The morning call., 1894-01-19
WRECKED AT SEA.
Total Loss of the Steamer
Normandy.
Three Persons Drowned - Narrow
Escape of Ex-COnsuI SewaIl
and His Bride.

The steamer China, which arrived Yesterday
from the Orient. brought full accOun of the
wreck of the steamer Normandy, which went
ashore on Betang Island shortly after mid
night on December D, just after a very heavy
rain squall, and in very heavy sea. the ship
being exposed 10 the full fury OF the China Sea-
As she struck, the ship gave tremendous
lurch ana the breakers rolled over the after
part, swapping the boilerroom and saloon,
and the ship being full of water il was deemed
/ dangerous To remain In her. The boats were
at once got ready, aud about half an hour after
she first struck nearly the whole of those on
board, preferring TO trust rather TO the mercies
OF the waves than remain on the ship, put our
TO sea. With the exception of Captain Seekers
and his child and one Lascar the whole of the
crew and the passengers were saved. but the
vessel was total loss.
Among the passengers were Howard SewaIl.
eN.Consul 10 Samoa, and his wife, TO whom lie
was recently married In this city. To re-
porter OF the Singapore Free Press Mr.. Sewall
gave the following interesting account OF the
disaster: THE vessel seems 10 have been
q doomed vessel from the start. | learned that
she had beer hurried away from Singapore by
the agents here, the captain not having had
Time TO prepare her as she ought 10 have been
ntted Tor sea. The chr0n0meters had not been
properly adjusted, and the steering apparatus
was not In good order When here In this port
several OF the crew and officers had deserted
before leaving. On the passage from Singapore
TO Manila one OF her crew had Jumped over
board another had died and the same miSfOT-
tune seemed 10 attend her on the return yoy-
I age. On the first night ont fire occurred in
The room oil the first Otflcer, who was severely
burned about tue hands In eXtmguisDlng il.
The engines worked unevenly; sometimes We
went nine or ten knots and sometimes We could
only get steam enough 10 carry her six or seven
knots"
The last land sighted was Victory Island.
soon alter passing which the steamer grounded.
There were breakers all about the vessel, so lt
was impossible 10 launch the boats until morn
Ing Then The boats got of in a very heavy
sea. Mr.. ana Mrs. Sewall were placed In the
mates boat and put out 10 sea. None of their
luggage was taken with them, ana both were
without shoes and stockings. In the boat with
Them were two Lascars, TWO Chinese boys, the
mate and sailor whose finger was so crushed
that he could not work the oars. In coDse-
quence Mr. Sewail rGwed all night, and when
morning came he, with The others. was almost
completely exhausted. In addition TO all this
IL ralned so hard that the boat had TO be con
stantly Dailed.
When morning dawned the boat was found
10 be four or five miles from land. Upon pull
ing near the shore they failed TO find place 10
land on account OF The breakers and rocks
"However," says Mr. Sewall, I'VE decided upon
last effort and headed the boat for The beach,
and. riding on the top OF the breakers all our
energies were devoted entirely to Keeping her
with the breakers so that she should not be
overturned. Having ridden about six very
heavy breakers we then found ourselves in
comparatively smooth water only about twenty
yards from the shore. i sounded with my oar
and found we were IN comparatively shOal
water and that / could touch the bottom. We
pulled easily 10 the beach, drew the boat along
side and stepped ashore. We then had some
thing 10 eat for the first time and TOOK of some
OF our wet clothes.
Leaving the men In charge OF the stores the
officers, my wife and myself started TO walk I'D
the beach. Mrs. Sewall and myself were bare
footed and all OF us suffered more from want of
shoes than anything else. The spot where we
had landed was perfectly wild and there was not
trace OF human nabitation. We walked along
lie shore Tor some distance. until we found a
path, which led lis over hl which we
followed This brought us again TO the
beach. When we reached there we saw about
nVe miles away, at the extreme end OF the bay
al Which we had landed, the Inflated Nor
manly, with her nose high up on the rocks and
her huh slOping off 10 the stern. Their we
walked along the beach for another quarter of
mile and found fishwares, and then, looking ill.,
land we found Il native kampOng where there
were TWO houses. Arrived there we met the
second engineer, who had been in the captains
boat, which was the first OF the ships com
pany or crew we had seen since we left the
ship. He came forward and told us that I'm the
house was tile captains wife, my wfes Jan
anese maid and himself. with some OF the crew
who had been in The captains bOaf."
An appeal for aid was quickly answered by
the Dutch officials OF the island, and soon all
The castaways were made quite comfortable
Nothing has yet been heard from the two
boats containing the captain aud seventeen of
the crew OF the ship Carl Friedrich, which was
wrecked on the North Luconia reef on Noyem.
Der IA. They have now been given up as lost.