The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-03-26
THE TERRIBLE DISASTER TO THE
EMIGRANT STEAMER
UTOPIA.
A MOST HEARTRENpINo SCENE,

Utopia shows that when she left Ma
piles the steamship hal $50 souls on
board, including passengers and crew.
,Qf this number about five hundred are
either drowned or missing Not until
now has it been ssihle 10 give ful
and antbenti account of The appalling
catastrophe, the failing light making
il difficult last night to see from the
shore what was going on at the scene
of the disaster, and the terrible gale
making it t'almost impossible to com.
municate with the vessel until late
hour today.
Early last evening the Utopia was
seen steaming into the bay in the di-
rection of the anchorage. When
abreast Of the ironClad Anson the Eu
topia staggered a. though unable to
make headway against the terrible
current, Suddenly the strong gale,
combined with the current, swept the
i'll fated vessel across the bows of the
Ansun and IN moment her hull was
! pierced and cut by the ironclad.
SHE Fl LIS RAPIDLY.
The Utopia, after pulling clear of
Rhe irunclad. drilted about before wind
and sea. The rapid thrush OF water
throHgh the rent in her SIDE caused
her to settle down in five minutes from
the time of the first iApact. The An
sons boats were lowered Immediately,
as were also boats from the other ves-
sells of British Channel squadron, the
Swedish man.of war Freya and the ca
BILE ship Amber, and the ironclads
turned their powerful electric search
lights on the scene of the disaster to
assist the rescuers.
On shore the news OF the disaster
spread quickly. An enormous crowd
soon gathered on the Parade and great
excitement prevailed. Little could be
seen, however, save the looming hulls
of the men.of war and the white rays
OF the search lights falling upon the
foam. fecked crests Of the waves and
illuminating the spindrift. The
shrieks Of the Utopia's passengers and
crew could be plainly heard above the
roaring OF the gale. The sea was Sc
lheav, that the boats OF the rescuers
could not safely approach the wreck
so they were compelled to lie to lee
ward, where taey picked up the peo-
ple as they were swept from the decks
A TERRIBLE SCENE.
As the Utopia's bows settled terri
ble scene was witnessed from the
hoats Those still on board the sink
ing steamer made sudden rush en-
masse to the forerigging, struggling
for their lives and vainly seeking
places of refuge Twenty minutes Ia
ter the forecastle was submerged ant
large number oi persous gathere'
there who had not dared tn leap over
board with the hope Of being rescued
by the boats, and who had failed IL
their efforts to ascend the rigging
we're carried away by the waves. Tn
rescuer, blinded by the wind ant
rain, saw nothing but a confused
struggling mass Of human beings en-
tangled with wreckage.
A steam pinnace rescued all thos
who had taken refuge in the main rlt
ging, hut the last ones were not take
off until II o'clock at night. The
were 80 exhausted that they could d
nothing for themselves 50 it was nj
cessary to- haul them into the boats b
the bra 70 blue jackets in the riggni
who clambered into the shrouds an
passed the helpless people to the re
cuers into the boats Both the Swe'
ish and the British sailors did pluck
and vigorous work. While a stea
pinnace belonging to the British lro'
clad Immortalite was engaged in Il
work of rescue her screw fouled an
she became helpless and drifted on Il
rocks. In trying to save themselv
two of the sailors aboard the pinna'
were drowned. The remainder we
rescued.
THE QUARTERMAsTER's STORY.
Peterson, Swedish quartermast'
who had been steering the Utopia
short time before the collision, sa
that lust before the vessels came
gether he went below. While there
felt the shock OF the collision a
rushed from below, but before
reached the main deck the Utopia h
gone broadside upon the spur OF !
Anson's ram. The commander OF
Utopia, Capt. McKeague, according
Peterson, was on the steamshi
bridge until the last moment. Pet
son adds that as the Utopia was cru
ed by the Anson's ram he Chamber
np the davits of one OF the steamshi
boats and cut the ropes holding it.
had no time, however, to lower
boat away. as the boats OF the Uto
had passed beneath the warship an'
was evident that the passenger stes
er was rapidly sinking.
Soon after the boats OF the AM
having been promptly lowered, on'
the men.oi wars cutters ran alonge
the Utopia, and Peterson managed
Jump into her. He says that while
board the Utopia after the collision
vas surrounded by terrible mas