The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-12
THE WAVES WERE ROUGH.
Great Seas Board the Allen Liner
Pomeranian and Almost
Wreck Her.
Several Officers and Passengers
Washed Overheard and Lost
in the Sea.
Lnpt. DaIxiel Dies Of His Ipinriss-Tk
Decks and Eoats Wrecked and
Washed way.

HRErNocK. Scotland, Feb. 1.-THE Allan
line steamer pomeranian, from Glasgow
for New York, returned here after a tori
bic experience. When abont 200 miles
ont, during heavy storm. everything
above decks WAS swept away by hugo
wave which boarded tho vessel when
nobody was prepared for it. John Cook
and John Hamilton, second and fourth
officers; James Pritchard and Fed West.
bury. stewards; Peter Mclean and Wm.
Urquhart, seamen; James and Lillian Glib
son, Jane Gallery, and John Stewart, first
cabin. and Peter Forbes. second cabin,
were washed overheard and drowned. Capt
Dalziel was dashed against the bulwarks
and 30 severely hurt that he died next day.
The vessel was then put about and started
back under command of the first officer
The Pomeranlan encountered boisterous
weather Immediately after leaving port. 1t
was thought the wind wonld soon blow
Itself out, but instead Of abating the gale
increased in severity until the day Of tho
disaster.
Feb. dawned with friehtful gale raging
and tremendously high sea running. The
matches were battened down and covered
with tarpaulins, the ventilators were turned
leeward. and every precaution dictated by
good seamanship had been taken to pre-
vent tho water getting below. Several seas
were shipped, but they did no damage.
Suddenly tremendous sea reared its crest
a short distance ahead of tho steamer as
she plunged down q wave. Before shs
could rise the sea came over the star board
bow and tons of green water aft. Almost
at the same time the falling wave astern
came aboard. The result almost defies de-
scription. The deck saloon, chart house,
bridge and boats were smashed to pieces
and partly washed overheard. The deck
was covered with an almost inextrcable
mass OF wreckage 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 aea. and it Was at once
seen that tho quarter mast had been car
ried overheard. Two sailors sprang to the
wheel and soon put the steamer on her
course. Then it was found that Capt. Dal-
zel was missing. He was last seen stand
ing on the lee side of the steamer aft the
saloon in conversation with saloon pas
senRer named John Stewart. They were
carried with terrific force and jammed le-
meath the steam winohes. Capt. DalziePs
legs were broken and he sustained internal
injuries. He was carefully removed to his
room, but died the next morning. Stewards
legs we're also broken and he sustained
other Injuries from this etfects Of which he
died in few hours.
At the time of the accident the second
officer, John Cook. was on the bridge with
John Hamilton. fourth officer, aud both of
them were carried overheard and drowned.
In the saloon deck house, when the sea
broke over the steamer. weie Jas. Gibson
aud Lillian Gibson. Of Dalketit and Jane
Gallery, Of Londonderry. all cabin passen-
gers. They were carried outside and not
afterward seen. David Forbes. of Dundee.
second cabin passenger, and james Pritch-
ard and Fred Westbury. stewards, were
also lost in the same manner. When the
sea boarded the steamer every man about
the deck who saw it coming grabbed hold
of stanchions or anything else convenient,
and it is due to this that the loss of Lille was
not much larger. For q time tho utmost
CONSERVATION prevailed, bnt this gave way
to feeling of sadness when it was found
that SO many lives were lost.
With Capt. Dalziel fatally injured and
UNCONSCIOUS in the cabin, the command Of
the steamer devolved upon the first officer.
When the chart room was carried away the
charts, sextants aud Guadrants. in fact
everything absolutely necessary to the
navig igation OF the ship, went with IL. The
blnnacle box and compass on the bridge
had also gone overbustd. and had il not
been that the after compass remained 10 ia
doubtful X the steamer would have reached
port for many days yet. The situation of
affairs was terrible. The first officer called
the remaining officers of the steamer 20
consultation and it was decided to pus
about and return &c Greenock. This was
at ouee done, and without any Instruments
with which to take observations an avera ue
had to be made entirely by dead reckuniu g
and was necessarily slow. The first officer
is highly commended for his skillful sea
manship In navigating the Pomeranisn
under such adverse circumstances.
The scene at the burial of Capt. Dalyiel
WAS one of the saadest ever witnessed at
sea. Tho crew and passengers stood
silently weeping during the simple and
mournful ceremony. Waves were running
mountain high and all felt that thev too
might soon he with the departed captain.
Veteran sailors who were on board declare
that during ar experience of thirty years
the storm was the worst they ever encoun-
tered. II the ship had nov been staunch
and discipline good they would have foun
dered Although tho discomfort endured
was very great nobody complained. Every
body looked forward with osgerness to safe
arrival on land, ana all were only too glnd
to bs alive to complain of inck of accom-
moaatious. The interior of the PomeFan-
ian is badly damaged and Will require OK
tenslve repairs.
Variety of had Weather..
NEW YoRN, Feb. II. A number OF steam
h.