Evening star., 1896-06-18
BUT THREE SAVED
Scant News of the Fate of the Drum
mond Castle.
SEE STRUCK A ROCK In THE NIGHT
There Was No Time to Lower
the Boats.
e E A RLY A l. l. S A \ K

nCunced by the Associated IfeSS early
yesterday afternoon. The steamer was
going at full speed. shortly before mid
light on Tuesday. June 16, heading around
Finesterre, from the Bay of Biscay. and
making for the chops of the British chan
mel. off FiEesterre is the Island of
Ushant. about twenty-six miles north
west of this port, one of a group of some
thirty islands. the largest of which are
Ushant Molene, LIE Conquet and St.
Michel.
The Drummond Castle to steer a safe
course, should have been away outside of
Ushant upon which island is a light
house and signal station. But. for some
reason not satisfactorily explained, the
steamship headed inside of Cshant- Be
tween that point and the mainland of
France is line of islands; including Mo
lene and lie Conquet. and connected by
ridges of rock with each other. At differ
ent places there are riffs through which
vessels can pass with safety. but. be
tween Ushant and Molene. the latter
island being about half way to the main
land, is sunken reef of rocks with deep
water on both sides of it and covered in
parts even at the lowest tides. 1t was
on this ridge that the Drummond Castle
struck while going at full speed.
Broke in Her bottom.
AS intimated in these dispatches yester-
day. the steamer must have struck so as
to tear great rent in her bottom from
stem to stern. thus filling all her water
tight compartments almost Immediately
and sending her to the bottom. the
other side of the reef, in about three min
uttS.
The British cruiser Sybelle. which
was off Ushant at the time of the dis
aster. heard the signals of distress and
sent boats to the rescue of those on board
the sinking vessel, but without avail
OF the saved, two men were picked up
floating on wreckage by some fishermen
from the mainland. and the third, a man
named Marquardt, succeeded in reaching
MOlene Island About ten bodies have
already been recovered off Ushant.
AT the time the Drummond Castle struck
the reef a high southwest wind was blow
ing, and it was raining and foggy. about
the worst conditions possible for approach
ing that part of the coast.
Statement of "a Survivor.
Marquardt. one of the survivors, has
made a statement in which he says thai
Capt. Pierce had just gone to his cabin for
a brief rest, when there a terrible
shock, which caused the Drummond Castle
TO quiver as if shaken by a dynamite ex-
plosion. This was followed by horrible
grating, rasping sound, the noise of inrush
ing waters. the cries of the passengers
who SpranS from their berths in terror
ana TIE Sn6Tp WOTttS Oh cOH1lldlu from llit
officers on deck. who ordered all hands Out
to clear away the boats for lowering. But
the rents in the stricken steamer were Sc
wide and deep that but few of the passen
gers had time to scramble up on deck be
fore she gave two or three heavy rolls, dnG
then an awful lurch. acc ompanied by some
interior explosions and she sank.
No Time for Boats.
Marquardt, contrary to the reports of the
Of h.. h.
We're rescued, said that the steamship
went down suddenly that there nc
time even to launch one boat. much less
two and that even if a boat had been
launched, the seas were running heavy
and in such rapid succession, a peculiarity
of the season on that part of the French
coast. that she would have been promptly
swamped.
Some of tie passengers, however. sue
cseded in fastening life belts around them
and some of the bodies washed ashore were
so provided. All hope of finding any more
survivors OF the Drummond Castle has been
abandoned.
\ tug which has just returned from Mo-
lene Island says that the bodies of twenty
five of the victims of the wreck of the
DrummOnd Castle have been washed
ashore at that place. They will most likely
be buried today. Much wreckage from the
lest steamship is washing ashore at Cshanl
and Molene Island.
Sailed Over the Scene.
SOUTHAMPTON, June 1S.-The French
steamship HirondeIl, from Bordeaux, ar
rived here today and reports that she ira
versed the scene of the wreck of the Castle
liz er Drummond Castle shortly after the
disaster. Tie captain of the Hironlelle
said that the weather Tuesday night was
thick and heavy, accompanied by rain and
made lShanf O'Clock d.
nesday morning. The was then very
heavy and fog prevented him from obtain
ing a good view of the surroundings. He
saw nothing of any boats, wreckage or
bodies: but he did see life belt floating on
the waves about twenty-five miles north of
Ushant- AS life belts are not infrequent
sights at sea, the captain paid no further
attention to the matter. The French cap-
tain further stated that in the weather
which prevailed when the Drummond Cas-
tie was wrecked. 1t was very easy for any
vessel to deviate from her course. The wa
ter Immediately around UShant averages
fifty fathoms in depth.
Henrtrcnding Scenes
LONDON, June 1S.-The scenes about the
offices of the Castle line of steamships. in
Fenchurch street today, were most heart
rending, and the excitement increased this
afternoon when the passenger list of the
Drummond Castle was posted up. The list
ton of women and children on board the
sunken vessel.
Throughout the day there has been con-
stant stream of inQuirers, commencing
early in the morning and promising TO last
until the Castle lines offices are closed.
Every item of news is eagerly seized upon.
The posting of a dispatch received froJ.,
Brest. saying. in substance, that one of
the survivors. a man named MarQuarit,
stated that no boats had been launched.
and that there was no hope of finding any
more survivors of the Inflated passenger
vessel. was productive of many agonIzing
scenes There was also excitement, though
to a lesser extent, at the admiralty and CO.
lonial offices, where many people thronged
In the hope of obtaining news in some way
tInged with hope.
At the colonial Office it is not believed
that any of the discharged Johanresburs
reformers were on board although it Is ad-
mitted that Ii is probable that some of the
persons connected with recent events In
the TranSvaai are among the drowned pas
81 ngerS-
Efforts are being made by the admiralty
department to obtain from Marquardt, the