The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-04
CUT IN TWO.
BAHKENTlNE FLORENCE RUN DOWN
BY A STEAMSHIP.

HiSo AiNro Apo 0A~
B.ipz the Captains wifo-sho Sank in
Three minutes-An Happened During q
Dspse Fog.
The Allen Line steamer Scandina.
vian arrived al Boston Wednesday af-
ternoon from Glasgow and brought
with her the four survivors ofthe crew
of the British barkentine Florence,
Captain Henry Olsen, which was sunk
in a collision with the scandinavian
last Saturday while in a dense fog 20
miles south of Cape Racs -Four mem
bers of the crew were drowned, to
gether with the wife Of Captain Olsen.
The Florence was bound from Sydney,
8 B, to ST. Johns, N. f., with a cargo
of coal. The men WI lost their lives
are: Noah MYERS. cook, aged 81
years William Yabslev, aged Is years,
nephew of the captains wife; James
Norman, sern1an, aged 80 years.
William Fry. ''anan, aged 80 years
OF Poole, En.. The former three
were from st. Johns. N. F.
Captain O'sen said: I'VE left port
on Tuesday, the Doth inst, for st.
Johns N. F Thinking we were ap-
preaching land, the vessel put about
on the starboard tack. At 12:28 p. m.
q shrill blast of a steamers whistle was
heard right abeam and before the
sound died away, there doomed up,
making directly for us, the huge hull
of an ocean steamer.
"I was below when the first intima-
ton came Of the steamers approach
and was hurriedly called on deck by
the lookout. On the way out Of the
cabin / called to my wife and she in
turn aroused First Mate Edward Brod-
nick, who had come off watch at noon
and was in his bunk. Hardly had he
reached the deck when the steamer,
which proved to be the Scandinavian,
was upon us. Che struck us on the
port side between the main and miz
zen rigging, and before her head way
was stopped, she went half way
through us. While the vessels were
locked together. We were in noimmedi
ate danger except from falling spars.
which were dropping all about US on
Iaedscks. The order 10 reverse the
cleaners engines, which had been
eivrn when wa were first sighted,
SOU had the effect of breaking her
alvey from us and in about three min
utes after she palied her sharp bow
out Ct the gaping wound in the side
OF our vessel, the Florence went down
stern first in 80 fathoms OF water. OF
the vessels crew, Norris, the cook,
Yabsley and Norlnan were W seen
after the vessel struck us. They were
probably asleep in the forecastle.
When the impact came Ole Olsen,
the boatswaln, and Seaman Robert
Essens Jumped into the main rigging
and were soon followed by Mate Brod'
nick and all three men swung them.
selves onto the steamers deck by
means of the lower guard, being as
sisted in doing so by the carpenter OF
the steamer. Poor Fry appeared at
the side of the vessel just before him
by his shipmates on board the steamer
and was pulled half way up the steam
er's side when he relaxed his hold, fell
into the water and vas never seen
again"
The captain was too much overcome
to tell OF the drowning of his wife and
Mate Brodnick took up the thread of
the captains narrative. After telling
of his being summoned from his bunk
by the captains wife and jumping on
deck clad only in his shirt, he said:
Immediately after reaching the
deck of the Scandinavian I got a coil
of rope and threw it to Capt. Olsen,
who by this time was standing near
the galley Of the banksntihe with his
arms around his wife. Mrs. Olsen
was crying and I heard the captain
say that if need be they would die to.
gether. The captain secured the end
Of the rope and attempted to make it
fast about his wife, but the rope was
not long enough and the steamer, just
then backing away from the wreck.
pulled the line from his hands. I
called to those on the steamer to lower
the life boat and Olsen, Sensin and
myself assisted the crew in getting
the boat out of the dayits. In the ex-
element and confusion no one seemed
to know just what to do. No knife
could be found to cut the lashings of
the life boat and finally the carpe lter
was obliged to sever the grips with q
hatcher All this was valuable time
lost and before the lie boat had been
gotten into the water the vessel went
down. When the vessel took her last
pldnge, the captain became separated
from his wife. Both were drawn into
the vortex caused By the sinking craft
and Mrs. Olsen never reappsared
above the water. The captain soon
came to the surface and swan to a life
buoy thro vn from tbs steamer, and
this, with the life belt which be after
wards received and adjusted, kept
him afoat until the life boat manned
by the second officer of the steamer,
three of her crew and myself reached
him. lie was completely exhausted.
When it was found that there was no
hope for the remainder of the crew,
the steamer was headed west and she
continued on her way to Boston,"
The Florencs registered 1919 tons
net, and her dimensions we're:
Length, HAS feet; breadth, "a 5 feet;
depth of hold. 13 feet. She was built
at Brixhall, England is 1878.
Bloody Deeds In Alabama.
Jack Knight, the negro who shot
and killed Jack Danizler Wednesday
night near Mobile, Ala, and shot and
probably fatally wounded Policeman