The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-06-27
WENT TO THE BOTTOM
ENGLISH STEAMER WITH ia PAS
sENGERs.
Steamship Sunk 40 Suddenly There
Was No Time TO Launch Even
One boat.

Brest, France, June 1S.-Details are
slowly being obtained Of the loss of The
Castle liner, the Drummond Castle
bound from Capetown to London with
l4i passengers and 1893 officers and men,
The steamer was gong fun speed shortly
before midnight Tuesday. June 16 head
ing around Finnisterre from the Bay of
Biscay, ana making for the chops of
the British channel. Or Finnisterre is
the island of Ushant about 26 miles
northwest Of here. in a group of 30 is
lands. The Drummond Castle to steer
safe course should have been away
outside Of Ushant, upon which island
is a lighthouse and signal station, but
for some reason not satisfactorily ex-
planned the steamship headed inside Of
Ushant. Between that point and the
mainland OF France is a line of islands,
including Moene ana lie Conquet, con
nected by ridges of rock with each 9TH
er At different places there are rifles.
between which vessels can pass with
safety. but between Ushant and Molene.
the latter island being about half way
TO the mainland, is a sunlSen reef of
rock with deep water on both sides of
il and covered IN parts even at the lowest
tides II was on this ridge the Drum
mond Castle struck while going at full
speed
The steamer must have struck so as
to tear big rent in the bottom from
stem to stern, thus filling the water tight
compartment 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
Drummond Castle first struck. One cap
sized and only three men were saved
out of 2i7 people on board. The British
aecond-cass cruiser Sybele which was
off Ushant at the time of sthe disaster
heard the signals of distress and sent
boats to the rescue, but without avail
OF the saved two men were picked up
floating on wreckage by fishermen from
the mainland A man named Marquarit
reached Molene island.
About 10 bodies have already been re-
covered off Ushant. At the time the
Drummond Castle struck the reef a high
southwest wind was blowing and it was
raining and foggy, about the worst con-
dition possible for approaching that part
of the coast Marquardt says Captain
Pierre had just gone to the cabin for a
brief rest when terrible shock caused
the Drummond Castle to culver as Il
shaken by a dynamite explosion. This
was followed by a horrible grating,
rasping sound, the noise of inrushing
water, and the cries of the passengers.
The commanding officers ordered all
hands to clear away the boats for lower
ing, but the rents in the steamer were
so wide and deep that few passengers
had time to scramble upon deck before
she gave two or three heavy rolls, then
an awful lurch, accompanied by some
interior explosions, and sank.
Marquardt, contrary to the reports of
| the other two seamen rescued, said the
steamship went down so suddenly there
was no time even to launch one boat,
much less two, and even if the boat had
been launched the seas were running 50
! high and in such rapid succession a pc
culiarity of the seas on that part of the
| French coast, that she would have been
! promptly swamped
! Some of the passengers, however sue
| ceeded in fastening life belts around
| themselves the bodies washed ashore
| being so provided.