Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-04
FATE OF THE ALVO.
Story Of Captain Seiders of tho
Alene.
BELIEVES THERE WAS A COLLISION
His Theory as to the Cause of the
Disaster.
LITTLE HOPE OF SURVIVORS,

NEW YORK, Oct Capt E. T. seiders
or the Atlas line steamship Alene which ar
rived at quarantine last evening. brtngs
with him information which almost GER
tainiy settles any question as to the fate
or the missing Alvo. He SAYS that there
can be no doubt whatever that the missing
steamer went down in a collision ON Aug
ust l9, or the next day. when only three
days out from New York He gives also a
ray OF hope that there may be two or three
SURVIVORS OF the disaster. and possibly quite
number. but it is a very faint ray.
On board the Alene is the lifeboat mark
ed Alvo. which was picked up by the
steamship Jason on her voyage from this
port to Montego bay.
The Jason sailed on Septemhar "a IT,.
Alvo's lifeboat was transferred 70 Can,
Seiders at Kingston, Jamaica Ii is batter
cd ana beaten. but old mariners have been
able TO gather enough Information from her
appearance TO tell her mournful story
Inc most important facts about the boat
are that she was undoubtedly manned after
and that before she was manned she Wen,
down with the steamer in twenty or
thirty fathoms of water
The story can best be told in Capt. sei-
oers own words. He said: Il have not the
snghtest doubt as TO the fact of the life-
boat carrying people since she parted COM
pany with the Alvo. There is unmistaka a bls
evidence OF that to be seen I'm the boat
Ihere was no document or writing of any
kind found in her. as she was full of water
Her oars We're in her bottom, and when
found she was right side up. II is impossi-
BILE to judge how many people IL had held
Now follow me for a minute. The lifeboat
when picked up by the Jason, was in lati-
tude 32.0s longitude 73.53, or I'm the land
mans language about go miles +. s. +.
from Wilmington, on the south side OF the
Nan1f III
had drifted out across the stream. and that
the Alvo had gone down on the other edge,
because IL the steamer and the lifeboat had
parted company on the outer edge, the boat
would have drifted right out into the ocean.
THE Alvo. only three days out OF port,
could certainly have weathered any storms.
even the cyclones which swept across her
path that August week. i feel sure that
she was in collision with some other vessel
or a derelict, and that both went down.
1t would be impossible TO calculate what
she might have run into. for there were
schooners missing and a number Of aban-
doned craft In those waters few days
after those two hurricanes.
The ifeboat went down with the ship.
Not only is there proof of her having been
submerged. but her copper compartment
was crushed in ana there is a hole In her.
She was in deep water-twenty or thirty
fathoms. II would appear that she suffered
In the collision, went down, and breaking
loose. came to the surface. There must
have been people struggling In the water
or clinging TO wreckage who made for her.
Had such people been picked up. say by a
vessel with timber. bound for some South
American or African port Il is quite pos
sible that they would not have been. yet
reported.
so We may yet get the whole truth OF the
Alvo's wreck. 1t is not possible for me to
explain TO you just how we know that there
were people in the boat. Come and see her
tomorrow for yourself and can then tell
You better"
The lifeboat will be examined by Mr.
Forwood Of PIN. Forwood q Co.. the agent
of the Atlas line.
At the Office of the Atlas line this morn
ing inquirers were referred TO the captain
of the Alene. 1t is probable that further
Information win be given out later In the
day.