Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-31
STEAMSHIP WRECKED.
City of Savannah's Pas
sengerS Rescued.
CAPTAINS PROMPT ACTION
Prevents Those on Boord From Toss
ing Themselves Into the Sea.


vannah of h, boston line is ashore on
Hunting islam 80 miles of Beaufort. She
Is total wreck and rapidly going to
pieces Her passengers were rescued by
the City of Birmingham and brought to
Savannah last night.
Hunting islaud is on the South Carolina
coast, about 80 miles above Bluffton, and
is about IL miles long.
Before the rescue OF the crew and pas
sengers OF the City Of Savannah the Bir-
minRham rescued the crew OF the schooner
Joseph Souther, from Darien to Boston,
loaded witch timber. There were seven
men In all, and when taken of they had
given up hope and expected to soon be at
the bottom of the sea.
They said the wreck was first sighted
just as dark Was coming on Tuesday night.
III 1t had bsen two OF three hours later
they might have passed by her.
A Gallant Rescue.
The wreck was recognized by Captain
Berg and Il .nals of distress were fired
The Birmingham answered. and First
Officer johnson and picked crew manned
one OF the lifeboats and started for the
wreck, which was on shore about six miles
Off
The captain Of the Birmingham would
have endeavored to have taken the crew
and passengers off that night IL there had
been any immediate danger Of the vessel
going to pieces. When the first officer re-
turned IL Was with news that the Savannah
were all righC till morning
The Birmins nam accordingly remained
near her, ready to respond at once In the
event Of an emergency. None of the pas.
sengers slept Tuesday night. In the morn
Ing, at O'Clock, the first and second off,
GERS, with five of the crew, left the Bir-
sminghain with two lifeboats.
The sea was still running quite high,
and IL was five hours trip. 1t was after
So'clock In the morning when they re-
turned with their precious load. They
were utterly exhausted. They needed
drink and food, and never were men SO
eager for water before
The second "trip took but l-2 hours, and
IL was about l o'clock when all were
aboard who Lad been found on the City Of
Savannah, and the Birmingham started
on the home run To Savannah.
Story of the Wreck.
Captain Savage OF the wrecked Savan-
nah was seen last night "Wsll I've lost
my steamer" he said, "but thank God
that, rs far rs / know, no lives are lost.
The gale WAS the most frightful ever ex-
perienced. IL struck the Savannah of
Charleston, and tried to head her out to
sea, but the wa,e was too much for me,
though, and sea after sea shipped over the
vessel, carrying away the pilot house and
portion Of Is saloon.
Next the s,uokestack went, and then
the waves poured Ia and put out the fires;
then / was lost. For IL hours, however, I
tnf f.rh he al
seeing that further effort was futile,
headed her for Hunting island and beached
her as far up as possible. We signalled
repeatedly for assistance, but none came,
although several tugs passed along, and
finally called for volunteers to make the
perilous trip to the lighthouse, six miles
away, to get assistance.
1.-The crew Of three sailors started out
and they probably made Beaufort 1t was
Monday morning about o'clock when I
beached the Savannah, and in the after
noon the first and second officers fitted up
the life RATS and took woman and chill
dren and several of the crew toward
Helena. think they landed safely. After
the life raft left the sea began to break the
vessel and we all took to the rigging,
from where we were rescued by the Bir-
mingham's crew. IL we had had to re-
main many hours longer In the rigging we
would have been drowned.
Captain Savage had but two lights left
when he burned his fateful signal, which
Captain Berry sighted Captain Savage's
bravery is spoken Of in the most laudatory
terms by the passengers of his wrecked
vessel They say they would have tossed
themselves into the waves to end the
agony had 1t not been for the bravery Of
the heroic master, who promised them
sure rescue.
The experience Of the Savannah's pas
sengers was horrible and can never be
told In fitting language. Rev. Mr.. Hooper
Of Boston, one of the Savannah's passen-
gers, lost his mind.
The City OF Savannah was built by John
Roach & Son, Chester, Pa, In 1877. and
was valued at about s225, 600
She was an iron steamer Of 2O29 40 gross
tonnage Her length over all was 254
feet, breadth at beam 8S7 feet, depth x4.8
She drew IS feet Of water. She was ranked
a. q frst-class passenger steamer and car
ried It's passengers.