The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-10-26
STORY OF THE WRECK.
HOW THE PALM0s SAVED THE MAR
sEILLEs' PASSENGERS,
Hope Of Rescue Had Departed When the
Palmos Hove in sight-Acts Of Bravery
Rivaling the Most Entrauc.
ing Fiction.


Palmos having on board SO of the pas
sengers and crew of the wrecked
steamer Marseilles was released this
afternoon from quarantine and came
to the docks. The Marseilles belonged
to the French Commercial company
plying between Antwerp and New Or
leans. On Oct. Sth, about 500 miles
East of the Bahamas, the Marseilles
encountered a hurricane and the wind
blew with such force that it was i'm,
possible for a person to stand upon
her deck. Heavy seas broke over her,
sweeping fore and aft, carrying every.
thing in its path. Over half of the
time the vessel was submerged but
managed to keep afioat' by vigorous
use of the steam pumps.
AS night grew on the wind increased
in velocity. At nightfall it was blow
ing so miles an hour. All Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday the storm con
| tinued and the steamer was fast max
ing water. She sprung a leak below
the coal bunkers through which the
water poured in in torrents. 1t came
in with such rapidity that the fires in
the engines were extinguished and the
handpumps were resorted to. These
proved of little service and the vessel
filled rapidly. Wednesday at about
IL o'clock, when the passengers on
board had abandoned all hope of be-
ing saved, the British STEAMSHIP %
Palmos hove in sight and by the gal
liant conduct of her crew all of the
Marseilles' passengers and crew except
| five were saved.
Sister Marie Ephrem, one of the pas.
sengers rescued from the wrecked
steamer, gave a graphic account of the
wreck of the Marseilles and the rescue
of its passengers by the Palmos. Her
story is as follows: when the vessel
first encountered the gale on Sunday
all the passengers were on deck for it
had been known many hours before
that storm was brewing. The vessel
was battered about terriffically. After
three days of drifting about, the en-
gines being powerless, Captain Gan
dillon on Wednesday morning called
the passengers and crew together and
told them that the vessel was filling
fast and ordered all to prepare for the
worst. 1t had been arranged that the
passengers take to the small boats be-
fore night and trust to Providence.
While the wind had somewhat abated
at this time the sea was running high
and the vessel. vigorously'tossed about.
At II o'cock in the day a steamship
came in sight and slowly made after
the Marse lies. Nearer and nearer
came the boat and at last it had ar
rived near enough to attempt to rend-
er assistance. The Palmos lowered a
boat, but it was struck by a wave,
dashed against the vessel and render
ed useless. The Palmos was light and
stood away out of the water and could
not launch boat with any degree of
safety. The next attempt to launch
boat was made by the Marseilles
Over her huge side frail looking craft
was lowered in the water and was soon
filled with people. The tiny boat
made for the Palmos and soon its oc-
cupants were aboard the English ship.
The first attempt had been successful
Two, three, five and seven boats were
launched, and after many escapes from
loss of life, the passengers were safely
put aboard the Palmos.
All eyes were turned on the last
boat, which contained seven pas
sengers. When half way between the
Marseiles and Palmos the small boat
was swamped and its occupants thrown
into the water. Life lines were thrown
them from the Palmos, but only two
were saved. Two young girls, two
male passengers and seaman were
drowned. All of the bodies were soon
lost from view. One of the young
women received severe cut on the
head from the blade of the propeller of
the Palmos, which fastened her
death.
Some of the scenes during tie res.
cueing of the passengers were ex-
tremely pathetic. A mother, whose
two little children had been put
aboard the Palmos in basket, when
she followed them shortly after,
threw her arms around the
neck of the second officer
of the ship and kissed him;
One of the Young novitiates who had
been hauled up the ships sides cling,
ing TO n rope, r6l6dS6u ucT bOlu anu iOii
back into the water. A British sea-
man jumped from the Palmos and fast
ening a rope around her waist, she
was pnlled on board, where it took
about 10 hours to revive her. Another
novitiate, who lost a hold on a line,
managed to keep afioat until another
was thrown her, attached to belt,
which she placed around her waist,
and then called to the men to pull
away. She was safely pulled aboard.
Other scenes displaying bravery and
presence of mind were enacted
during the landing of the passen
gers on the Palmos. On board
the Marseilles was Edmond Dede, a
negro composer of some note, who lost
a costly violin and all his belongings.
He was on his way to New Orleans,
his home, after an absence of 80 years.
When the passengers were rescued the
Enplish ship provided them with
quarters, but after being out few
DAYS it was found necessary to put the
male passengers and the crew on half
rations. Captain Morgan of the Pal
mos stated that the women acted
bravely and to this he attributed the
great saving of life.
Captain Candillion Of the French
ship says the storm in which his ship
was lost was the worst he has expert
enced in a seafaring life dating over 30
| mi b. If