The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-03-21
IN WATERY GRAVES.
Graphic Pictures from the Sink.
ing Of the Utopia
By EYE WITNESSES OF The DISASTER.
Heroic Efforts Of the British Blue Jackets
to Rescue the Suugglirg, Shrieking
Moss Of Doomed Humanity
The Horror Grows.

GIBRALTAR, March 19.-An eye wit
ness gives the following account Of the
wrecking Of the Utopia:
1.-THE shrieks of the Utopia's passen
gers and crew could be plainly hearo
above the roaring of the gale. The sea
was so heavy that the boats Of the res
clers could not with safety approach
the wreck, SO they were compelled &c
lie to lceward, where they picked ur
the people as they were swept from the
decks. As the Ctopia's bows settled Q
terrible scene was witnessed from the
boats. Those still on board the sink.
ing steamer made n sudden rush en-
massc TO the fore rigging, struggling
for their lives and vainly seeking
places OF refuge. Twenty minutes later
the forecastle vas submerged and q
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 eff
forts to ascend the rigging were car
ried away by the waves.
1.-The ~rescucrs, blinded by the wind
and rain, saw nothing but a confused
struggling mass of human beings en-
tangled with wreckaGe. A steam pin
mace reached all those who had taken
refuge in the main rigging, but the last
ones were not taken off until II o'clock
at night. They were SO exhausted that
they could do nothing for themselves
The blue Jackets c~lambered into the
slirouds and passed the helpless people
to the rescuers in the boats. Both the
British and the Swedish sailors did
plucky and vigorous work.
while a steam pinnacc belonging &c
the British ironclad lmmortalite was
engaged in the work of rescuing her
screw fouled and she became helpless
and driftcd On the rocks. In trying to
save themselves two sailors aboard the
pinnace were drowned"
Petersen, a Swedish quartermaster,
who had been steering the Utopia a
short time before the collision, says
that just before the vessels came to-
gether he went below. White there he
felt the shock Of the collision, and
rushed from below, but before he
reached the main deck the Utopia had
gone broadside upon the spur of the
Anson's ram. The commander of the
Utopia, Capt. McKeague. was N
the steamships bridge until the last
moment. Petersen adds that as
the Utopia was crossed by
the Anson's ram he clambered up
the davits of one of the steamships
boats and cut the ropes holding it. He
had no time, however. to lower the
BOAT away as the bows of the Utopia
had passed beneath the wal ship and
it was evident that the passenger
steamer was rapidly sinking. 500
after, the boats of the Arson having
been promptly lowered. n of the
man-of-war cutters ran a longside the
Utopia and Petersen jumped into her.
He says that while on board the Utopia
after the collision he was sur
rounded b. a terrible mass Of
human beings fighting their way
desperately and ~sava%cly, regardless of
sex or agc.t~ toward; tn til" boats. Men.
woi."n and children tumhlcd and
climbed over each other in their fright
for a chance of escape from drowning.
One poor woman who was rescued by
the Nnson blue jackets. went raving
mad when She was convinced that her
children were drowned. There were
similar distressing incidents by the
score. hut the most awful of all oc-
Cured when the Utopia. with Il ina
lurcl,. sank with her human freight
clirging about her.
Many who had sprang into the sea
when they saw the steamship could not
fiaat much longer were drawn into the
whirlpool caused by the Ttopia's dis
appearance. some came to the surface
again for Il few moments before sinking
finally into the watcry tomb. They
were trying TO cling to pieces of the
w~rrckagc, floating spars. oars. gratings,
hatchways, boats. lifrboats. etc, and
thus keep themselves above water until
rescued by the war-ship's boats. but
the weaker succumbcd more readily.
Sllrieking, praying women. sank to
rise no more with their terrified
offspring claspcd to their breasts.
Children chung to their parents so des-
p~erately as, in several cases. to
the death of both. where both might
have escaped had better judgment
been used. Husbands and wives sank
while grasping each other in frantic eff
forts tn keep each other afioat, and a
good swimmer went down with some
mortified, fear-maddened person clinging
to him with the tenacity and despcra.
ton OF death.