The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-07-31
DISASTER ON THE DEEP.
TERRlsLE LOSS OF LIFE IN ACOLLl-
SION AT SEA.

TERRIBLE. LOSS y. Lire I'm COlLl-
SION AT SEA.
Marie p. From Naples For the River
Plate, Struck and Sunk in Pitchy Dark
ness by the Ortisia, and lis Passengers
Perish.
La SpEzzIA, Italy, July 21.-A ter,
rible accident, resulting IN the loss OF
143 lives. occurred near the mouth Of
the Gulf of Spezzia today At halfp past
o'clock this morning the steamers Or
tieia and Marie p. ran into each other
and the latter vessel was so badly dam
aged that she sank in very short
time. The Marie p. had on board, in
addition to her crew, IFS passengers,
bound from Naples for the River Plate,
by far the larger part of whom were
emigrants.
The night was pitch dark when the
collision occurred and the scene on
board the sinking steamer almost de-
fies description. Most of the passen-
gers were asleep in their hunks at the
time, and were awakened by the
crashing of the steamers plates, deck
beams and dock planks. They were
panic stricken and rushed pell nell on
deck, where they ran hither and
thither calling upon the saints to save
them.
From the reports Of the disaster re-
ceived here, it is impossible to deter
mine whether any attempt was made
by the Marie p. to clear away and
launch her small boats, to attempt to
rescue the passengers, bnt judging
from the accounts given by the sur
vivors, it is surmised the steamer went
down too quickly to allow Of this be-
ing done, though one boat got away.
The blackness of the night added to
the terror of those on board, and it
is understood that some of the passen-
gers. crazed with fear. jumped over
board. The force of the collision was
terrific.
The Ortigia struck the Maria P.
squarely on the starboard side and her
stem penetrated the ill-fated steamer
for distance Of eighteen feet. When
she backed out a graf volume Of water
poured through the orifice and the yes
sci began almost Immediately to set.
tie. No mention is made Of the Or
tigia lowering her boats to attempt to
rescue the imperilled people On the
Maria P. Whether the former vessel
was damaged or not is not known.
The survivors are in such mental
condition, that it is impossible as yet
to get any connected story but from
the statements of some of the crew, 1t
appears that the disaster was the fault
Of the Ortigla.
The crew of the Maria P. numbered
seventeen. Of this number fourteen
was saved in the boat that got clear of
the ship. This boat also saved the
thirty passengers who escaped drown
ing. The Ortigia, on her previous
voyage. collided in this same spot
with a French steamer and this fact
adds strength to the belief that she was
responsible for this mornings disaster.
Admiral NORM, minister of marine,
has ordered an inquiry to be made
into the affair to place the responsible
ty.
The collision occurred off Isola Del
Tino. The Ortigia left Genoa at 1C
o'clock last night. Maria P. was
bound for Genoa, where the emigrants
on board her were to have been trans
shipped to the steamer Sud America,
which was to convey them to the
River Plate. 1t was learned this al
ternoon that the lookout man on the
Ortigia saw nothing of the other stea
mer until it was too late to avert 6
collision. The officers Of the Ortlgla
say that no boats were lowered by the
| Maria p. and their vessel saved all the
survivors. The Ortigia remained II
the vicinity of the accident for several
hours, hoping that she might be able
to rescue others. The bows of the
Ortigia have in them a rent four yards
long just above the water line.
Admiral NORM, minister of marine
announced the disaster to the Cham
Der of Deputies this afternoon and the
news created a deep impression. Many
of the deputies expressed sympathy
with the families of the victims. Chas.
Ferara was the master of the Maria
P. Later information is to the effect
that all,her passengers were emigrants.