Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-09
DOWNIN MIDOCEAN.
Unknown Vessel Sinks with Ev.
cry Soul on Board.
AWFUL TRAGEDY ON THE ATLANTIC

Ships Como Together and Both Sink the
One Disappearing Under tbs Billows
Giving No Sign Of Life on Board-Six Of
tho Other Grow Drowned, the Remain.
der Existing Three Days on Short Rs.
lions Of Fish Oil.
PHILADELPHIA. Aug. 9.-The British
ship Prince Oscar. from Liverpool. Cap
tain Henderson, collided in mid-ocean on
July l3 with an unknown sailing vessel
Both ships sank in less than ten minutes.
Six members Of the crew Of the Prince
Oscar and all on board the unknown YES
sell were lost. The survivors, seventeen
in number, were rescued by the ship
Dharwar after bsing.conflned in an open
boat with neither food nor water for
three days. They were transferred to the
British steamship Capac, from Pisaqua,
and brought to this port last night.
The names Of the lost are: William
knight, cook, Of South Shields; Oscar
Nelson, seaman, of Christiana; F. Peter.
sen, seaman. of Denmark; August Car
| ton, deck boy. of Ostend; I. Relap, Of
Douglas. Isle of Man; ]. Anderson, stew
ard. Of Liverpool; the entire crew Of the
unknown vessel. The disaster occurred
shortly after midnight in latitude $3.50
south, Longitude 2S:20 west.
Come Together with n Crash.
The Prince Oscar, which was bound
from Shields, was going at q clipping
gait on the port tack before brisk wind
and all canvas set. 1t is estimated by the
crew that she was making about 81
knots an hour, when suddenly there
doomed up directly under the bows four.
mastcd vessel. The mate asserted that
the stranger had no lights burning. and
after she was sighted it was impossible tc
alter the course of the Prince Oscar. The
iron hull of tho latter struck the I'M
known full amidships, knocking her al
| most on her beam lends and crashing
through the woodwork until her prov
was more than half buried. The stranger
| went over almost on her beam-endS as
the Prince Oscar rebounded away.
Not n Sign of Life on Board.
AS the crew of the Prince Oscar stood
peering through the darkness they saw
tho stranger partly right herself and then
she rapidly began to sink. They listened
in vain for some signs of life, but not O
cry for help nor a word of command came
from the stricken vessel. In less than foul
minutes from the time she was struck the
stranger kee!cl over and plunged stern
first into tho depths below. Captain
Henderson, of the Prince Oscar, who was
below in his berth, rushed on deck just
in time to discover that his ship was also
sinking. The pumps were manned, but
| in less time than it takes to tell it the
| discovery was made that there was nc
hope from that source.
Ordered to the LIfeboats.
Lifeboats were ordered cut adrift, and
the men were told to jump and swim fol
their lives. They all went overheard, and
with tho exception Of two unfortunate:
reached the small boats. Captain Hen
derson, who was the last man to leave thu
ship, went over in his night garments
and swan fully two miles before he wa:
picked up. Both boats hovered about the
scene of the wreck until daylight camc in
an effort to rescue tho two missing mem
bcrs of tho Prince Oscars crew, and any
member Of the crew Of the stranger who
might have been fortunate enough tc
have kept a1oat.