Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-06-25
0RRIBLE DISASTER At SEA
'cr TWO Hundred Lives Lost
or Finistere.
)NLY TWO GOATS LOWERED

ty-Hve Bodies Have Been Recovered.
Brest, France, June 22.-Details are
slowly being obtained of the loss of the
Castle liner Drumomnd Castle, bouu
from Cape Town to London with l44
Passengers and 103 officers and men.
The steamer was going at full speed
shortly before midnight on Tuesday,
June lG, heading around Finistere,
from the Bay of Biscay, and making
the chops of the British channel.
Of Finistere is the island of Ushsnt,
about twenty-six miles northwest of
here in group of thirty islands. The
Dfummond Castle, to steer safe
course, should have been away outside
Ushant, upon which island is the light
ilvuse and signal station, cut for some
reason, not satisfactorily explained, the
steamship headed inside Ushant.
Between that point and the main
land of France is a line of islands,
Including Molene and Leconquer, con-
nected by ridges of rock with each
other. At the different places there
are rifles, between which vessels pass
with safety, but between Ushant and
Molene, the latter island being half
way to the mainland. is sunken reef
Of rock with deep water on both sides
Of II and covered in parts even during
the lowest tides. 1t was on this ridge
that the Drummond Castle struck
while going at full speed. The steamer
must have struck so as to tear big
rent in her bottom from stem to stern,
thus filling the water tight compart-
ments almost immediately and sending
her to the bottom on the other side of
the reef in about three minutes
Only two boats were lowered after
the Castle first struck. One capsized,
and only three men were saved out of
the PAT people on board. The British
second.olass cruiser Sybelle, which was
on Ushant at the time of the disaster,
heard the signals of distress and sent
boats TO the rescue, but without avail.
Of the saved, two men were picked
up foating on the wreckage by fisher.
men from the mainland. A man named
Marquardt reached Molene island.
About ten bodies have already been re-.
covered off Ushant.
AZ the time the Drummond Castle
struck tRe reef high southwest wind
was blowing, and it was raining and
foggy, about the worst condition pos.
lole for approaching that part of the
coast. Marquardt says Captain Pierce
mad just gone to the cabin for a brief
rest when terrible shock caused the
Drummond Castle to culver as if
shaken by dynamite explosion. This
was followed by a horrible grating.
rasping sound, the noise of in.rushing
wafer and the cries of passengers
Ihe commanding officers ordered all
nands to clear away the boats for low
1ring, but the rents in the steamer
were SO wide and deep that but few
passengers had time to scramble upon
deck before she gave two or three
neayy rolls, then an awful lurch, ao.
oomnpanled by some interior explosions,
/ and sank.
marquardt, contrary to the reports
oi fhe other two seamen rescued, said
me steamship went down so suddenly
tnere was no time even to launch one
noas, much less two. and even if the
ooat had been launched, the seas were
running SO high and in such rapid sue
cession Ia peculiatrity of the seas upon
tnst part of tie French COAST that she
, "ouid have been promptly swamped.
oome passengers, however. succeeded
fastening life belts around them
! selves, some bodies washed ashore be-
' lng SO provided. A tug just returned
'rom Aolene island reports that the
pooies OF twenty-five victims of the
wreck have been washed ashore there.