The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-21
HOPE is GONE.
Fate Of the Naronie Settled al
Last.
HER EMPTY LIFE BOATS ARE
FOUND AFLOAT.

The News Brought to Bremen by the
Coventry-There is a Chance That
Occupants of the Missing Boats We're
Taken Aboard Passing Vessel.
BREMEN, March 20.-After long-con-
tinued anxiety regarding the fate of the
White Star line freight steamer Naronic
which sailed from Liverpool, February
II for New York, and which has not
since been heard from. intelligence has
been received showing beyond any doubt
that the vessel is lost.
The British steamer Coventry, from
Fernandina, February 10, arrived at this
port today
She reports that at 2 o'clock on the
morning of March A, when in lat 40 N.,
long. 46o W., she passed 1ifeboat, paint
ed white, bearing the name "Naronic."
The boat was floating keel upward.
At o'clock in the afternoon Of the
same day another lifeboat from the Ma
ronic was passed.
This boat gave evidence of having en-
oountered heavy weather.
The mast and oars of the nfeboats had
been lashed together and attached to the
painter and then thrown overload as a
sea anchor to keep the boats head up to
the wind and sea.
Judging from appearances, neither of
the boats had been long adrift.
There is chance that the occupants of
the boats were picked up by passing
vessel.
Capt. Wilson, the commander of the
Coventry, states that he was not able to
plainly decipher the name on the first
life boat passed by the steamer, though
there ia no doubt In his mind that it was
the "Naronic.''
The boat being capsized rendered the
reading of the name almost impossible,
as the letters reversed could only be
seen when the ends of the boat were
thrown clear of the sea.
When the Coventry came up with the
second hfeboat the name painted on it
WAS plainly diseernible.
The second boat was half filled with
water.
Its appearance led Capt. Wilson to be-
lieve that it's occupants had been taken
on board some vessel, after which the
boat was cast adrift.
LIVERPOOL, March 2O.--Oficials of the
White Star line here have received the
full report of the steamer Coventry.
which arrived at Bremen today.
They state these ssadvices show that she
last lifeboat of the Naronic passed ts
the Coventry was recently occupied by
portion of the Naronic's S crew, and thes
expressed the hope that the occupants
had been picked up by a passing vessee
They also expressed the hope that the
occupants of the other boats had been
rescued.
All doubt as to the fate of the Naronic
has been dispelled by the sighting of her
lifeboats.
That she is now at the bottom of the
ocean cannot be disputed, but the cause
of the disaster is, Of course, still a matter
of conjecture.
It may be, judging from the latitude
and longitude in which the boats were
seen, that the steamer struck either a
derelict or an iceberg, though it is still
rather early In the season for ice to be
adrift so far south as the banks.
1t is hoped that the mystery of the
loss of the steamer will soon be cleared
up by the landing at some port of MEM
bers Of her crew.
A vessel which passed Deal today
signalled that she had on board II ships
wrecked people, and the White Star offic-
ials say there is strong probability that
they are part of the crew of the Naronic.
The arrival of this vessel is eagerly
awaited, as should the shipwrecked
persons on board be from the Naronic
all conjecture as to the causes that led
to the foundering of the steamer will be
removed.