The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-19
SINKING OF THE UTOPIA.
THE LOSS OF LIFE NOW ESTT-
MATED AT 57s.

She Had $50 Persons on Board aud
Only 317 Have Been Saved-The
Utopia Borne Against the warship
Anson by the Strong Gale and Cur
rent.
GIBRALTAR, March 1S.-The official re-
port of the number of persons on board the
Utopia shows that when she left Naples the
steamship had $50 souls on board, including
passengers and crew. OF this number only
S0s have been saved. Thus 57s of her pas
sengers are either drowned or missing.
Not until now Is p.m.) has 1t been possi>
bic to give full and authentic account of
the appalling catastrophe, the failing light
making it difficult last night to see from
the shore what was going on at the scene of
the disaster, and the terrible gale making it
almost impossible to communicate with the
vessels until a late hour to-day.
RAN INTO THE ANsoN.
Early last evening the Utopia was seen
steaming into the bay in the direction or
the anchorage. When abreast of the iron
clad Anson the strong gale, combined with
the current, swept the vessel across the
bows OF the Anson, and her hull was pierced
by the ram of the iron-clad. The Utopia,
after pulling clear of the iron-clad, drifted
about before the wind and sea and settled
down in five minutes from the time
OF the first impact. The Anson's
boats we're lowered Immediately, as were
also boats from other vessels of the British
channel squadron. The Swedish man -of-war
Freya, the cable ship Amboy and the irons
clads turned their powerful electric search
lights on the scene of the disaster to assist
the rescuers.
A CROWD ON SHORE.
On shore the news spread quickly. An
enormous crowd soon gathered on the
parade. and great excitement prevailed.
The shrieks of the Utopia's passengers and
crew could be plainly heard above
the roaring gale. The sea was so
heavy that the boats of the rescuers
could not with safety approach the
wreck, so they were compelled to lie
to the leeward, where they picked up the
people as they were swept from the decks.
As the Utopias bows settled, terrible
scene was witnessed from the boats. Those
still on board the sinking steamer made
sudden rush en- masse to the fore rigging,
struggling for their lives, and vainly seek
ing place of refuge.
SWEPT INTO THE WATER.
Twenty minutes later the forecastle was
submerged and 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
efforts to ascend the rigging, were carried
away by the waves. The rescuers, blinded
by the wind and rain, saw nothing but a
confused struggling mass of human beings
entangled with the wreckage A steam pin
mace rescued all those who had taken refuge
III the main rigging, but the last ones were
not taken off until II o'clock alb night. Both
the British and Swedish sailors did plucky
and vigorous work.
A PINNACE GOES ON THE ROCKS.
While the steam pinnace belonging to the
British iron-clad lmmortaiite was engaged
in the work of rescue her screw fouled, and
she became helpless and drifted on the
rocks. Two of the sailors aboard t he pin
mace were drowned. The remainder were
rescued. Divers are at work recovering
the bodies from the wreck.
Among the Utopia's officers and petty
officers who were saved by the boats of
the warships were Capt. McKeaque and the
and carpenter.
TERRIBLE SCENE.
The scene after the collision has probably
never before been witnessed in the story of
maritime disasters. On one side was the
sinking passenger steamship crowded with
about 700 emigrants, who filled the air with
wild appeals for help and shrieks of terror
Overhead the 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 battIeships,
Rodney and Anson, pouring the light of
their powerful electric refectors upon the
disabled steamship, lighting up the agony
of her passengers, and showing too clearly
the terrible position in which they were
placed. Here and there were the small boats
Of the warships, manned by sturdy blue
jackets, who strained every nerve in striving
to reach the drowning passengers. The res
cued were most kindly cared for on
board the warships or were taken ashore
aud housed in the different government
buildings. A naval court of inquiry win
be convened on board the Anson.
Some OF the Italians, however, are 50 badly
scared by their experiences Of last night
that they announce their intention of never
again Drawing the dangers Of an ocean
voyage.
THE ANCHOR LINES ADvICES,
NEW YORK, March 1S.-The agents of the
Anchor Line Steamship Company to-day
received the following report of the awful
disaster at Gibraltar: The list of saved
embraces two cabin passengers, 300 steerage
passengers and twenty-five of the crew.
Fifteen Of the Grew aud AIS passengers were
lost. The ship was not insured. The cargo,
intended for Mediterranean ports, was
valued at 100000, and the steamship at
$4,000 The passengers saved will be
brought over on the steamship Assyria, of the
same line, which was at Genoa at the time
of the accident and has been ordered to Gil
braltar.
FATE AGAINST THEM
By this delay the Utopia's passengers will
not arrive here until after the new law
"That no immigrant without personal effects
shall be permitted TO land" goes into effect.
Col. Weber said to-day that the survivors of
the Utopia would probably be examined in
Gibraltar, and the destitute and sick and
crippled be left behind, only those with bag
gage and able to take care Of themselves
being brought.
AN OFFICERS STORY.
An officer of the Utopia says: "We we're
slowing our engines preparing to anchor,
when, before We realized our danger we
found ourselves broadside on the bows of
the Anson. There was a shout from both
vessels, which was instantly followed by the
Anson's ram tearing into the Utopia. We
were about quarter Of a mile from the
shore at the time"
A CowARDLY PANIC.
The officers. in talking about the catas-
trophe, say they will never forget the scene
that followed the collision. The Italians
were thrown into a state of complete and
n1.,rordIx, v,anfc Thav vailad frantfco lIxv