Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-31
DASHED ON HOLYHEAD.
Big British Bark Went Down
With All on Board.
GREW OF TwENTY-FoUR Persisted.

| The Disaster Occurred Within Short Dis
tance of Safety and In Sight of the Light
keepers-other Fatalities and Damage
CEASED by the Big Storm
LONDON, Dec. 31.-Seycrc weather has
prevailed throughout Great Britain since
Saturday. the heavy gale being accompa-
MED by hail and snow rendering naviga-
ton along the coasts both difficult and
dangerous. All vessels that could do SO
made for Ravens of refuge. Some, how
ever, did not succeed in reaching port, but
We're wrecked when almost in sight of
safety.
This was the case of the British bark
Osseo. Captain Boggs, which sailed from
Taltal on Aug. 10 for ArdrosSan. She
made the long voyage safely until Sunday
morning. when she was wrecked ON the
Holyhead breakwater, and every soul on
board of her ~ in all, were drowned. Tho
Osseo was caught in the gale in tho Irish
sea, and Captain Boggs evidently thought
that he would run into Holyhead and
wait for the storm to abate
Shortly before half past o'clock in
the morning the keeper of the lighthouse
end of tho long breakwater saw a bark
come out of the gloom, with her lights
burning brightly and under close storm
canvas. The wind was blowing n living
it. The bark. however. was making as
good weather of il rs was possible and was
apparently being handled in n most care
full manner. How the o ciient occurred
is not exactly known but Il Is surmised
that IN extraordinarily high sea lifted her
when she was quite close to the brcakwa-
ter and dashed her upon IL She strucl;
amidships and Immediately began to break
up. the sea pounding ut her furiously the
moment she hprnu1n stationary
Falling Mast Killed Several Sailors.
The lighthouse keeper, rs soon rs he re
allied what had occurrcd-and the wreck
occurred so quickly that some little time
elapsed before he did realize that the bark
was wrccked-0red n rocket to call the
coast guardmcu and lifeboatmcn. In the
meantime the bark had broken into halves
the mainmast going by the board. In its
fall it struck several of the crew who were
on the deck, killing them instantly. 9th
ers of the crew had clambcrcd into the
fore and mizZen rigging to escape being
washing overheard by the huge combers
that were making n clean breach over the
wreck
The coast guardsmcn Were the first TO
reach the scene of the disaster and were
followed soon after by the lifeboatmcn
Above the bowling Of the gale could be
heard the cries of the men on the bark for
assistance. The coast guards got line
aboard the wreck. and il was caught by
one of the crew.
Before he could make it fast the fore
and miZzenmasts Were whipped of close
to deck, and everybody in the rigging
fell with them into the sea and drowned.
The sailor who had caught the line was
crushed to death under one of the falling
masts.
After the masts had gone by the board
all ill
the breakwater knew that all hands on
the bark had persisted In a short time
nothing was visible seaward but broken
spars and a rattle of rigging attached TO
them During the day nine bodies were
recovered The identity of the bark was
learned from some of her papers that were
washed ashore.
Tho OsSco was commanded by r. Boggs.
Shewas steel vessel of !, 800 tons and was
built in 1889 Mt Londonderry, from which
port she hailed. Her dimensions were:
Length, 245 feet 3 inches: beam. SO feet
inches, and depth of hold. II feet inches.
b. III. McCOrkcll was her owner.
Other Marine Disasters.
The Norwegian ship Frey. Captain Han
sen. from Darien, while riding Mt anchor
off TroOn. was dismasted Her crew was
taken off in a lifcboat. The boat capsized,
and one man was drowned. The other IL
reached shore safely. The Frey has since
dragged her anchor and gone ashore at
Devils dyke, four miles frCss, Ayr.
The British bark BoniA. Captain
Thomas, from Galveston, was run into
off'Falmouth and damaged Ivy the schooner
Carrie Harvey.
y dispatch from Londonderry says that
nothing has been heard of the Mississippi
and Dominion line steamer Sarnia. which
lost her ruddcr ut sea, and which. after
being taken in tow by tho Anchor line
steamer Anchoria, was dropped about 1870
miles west of Tory island owing to heavy
weather which made towing dangerous.
The Anchor line steamer Furnessia, from
Glasgow for New York. which sailed from
Neville Sunday morning, had orders to
keep sharp lookout for the Sarnia. Tugs
nre lying in Tough Foylc in readiness TO
proceed in search of her as soon rs the
weather permits
4 coasting schooner was dismnsted off
Cromer. Four lifcbOatS started out tn
rescue her Grey. The vessel had swung
of in the trough OF the sea, where she
rolled her rails under. This made il cx-
tremely dangerous for the lifcboatS to ap-
proach her, and Il hours elapsed before
the crew was taken off and landed.
The storm inland has done some DAM
age. Trains have been blocked by heavy
snowdrifts. and in many places in Scot
land the telegraph wir,'s arr down