The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-25
LIKE RATS IN A TRAP
Six Hundred Enigrants
Were Drowned.
An Enigrant Laden Vessel
Sinks in Collision.
Women and Children Drowned
by the Wholesale.
The Crew Manages to Make Its
Escape Unframed.
Many OF the Passengers Picked Up by
Small Boats.
The Crew Manages to Make Its
Escape Unframed.
Many OF the Passengers Picked Up by
Small Boats.

OIBRALTAR, Marcn L. Inc DrlJlSn
steamship Utopia, from Italian ports, bound
to New York with 700 Italian immigrants
aboard, collided today with the British
ironclad Rodney, anchored in Gibraltar
bay, and sank soon afterward off Ragged
staff.
GIBRALTAR. March ls.-At 4:30 D. m. it
was announced that the official report of
the number of persons on board the Tito
pia shows that when she left Naples the
steamship had $50 souls on board, includ-
ing passengers and crew. OF this number
only 81 have been saved. Thus $50 of
her passengers and crew are either
drowned or missing.
One account of the disaster attributes it
10 the fact that tho British warship Arson
was drifting before the gale and that in
30 doing she rammed the Utopia abaft the
funnel. After ramming the Utopia, the
Arson is said to have reversed her en-
gines, which caused her to back away
from the Utopia, which vessel was practi-
cally impaled on the spur of the Anson's
ram. and the Utopia Immediately after
ward sank beneath the waves. Every
thing possible was done by the officers
and seamen Of the British warship in their
efforts to save the lives Of the unfortunate
people on board the Utopia; so much so
that four seamen were washed overheard
and drowned from one OF the warship's
steam launches while taking part in the
work OF rescue.
Among the Utopia's officers who were
saved by the boats of the wsrship were
Capt. McKeague, the doctor. the boats
vain, the first steward and the carpenter
The scene after the collision has proba-
bly, never before been witnessed in the
history of maritime disasters. On one
side was the sinking passenger steamship,
crowded with about seven hundred emil
grants who filed the air with wild, horri-
bic appeals for help and shrieks OF terror
as they saw death awaiting them in the
dark, angry waters OF Gibraltar bay. Over
head clouds rushed furiously, driven along
by the strong southwest gale which had
been one of the causes OF the calamity.
Right and left OF the sinking vessel were
the two monster battle-ships, the Rodney
and the Arson, huge speci nens of Brit
aims most powerful fighting ships, pouring
the gilt OF their powerful electric reflect
OTIS upon the disabled steamship, lighting
up the agony oil her passengers and show
ing clearly, too clearly, the terrible posi-
ton In which they were placed. Here
and there were the warships' small boats
manned by sturdy blue-jackets, who
strained every nerve as they bent to their
oars IN the heavy sea while striving gal
lantIy TO be first To reach the drowning
passengers Of the Utopia.
A naval court OF inquiry will be con-
vened on board Of the British flagship
Arson, ten guns, 10000 tons and ! 800
horsepower, flying the fla of Rear Adj
miral Jones and commanded by Capt.
b. +. Clark. The Rodney, the other
British warship mixed up in some not
definitely explained manner with the
sinking of the Utopia, mounts ten guns,
is OF 10000 tons and 1850 horsepower.
She is commanded by Capt. John B.
Warren. Both warships belong to the
channel squadron, Of which Jones is the
second in command.
The authorities OF Gibraltar are furnish
ing the rescued people with lodgings, food
and clothing. 1t is expected that the An
Choir line people will shortly take steps to
forward the Utopia's survivors to their
destinations in the United States by
another steamship of their line. Some
of the Italians, however, are so badly
scared by their experiences of last night
that they announce their intention of
never again Drawing the dangers Of an
ocean voyage.
Divers from the war ships are at work
over and above the spot where the Utopia
sank. 1t is possible efforts will be made
to raise her The principal work of the
divers this afternoon has been the recov-
81 II
boats crews, who have been at work all
day in the efforts being made by the Brit
ish naval authorities TO recover as many
as possible Of the bodies of the passengers
and crew. have at 4 o'clock recovered
ninety bodies.
Among those who were saved from the
sinking vessel by the boats of the men-of-
war, were twenty of the Utopia's crew.
The passengers who were rescued include
Mr.. w. I. Co bron, a stock broker OF New
York city. who was one of the saloon pas
sengers. Mr.. G. O.. Davis of Boston, an
other OF the saloon passengers, is among
those who are reported as missing.
The officers of the crew Of II. NJ. s.
Arson state that the Utopia foulel the
ram OF the Arson, and thus caused the
damage which resulted in the passenger
steamer sinking within a few minutes
alter being struck. The Anson's officers
assert that no blame can be attached to
the war vessel.
Petersen. Swedish quartermaster who
had been steering the Utopia short time
before the co lision. saws that just before
the vessels came together he went below.
While there he felt the shock CT the col
hsion and rushed from below, but before
he reached the main deck the Utopia had
gone broadside on upon the spur OF the
Anson's ram. The commander of the
Utopia, Capt. McKeaQue, according to
Petersen. WAS on the steamships bridge
until the last moment 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
roues holding it. He had no time, how
ever, to lower the boat away as the bows
OF tile Utopia had passed beneath The war
ship and it was evident that the pas
senger steamer was rapidly sinking.
Soon after the boats OF the Anson
having were promptly lowered, and one
Of the man-of-war's cutters ran alongside
the Utopia and Petersen managed to Jump
into her. He says that while on board
the Utopia. after the collision, he was sur
rounded by terrible mass OF human
beings fighting their way desperately and
savagely, regardless of sex or age, toward