The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-02-15
A FEW OF THE MORE IMPORTANT
LOSSES AT SEA.

number of sudden burlals of human
beings and treasure in the ocean. 10
the space of about SO years the follow
ing ship wrecks and loss of life is a
matter of true historical record. The
treasure that went down with them is
untold, not even approximated. 1t is
possible the child is now born who
will see some of the many millions of
buried treasure reclaimed from the
deep and at present impenetrable and
unfatbomable depths of the ocean.
The following is record OF wrecks
and the loss Of life partially enumer
ated. The loss of war vessels and
river and lake craft are not included
in it, nor are the innumerable minor
casualties always incident to navigat.
ing the water.
In the sinking of the Amazon, in
1853, over one hundred lives were
lost. In 1868 the Anglo-Saxon went
down and took with her a37 souls
who never again reached the surface,
In 1858 the Austria burned in mid
ocean, and 40 souls were either con-
sumed by fire or drowned in conse
quence. With the City Of Boston,
lost at sea, 1oI lives were lost. In the
wreck Of TIE Borussia 200 lives were
lost. The Cimbria collided with the
Sultan in 1883, and sunk out Of sight,
taking down with her asa passengers.
The Central America, in IS47, lost
400 lives. The laundering of the
Evening Star, in 1866, cost 254 lives,
In this same year the George Can
ming went down with o6 lost. In 1854
the City of Glasgow got foundered,
resulting In the loss Of $50 lives. In
1860 the wreck Of the Hungarian cost
2os lives. In 1873 the Metropolis
went down and carried 200 souls with
her. In 1898 the Naronlc was lost in
the Atlantic and with her 10 lives
were lost. In 1886 the Pacific sunk
and IS6 passengers perished in the
water. In 1873 Pommerania lost 3S
passengers. In 1874 the Schiller lost
900. In 1888 the Geiser was struck
by the Thingvalla and los passengers
perished. Again, in 1888, the Sud.
America was sunk in collision, drown
ing los passengers. In 1873, as the
result of a collision, the Vile du
Havre took down 226 souls.
An historic ocean calamity was the
the sinking of the Arctic. She was
the crack ship of the Collins line, an
American firm, and was built in New
York. Leaving Liverpool on Sept.
20, 1854, she was struck when seven
days out by the French screw steamer
Vesta. The Arctic was worked by
paddles. Of more than four hundred
passengers about one-tenth escaped.
Some seventy Of the passengers were
transferred,just as the ship was sinking,
to large raft. A passenger named
McCabe was eventually the only per.
son of this whole number to reach
land. Here is an extract from his
story:
"The sea, though not strong, was
rough, and the waves, as they rushed
remorselessly over the raft, washed
away a portion Of its living freight
OF those who dropped away, some
floated off and were gnawed and eater
by fishes, while others were washed
under the raft, where their faces coulC
be seen through the opening as they
were swayed to and fro by the waves
The raft at one time was so crowded
that many had to hold on by on,
hand Very few words were spok Ell
by any, and the only sound to b,
heard was the splash of the waters o
the heavy breathing of the poo
sufferers, as they tried to recover thei
breath after wave had passed owe
them. Nearly all were submerged t,
their armpits while few could will
difficulty keep their heads above tn,
surface.
"The women were the first TO go
They were unable to stand the expos
ure more than three or four hours
They all fell off the raft without
word, except one poor Glrl, who criet
out in intense agony: 'Oh, my poo
mother and sisters +"
AT the end of the day McCabe wa
the only person left alive on the raf,
During the night of the second day h
was rescued by the second officer an,
some sailors of the Arctic in boat
Not single woman of the Arctic
passengers was saved.
The steamship Central Americ1
when she left Aspinwall for New Yor
on Sept. 3, 1857, carried more tha
four hundred passengers and $4,000
900 of treasure, shipped from Sa
Francisco. She encountered one c
the fercest gales ever known, spran
aleak and sank off Cape Hatteras o.
Sept. IL. Three fourths of her passer
gers and all her cargo were losl
Several vessels came to the assistanc
of the Central America in her distres: