Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-18
BUT THREE SAVED
Scant News of the Fate o. the Drum
mond Castle.
SIZE STRUCK A ROCK In THE Night
There Was No Time to Lower
the Boats.
n f A r l. Y A L S A n K


BREST. France. June 1s-The details
slowly being obtained of the loss of the
Castle liner Drummond Castle bound from
Capetcwn to London. with III passengers
ana 11; officers and men exclusively an
nCUnced by the Associated Press early
yesterday afternoon). The steamer was
going at full speed, shortly before mid
light Tuesday, June IT, heading around
FiEcsterre. from the Bay of Biscay. and
making for the chops of the British chan
mel OF Finesterre is the Island of
Tshant. about twenty-six miles north
west of this port. one of a group of some
Thirty islands. the largest of which are
Cshant. Moiene lie Conquet and st.
Michel.
The Drummond Castle. to steer safe
Course, should have been away outside of
Jshant. upon which island is a light
house and signal station. But. for some
reason not satisfactorily explained, the
steamship headed inside Of tshant Be
tween tFat point and the mainland of
France is line of islands. including Mo
lenc and lie Conquet. and connected by
ridges of rock with each other At differ
ent places there are riffs through which
YES sells can pass with safety. but, be-
tween Ushant and Moene. the latter
island being about half way TO the main
land. is a sunken reef of rocks with deep
water on both sides of ii and covered in
parts even at the lowest tides. 1t was
this ridge that the Drummond Castle
struck while going at full speed
Broke in HeI bottom.
AS intimatei in these dispatches yester-
DAY, the steamer must have struck so as
to tear a 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
uteS.
The British cruiser Sybclle. which
vas off Ushant at the time of the dis
aster. heard the signals OF distress and
sent boats to the rescue of those on boa rd
the sinking vessel, but without avail.
OF the saved, two men were picked up
flea ting wrcckage by some fishermen
frCm the mainland. and the third
named Narquardt. succeeded in reaching
Molene Island. About ten bodies have
already been recovered off Ushant.
AT the time the Drumniond Castle struck
the reef 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 n Survivor.
Marquardt one of the survivors. has
made a statement, in which he says that
Capt Pierce had just gone to his cabin for
a brief rest. when there was a terrible
shock. which caused the Drummond Castle
TO CULVER as if shaken by dynamite ex-
ilos.on- This followed by a horrible
grating. rasping sound, the noise of inrush-
ing waters, the cries OF the passengers
who SpranG from their Derths in terror
and the sharp words OF command from the
others on deck. who ordered all hands out
to clear away the boats for lowering. But
the rents in the stricken steamer were so
wide and deep that but few of the passen-
gers had time to scramble up deck be-
fore she gave TWO or three heavy rolls, and
then an awful lurch, accompanied by some
interior explosions and she sank.
No Time for Boats.
Marquardt. contrary to the reports of the
two seamen of the Drummond Castle 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 that even if a boat had been
launched, the seas were running heavy
and in such rapid succession, peculiarly
OF the season ON that part OF the French
coast. that she would have been promptly
sw2mnei-
cesded ia fast ening life belts around them.
and some of the bodies washed ashore were
50 provided All hope of finding any more
survivors o. 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
1rumnOnd Castle have been washed
ashoIe at that place They will most likely
be buried today. Much wreckage from the
lest steamship is washing ashore at Cshant
and Nolene Island:
Sailed Over the Scene.
SOUTHAMPTON, June 1S.-The French
steamship Hrondell, from Bordeaux ar
rived here today and reports that she ira
versed the scene of the wreck of the Castle
Hr Drummond Castle shortly after the
disaster The captain of the HronJelle
thick and heavy. accompanied by rain and
fCG- He made Cshant at o'clock " ed
nesday morning. The sea was then very
heavy and fog prevented him from obtain
ing a good view of the surroundings. He
nothing of any boats, wreckaga CT
bodies: but he did life belt floating on
the waves about twenty-five miles north of
ISha1t- AS life belts are not infreQucnt
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. it was very easy for any
vessel to deviate from her course. The wa
ter Immediately around Ushant averages
fifty fathoms in depth.
HeartrcndiEg Scenes.
LONDON. June 1S.-The scenes about the
offices of the Castle line of steamships in
FenChurch street To-Day, were most heart
rending, and the excitement increased this
afternoon when the passenger list Of the
Drummond castle was posted up. The list
shows that there was an unusual proper
ton of women and children on board the
sunken vessel.
Throughout the day there has been a con-
slant 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 dispatch received from
Brest. saying. in substance. that one of
the survivors, a man named Marquardt,
stated that boats had been launched
and that there was no hope of finding any
more survivors of the Inflated passenger
vessel. was productive of many agonlzinK
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
tlnged with hope.
At the colonial office it is not believed
that any of the discharged johannesburg
refcrmers We're on board. although 1t is adj
mitted that ii is probable that some of the
persons connected with recent events In
the Transvaal are among the drowned pas
SINGERS
Efforts are being made by the admiralty
department to obtain from Marquardt, the