The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-18
BAD TIDINGS.
Number of Lives
Lost 244.
Only Three Men Saved
FROM the Steamer.
How the DrummOnd Castle
Was Lost Yesterday.
She Was Going at Full Speed When
Accident Happened.
She Was Going al Full Speed When
Accident Happened.
Details Of the Terrible Calamity in lfe
English Channel.

copyrighted 1870. by The Associated Press
BREsT, France, June lS.-The details
which are slowly icing obtained OF the
loss of the Castle liner Drummond Castle,
Captain Pierce, pound from Cape Town
to London, with PAT souls, 144 passengers
and 103 officers and men Exclusively az
nounced by The Associated Press early
yesterday afternooD) show that the dir
aster was probably the most sudden OH
record OF its kind.
1t is now esta blished beyond doubt that
the steamer was going at full speed short
ly before midnight on Tuesday, June IL,
heading around Finisterre from the bay OF
Biscsy, and making for the Chops of the
BritisF Channel. OF Finesterre is the
Island of Ushante, sbout 26 miles north
west of this port, one of group OF some
thirty islands. the largest OF which ara
Usbante, Molene, Leconquet and st.
Michael.
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 somo
resSon not satisfactorily explained tho
steamship headed inside OF Ushant. Be-
tween that point and the mainland o.
France 10 line of islands, including
Molene and Lsconquet, and connected by
ridges of rock with each other. At offer
ent places there are passages through
which vessels ca1 pass, but between Us
hant and Molenquet tho latter island be-
ing about half way to the mainland, is r.
sInken reef of rocks with deep water OH
both sides of 1t and covered In parts even
at the lowest tides. 1t was on this ridge,
Ii Is now established, that the Drum
mond Castle struck whi!e going q. full
speed.
The steamer must have struck so as to
tear big rent in her bottom from stem
to stern. thus filling all her water-tight
compartments almost Immediately and
send her to the bottom on the other sido
of the reef in about three minutes. The
Drummond Castle was well equipped,
built in 1881, at Glasgow, was about 235O
tons burden and 365 feet long. She was
owned by Sir Donald Currie d Company.
a firm noted for the careful manner In
which its vessels are equipped and con-
structed. Yet only two boats were low
cred after the Castle liner struck. ono OF
these capsized and only three men werc
saved out OF the 247 people on board. And
this, in spite OF the fact that the British
second-class cruiser Sybell was off Ushant
at the time of the disaster, heard the sig
nails OF distress and sent boats to the
rescue of those on board the sinklng
vessel.
Or 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
Mo!ene Island. A bout 10 bodies have
already been recovered off Ushant, but
further details of the wreck are expected
when the tugs, which left here yesterday
for Ushant, return.
Marquardt, one OF the survivors, has
made statement In which ne says that
Captain Pierce had just gone to his cabin
for brief rest, when there was ter
rible shock, which caused the Drummond
Castle tn quiyer as II shaken ty o dypa
mite explosion. This was followed by q
horrible grating, raspiug sound, the nolso
Of inrushing water, theories OF the pes
sengers who sprang from their berths In
terror. and the sharp words OF command
from the officers on deck, who oroered all
hands TO clear away the boats for lower
ing.
But the rents In the stricken steamer
were so.wide and deep that but few OF
the passengers had time TO scramb'o
upon deck before she gave two or three
heavy rolls and then an awful ,urch. sc-
companied by some interior explosions
and then she sank with moaning, hiss.
ing sound beneath the angry waves,
which were beating rne-ci,sssIy over her.