The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-02-13
SWEPT TO THEIR DEATH.
An Ocean Disaster Resulting in
/ the Loss Of Twelve Lives.
THE CAPTAIN AMONG THE VICTIMS.
Ths Steamship Pomerarian Overwhelm ed
By Nightly Waves and Several Passeu-
gers Washed Overheard. While the Com
mander Receives Fatal injuries.

b. Nightly Waves and Several Paaeu-
gers Washed Overheard, While the Conn
mander Receives Fatal injuries.
LONDON, Feb. i3.-The Allan line steam
sh'p Pomeranian. from Glasgow Jan %,
via Moville for New York has returned to
Greenock In distress, after having met
with one Of the most fatal accidents that
has occurred to transatlantic steamer
for many years resulting In the loss of
twelve lives
The Pomeranian encountered hois.erous
weather immediately after leaving port
The 4th of February dawned with fearful
gale raging, and a tremendously high sea
running The vessel was then about 800
miles out The hatches were battened
down and covered with tarpau Inns, venti.
lators were turned to leewartl, and every
precautton taken to prevent water getting
below
Suddenly tremendous sea raised its
crest short distance ahead of the steamer
as she plunged down a wave Before She
could rise the sea cRne over the starboard
bow and tons Of water rushed aft AL.
most at the same time falling wave
astern popped the ship The result almost
battles description Ths deck saloon,
chart house. the Bridge and boats were
smashed 10 pieces and partly washed
overheard The deck was covered with
an almost neXtrcable mass of wreckags
and the utmost confusion reigned
At first the full extent of the disaster
was not known The steamer began to
pay off before the wind and sea, ard it was
al once seen that the quartermasters had
been carried oway Two sailors sprang to
the wheel and soon put the steamer on her
course
The Captain Fatally Injured.
Then it was found that Captain Dalziel
the master OF the steamer was missing.
He had been last seen standing gu the lee
side of the steamer, aft the saloon in con.
versation with a saloon passenger named
John Stewart, of Glasgow,
They had both been caught by the sea
that came over the stern and dashed
against the deck house They were then
carried with terrific force and jammed be.
meath the after steam winches Captain
Dal2iel's legs were broken and lie sustained
internal injuries He was removed to his
room and everything possible was done
for him, but he died the next morning Mr.
Stewarts legs were also broken and he
sustained other injuries from the effects Of
which he died in a few hours.
AT the time of the accident, the second
officer, John Cook, had the watch He was
on the bridge with John Hamilton, the
fourth officer, and both of them We're Gag.
ried overheard and drowned
In the saloon deck house when the sea
broke over the steamer We're James Gibson
and Lillian Gibson, of Dalkeith, and James
Cafrey, of Londonderry, all first cabin
passengers. They were carried over the
side and not afterward seen. David Forbes,
of Dundee, a second cabin passenger, and
Il 1piIf Al.pI ard al,
stewards We're also lost in the same man.
ner.
When the sea bearded the steamer every
man about deck who saw it coming
grabbed hold of stanchions or anything
else convenient, and 1t was due to this that
the loss OF life was not much larger.
Swept to Death In an Instant.
Amid the bowling of the wind and the
Kissing and roaring Of the sea, the cries of
those who were carried overheard could
not have been heard, even had they had
time to utter them. Without Il word Of
warning they were swept to their doom,
and not IA person on the steamer knew
what had happened to them until some
time after the accident
When the chart room was carried away
the charts, sextiRts and qaadrants, in fact
everything absolutely essential TO the
navigation Of the ship, went with it. The
binnacle box and its compass on the
bridge had also gone overheard, and had
it not been that the after compass re-
maned it is doubtful if the steamer would
have reached port for many days yet.
Tic first officer called the remaining offi-
GERS to a consultation and it was decided
to put nbont and return to Greenock
Without any instruments with which to
take observations the voyage had to be
made entirely by dead reckoning, and was
therefore necessarily slow.
The names of the quartermasters lost
were Peter Mclean and William urquhart