Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-07-27
l)R0VN Md WHILE ASLEEP.
Fearful Collision Between Two
Italian Passenger Steamers.
HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHT LOST.
The Steamer 0rtieia Crashes Into the Ma
rim r. and the Latter Vessel sank in Three
Minutes Only Twenty-eight Persons
Survived the Disaster.

Survived the Disaster.
GENOA, July q. The italian steamers
Ortigia and Maria p. collided Of 1sla del
Pinto, at the entrance Of the Gulf of CO.
noa. The hitter sank and l48 passengers
were drowned
The Maria p was bound from Naples to
La Plata. There was a crew of seventeen
and the passengers numbered 173- She
was calling here en- route to her destina
ton. She was entering the Gulf Of Genoa
at 1.3o o'clock yesterday morning, when
she met the Ortieia, outward bound.
They only noticed each other when a col
lision was inevitable
The blow of the Ortegia crashed into
the starboard side of the Maria r ,penetrat-
ing six yards, and ripping up the Maria 2.
like matchwood The water rushed in
through the hole and the Maria Z. sank in
three minutes
The majority of the passengers were
asleep at the time of the accident. and had
no time to escape after the alarm was
given They were engulfed with the yes
sell The Ortigia remained on the spot
until o clock in order To pick up the sur
vivors. She rescued fourteen of the crew
and twenty eight of the passengers Of the
Maria p. Other steamers have been dis
patched to the scene of the disaster, and
are now searching for further survivors.
The Ortigias bow was smashed for
space of twelve feet along the water line.
There ID some comment upon the fact
brought to mind by the disaster that the
Ortigia once collided on the same spot
with the French steamer Uncle Joseph.
At the conclusion of the sitting of the
,ba,- law nt oa minister
of marine announced the news of the dis
aster in the midst of profound sensa-
ton, adding that an officer, a seaman. a
stoker and Ia passengers of the Maria P.
had persisted.
The Ortegia had twenty five passengers
on board rhe Maria P.'s captain was
The chamber has ordered an inquiry
into the disaster.
The sky was overcast at the time of the
accident, and there was little sea. Both
captains were asleep. and the third officer,
Revello, was on watch on the Ortigia, and
Second Officer D. Angelo was on watch on
the Maria P The Ortigia was going at the
rate of eleven miles an hour and the Ma
ria p. at the rate of eight miles Both YES
sells saw the lights of the other and con-
tlllutu Ol titcil PiCpti Iostto VII ehO i3ito-
take was made, it is not established by
whom, which brought the Maria p. broad
side towards the Ortigia Third Officer
Reyello, of the Ortigia, saw the danger
and ordered the engines reversed, but the
order came too late.
All the boats of the Ortigia were low
cred, and the crews rescued all they could
of the survivors. The latter, for the most
-, ~, eta 49, Ell,
the rescue that they are unable to give
single detail of the disaster.
Captain Ferrara who was saved said
that he was sleeping in his cabin when he
was awakened by cries and shouts and a
great noise. lie rushed upon deck and
saw the Ortigia backing of, while his own
ship was sinking. Seeing that all was
lost he jumped into the sea, where he was
picked up by the Ortigia's boat
A passenger named Balena, jeweler,
was on board with his wife and three
young children He said that be had not
turned in when the collision occurred. He
seized two of the children, and his wife
caught up the third, and they ran upon
deck and jumped into the sea. The chill
drcn weighed him down and he sank
after hard struggle When he came to
the surface his children had disappeared.
His wife had managed to cling to piece
of wreckage till the Ortigias boat saved
her. They lost everything
Second Officer ID Angelo, of the Maria P,
who was on watch on that ship when she
was struck by the Ortigia, was drowned.
Among the saved is n chi4l of years,
who is the only survivor of family OF
seven who went down with the i'll fated
ship