hree Robert Turner, the second off
was and the only officer saved is. from [
ner. dee, Scotland. He had exchanged to
swer Strathairly from the Beaconsfeld al
,tino three months ago.
o in Thomas Kenely, of south SHE
dis England, was steward, and Alfred J
son was cook.
TRgPLETS SAVED HIM.