The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-19
IT Was 4 TERRIBLE Loss OF LIFE
OF 247 Souls on Board ONLY
Three Were Saved.
Later Advices From che Vicinity of tho
Marine Disaster or the Coast of
France Now Say That the Castle
Drummond Struck sunken Reef, and
Was Not in Collision With Another
Vessel.
Copyrighted 1895 by It a. p.

L
BREsT, France, June 1s.-The detsiIs
are slowly being obtained OF the loss of
Castle liner Drummond Castle, bound
from Cape Town to Tendon with 144
passengers and 1O3 officers and men.
The steamer was going at full speed
shortly before midnight on Tuesday.
June 16. heading towards Finesterre,
from the Bay of Biscay and making for
the chops OF the British Channel. OF
Ftnesterre Is the island O. Ushant.
about twenty-six miles northwest of
this points,
The Drummond Castle to steer q safe
course should have been away outside
OF Ushant, upon which island 10 light
house and signal station. But, for
some reason, not satisfac .orily ex-
plained' the steamship headed inside of
Ushant. Between that point and the
mainland of France Is q line of islsnds
and connected by ridges OF rock with
each other,
AT different places there are riffs
through which vessels can pass with
SAFETY, but between Ushans and Molene.
the latter island being about half wsy
30 the mainland, is sunken reef az
rocks with deep water on both sides of
1t and covered in parts, even Al the
lowest tides. Ii was on this ridge that
the Drummond Castle struck while 9o-
ing at full speed.
The steamer must have struck SO as
TO tear great rent in her bottom from
stem to stern, thus filing all her water,
tight compartments almost immediatelv
and sending her to the bottom on the
other side OF the reef in about three
minutes. Only two boats were lowered
after the vessel struck. One OF these
capsized and only three men were saved
out OF the 247 people on board.
The British second class cruiser Sy.
belle, which was off Ushant ct the time
OF me disaster. heard the signals of dis.
tress and sent boats to the rescue of
those On board the sinking vessel, but
without avail.
or the saved, two men were picked
up hoaslng on the wreckage by some
fishermen from the mainland And the
third, man named Msrquardt, sue
ceeded in reaching Molene island.
About ten bodies have already been
recovered off Ushsnt.
Marqusrdt, one OF the survivors, has
made statements, in which he SAWS
that Captain Pierce had Just gone to his
cabin for brief rest when there was
terrible shock which caused the Drum
mond Castle to culver as II shaken by q
dynamite explosion. This WAS followed
oy horrible grating, rAsping sound,
tne noise OF inrushing waters. the cries
OF the passengers who sprang from their
berths In terror and the sharp words OF
command from the officers on deck who
ordered all hands out to ciesr away ths
boats for lowering.
Inc rents In the stricken steamer
we're so wide and deep that but few OF
the passengers had time to scramble
upon deck before she gave TWO or three
heavy rolls and then 8 heavy lurch, ac-
companied by some interior explosions
and che sank.
Marquardt, contrary to the report OF
the two sesmen Of the Drummond Cas.
tie who were rescued, said that the
steamship went down so suddenly that
there was no time even to launch one
boat. much less two, and even IL boat
had been launched the seas were run.
ming so heavy and in such rapid success.
sion. popularity OF the season on that
part OF the coast of France, tina. she
would have been promptly swsmped.
Some or the passengers, however.
succeeded In fastening life belts around
them and some of the bodies washed
ashore were SO provided.
All hope OF finding any more surviy-
ors Of the Drummond Castle has bean
abandoned.
A tug which has just returned from
Mole1e 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.
Well Organized With CspitaI to do Large
Business.
THE Hobbie Piano Co. is well organ
lied with ample capital 80 do large
business and on terms 80 suit pur-
ohasers. The company is controlled
and managed by some OF the leading
business men OF Roanoke and its sue
cess Is therefore assured. They will
buy direct from manufacturers st first
cost In large quantities, thus securing
she lowest possible prices.
Another Outbreak.
CAFE Town, June Is "A new out
break OF the natives OF Ma.Abelelsnd
has occurred between Umtali and Sails
bury.
TIT nln nEaIans