The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-04

Long before the Amazon disappeared
/ FOR good every one left on board of her
I when the boats quilted her side must
have been either drowned or burned TO
/ death-the latter if they elected to stay
/ where they were, the former if they pre-
ferred that swifter means of ending ones
Wretched life. One survivor tells that
as his crowded boat was dropping away
from the ship he saw one of the paSSen-
gers pacing the decks with his hands
IN prayer, patiently awaiting the ineVita-
bic fate from which he knew there was
no escape. a gentleman and lady, in their
night dresses only, both on fire, came on
deck and with their arms around each
other, walked over to one of the ships
matches and fell together into the flames.
Inc BOAT which contained Mr.. Nelson
was picked up next morning by an Eng
lish brig, the Marsden. without ruddar
compass, water or food and her men
We're landed at Plymouth. Those in the
mail boat, which had succeeded in get
ting away safely after having been once
SWamped, We're picked up by a Dutch
galliott and landed at Brest They num-
bered eighteen members of the crew two
laq!es and a baby eighteen months old
There will no doubt he many persons
alive IN Liverpool who have a recoIlec-
ton of the loss of rhe Ocean Monarch
on the Great Ormes Head. The disaster
occurred in 1S4S. 1t is worthy Of note here
because apart from the fact that the ship
was destroyed outside Liverpool so 10
speak, the event is one Of the most IA
nous IN all the chronicles OF ship Tires
The Ocean Monarch was all American
packet ship of 1,300 tons and left the
Merseyon Aug q with 396 persons on
board, including - ca5in and 322 steer
age passengers and - of a crew Intelli-
gence of the disaster wF7 brought 10
Liverpool by the great Mr.. Thomas Lit
tledale, who was returning from the
Beaumar1s regatta with party of friends
in his own yacht. When near the great
Ormes Head they observed the Ocean
Monarch about five or six miles to The
eastward of the OTmes Head N Abergele
bay. Mr.. Littledale and his friends were
admiring the beauty of the splendid ship
as she was pursuing her course to the
Atlantic. On sudden the Ocean Mon
arch put up her helm as if returning to
Liverpool flag CT distress was immedi-
ately hOiSted, and in a few seconds flames
We're observed to burst out abaft. The
ship was lying right in the course OF the
yacht, and Mr.. LittleGale Immediately
bore away for her. On nearing her, al
with a heavy swell, the boat OF the yacht
was lowered and proceeded to the ship
for the purpose of rendering what assist
ance she could. Very shortly the flames
were bursting with immense fury from
the stern and center Of the vessel. So
great was the heat that the passengers,
male and female, men, women and chill
dren, crowded FOR ard Their heartrend-
ing shrieks for aid were carried by the
breeze across the blue water. In their
maddened despair women jumped on er-
board with their offspring in their arms
and sank to rise no more. Men followed
their wives with frenzy ami were lost /
Oh men. WOlbtH anu tiiiluiS eli eiioO
threw themselves into the water in the
vain hope of self preservation
Crowded Forward by Flames.
The flames continued to rage with in
creased fury. N few minutes the miz-
zen mast went overhodTd-a Few minutes /
more and the main mast DID the same. /
The fore mast was still standing. As the I
fire was making its way 10 the fore part /
OF the vessel the passengers and crew /
crowded still further forward. To the I
ff,1,. OH in nlT
thick as they could pack, even one lying |
over another. AT length the foremost I
went overheard. Swapping the fast /
ening of the jibbOOm, which with its !
load of human beings, dropped into the
water, amidst the most heartrendinS
both OF those on board and those (
as many as she could. About an hour
and Z half after she appeared on The
scene the Brazilian steam frigate Alfonso, 4
which was out on a trial trip, came up. +
She anchored Immediately to windward. .
and close to the burning vessel. She got I
n rope made fast TO the Ocean Monarch /
and by the use of this rope her boats +
were enabled to so backwards and Tor +
wards to the bow of the burning vessel +
with great facility, and by this means (
large number of persons We're saved:
The old Prince of Wales steamer which I
was on her passage from Liverpool to ,
Bangor, came up shortly afterwards, and, |
with the New World packet ship bound /
for New York sent boats to the rescue 1
Of the passengers and continued to pick
UP a few more. Altogether 225 were saved
-le0 by the Alfonso, 32 by the yacht, the
Queen of the Ocean, II by the Prince of
Wales and New World and Is by a fish
ing smack. But 173 were drowned The ne
roism of one of the seamen of the New
World deserves commentator.
When only a dozen helpless women anu
children remained on the burning wreck,
paralyzed with fear and totally incapable
OF helping themselves by descending from
the tottering bowsprit TO the boats which,
in the midst of the heavy sea and wreck,
IN vain offered their assistance below !
Jerome, stripping himself naked. made his
way through the sea and wreck, and
with a line in his hand, succeeded in
lowering the last helpless victims safely
% leave the wreck. On his arrival on
board the Brazilian steam frigate Alfonso
ne was received on the quarterback by
Prince de Joinyille and Duke d'Aumale,