Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-07-06
LOST AT SEA.
Fate Of the Long Overdue Steamer
Alden Ascertained.
WRECKED OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA.
OF Those ON hoard the Drowned and
Missing Number S7-Thc Latter
Includes n boat Load Unheard
of since Leaving Wreck.

Alden, June 3O.-The Indian govern
ment steamer Mayo, sent out in search
of the missing steamer Alden, from
Yokohama on April %, via Colombo
and Alden, for London, which was last
heard of when leaving Colombo on June
tor this port, has returned here and
reports that the Alden was totally lost
off the island of Socotra, at the eastern
extremity of Africa, on the morning Of
June 9.
The Alden carried "a passengers from
China and Japan.
The captain Of the wrecked steamer,
some of her officers and crew and seven
white passengers were swept overheard
and drowned very soon after she ran
ashore. Eight lady passengers, nine
children, two officers and few of the
Aden's crew succeeded in getting away
from the wreck in boat, but they have
not been heard of since, and little hope,
owing to the bad weather which has
since prevailed, is entertained of their
safety.
The Mayo saved nine of the Aden's
passengers and three of the whites and
SO natives of the steamers crew. All
of these persons were rescued just as
the Alden was breaking up. The sur.
vivors of the wrecked steamer were
brought to this port by the Mayo and
are being cared for by the local au.
thorities.
In all, the drowned and missing in.
clude rs passengers, 20 European Off.
GERS and 80 natives of the Aden's crew.
story of the Disaster.
London, June 3o.-A special dispatch
from Alden, Arabia, gives details of the
loss of the steamer Alden. as follows:
1.-TWO MISUNDERSTANDING Colombo the Adler
was struck by severe monsoon. with
squalls. violent and incessant. Day by day
the weather grew thicker. and the pas.
sengers became more and more alarmed
At three o'clock on the morning of June {
the vessel struck upon the Rasradresa reef
on the eastern coast of the island of Soco
ira. The engine room was instantly flood
ed. and utter darkness ensued. Wild with
panic, the passengers rushed from theil
cabins and fled terror-stricken to the upper
deck In the scantiest clothing. The womer
and children screamed in fright and con
fusion; but the men retained their self
possession. and courageously assisted tn,
officers and crew to do the best to say,
1t was soon seen that the steamer could no
survive the shock, and that the only chance
for safety lay in the boats. Life belts were
distributed, distress signals given and the
boats on the lee side prepared for launch
ing. Those on the weather side had al
ready been washed away. The storm con
tinued to increase in violence. Great sea.
washed the vessel with terrific force. Day
light brought no relief, and only served
to reveal still further the awful situa
ton.
Misfortune followed misfortune. A LII
boat was lowered. only to be swept ava,
Immediately. with three Lascars and tn,
first officer. Mr.. Garden. The gig wa
dispatched to the rescue with Mr.. Miller
the second omcer, but, to the despair o
all. both boats were rapidly swept away
| The only remaining life boat was theI
| lowered. amid a scene OF intense emotion
| A cry Of anguish broke from the lips ever
| of the men when this half capsized. throw
| ing the sailors and the stores into the sea
| After great efforts, the boat was righted
| and the women and children were low
cred into 1t, with the exception Of Mines
| Gillett, Pearce and Strain, who herociall.
decided to share the fate Of their hus
bands, and Misses Lloyd and Weller, VIII,
| remained on board. The boat, name,
| by an European crew, left in a tremen
dous sea, and drifted rapidly out of sight
Vast waves still swept the wreck, dash
/
| almost PROSTATE on the deck One by one
men, women and children, grown too veal
| to Withstand the repeated bunetings wer
washed overheard In sight of those VIII,
were momentarily expecting the same fate
Among the first thus engulfed were Mr.
and Mrs. Strain and their two children
Misses Lloyd and Weller. the mission
aries Mrs. Pearce's baby, with its Chi
| nese nurse, and then Capt. Hill, whose lie,
| was broken. but who had borne himsel
| calmly and bravely. He was washed over
board with several of the native crew
All day the victims were picked off on
| by one. until five o'clock In the afternoon
/ when those who still survived retreate,
| below. Many were badly hurt, and passe,
| the night in suspense and bodily pain
| huddled in the small cabin. which they ex
pected would be their tomb. None Of tn
survivors seen care to talk of this ter
| rible night.
"All the time desperate men kept shar
lookout, But no vessel was sighted unit
the 18th. and even then the distress sig
nal was not seen. On the 18th, and agai
on the goth, other vessels were sighted
| but the signals either were not seen o
were ignored. These unhappy episode
caused painful and half crazy scenes O
rage among those who had been pre-
viously self-controlled. Each day it wa
ttons. Finally, on June 26. after II day
OF awful suspense, the life boat of the In
i dian government steamer Mayo succeede
In reaching the wreck and rescuing tn
| survivors,
Ocean Record Broken.
Hurst Castle, June 30, 2:2O a. NJ
Passed: Steamer ST. Louis, for South
ampton. On this voyage the st. Lovi