New-York tribune., 1897-07-29
CUT DOWN BY A BIG STEAMER.
FOUR DROWNED BY THE S1NklN" or
THE BARKENTINE FLORENCE
THE ALLAN LINER SCANDINAVIAN RUNS HEN
DOWN IN 4 FOG OFF CAPE RACE.


DOWN IL FOG OFF CAPE RACE.
Boston. July oS-The Allan Line steamer scan
dnavian arrived his afternoon from "iaseo"
and brought with her the four survivors oil the
crew Of The British barkentine Florence Japan
Olsen. which was sunk in collision VIII" w.
Scandinavian last Saturday. while in dense ioe
twenty miles south of Cape Race -Four mem
bers Of the crew were drowned. together with
the wife Of Captain Olsen. The Florence was
bound from sydney, C. B., to ST. Johns, n. f.
with cargo of coal.
The names of the men VINO lost their lives were
Noah Norris. cook. aged ffty-ore years Oh '''
Johns ~ F. who leaves an invalid wife ana t"o
children; William Yabsley. aged twenty-five
years. nephew of the captains wife, single
James Norman seaman. aged thirty-two years.
single both of St. Johns, ~ F., and "iiiiai'
Fry thirty-three years of age. seaman. belong
ing in Poole England.
CAPTAIN Olsen said: 1--WE left port on Iues-
day. the 2Oth inst for St. Johns. y. F. Satur-
day. after being nearly three days in the FOG anu
standing in all that time in the direction oi |ap'
Race y. f.. thinking we were approaching ''"u'
| ordered the vessel put about on the 'a'poa''
tack At 1:20 p. m. the shriil past Vi
steamers whistle was heard right abeam anu
before the sound died away there loomed up
making directly for u.s. the huge huli OF al
ocean steamer
81 was below when the first intmatlon came
Of the steamers approach, but was hurrieu'!
called on deck by the lookout. On the way ou'
of the cabin I called to my wife and she in turn
aroused First Mate Edward Brodnick VINO h'iu
come off watch at noon and was asleep in MS
bunk Hardly had he reached the deck "heh '"e
steamer. which proved to be the Scandinavian
N
between the main and mizzen rigging. and be-
fore her headway stopped she went nan
way through US While the vessels were locked
,orother we were in no immediate danger eN-
cent from falling spars. which were dropping al
ahout us on the decks The order to reverse
the steamers engines, which had been given
,vbon we were first sighted. soon had the erect
of breaking her away from us. and In apou'
tbreo minutes after she pulled her sharp DOW
ont of the gaming hole in the side of our vessei
the Florence went down. stern first In nlhcl!
fathoms of water OF the vessels crew, MOTIFS
the cook Yabsey and Norman were never seen
after the vessel struck us. and they were prop
ably asleep i'm the forecastl".
..When the impact came ole Olsen, the boat
s,roir ond Seaman Robert Essens jumped into
the main rigging and were soon followed pE
Mate Brodnick and all three men swung theih-
selves 70 the steamers deck by means OF the
,o,vor quard being assisted in doing so by the
carnenter Of the steamer. Poor Fry appeared
AT the side Of the vessel just before she went
down rope was thrown him by his shlpma'es
on hoard the steamer and he was pulled half
way up the steamers side, when he relaxed MS
hold fell back into the water. and was never
seen again..
Mate Brodnick. after telling Of his being sum-
he npfa al In
and iumping on deck clad only in his shirt and
trousers. said: A.,
Scandinavian / got 4 coil of rope and threw IL
"a Captain Olsen, who at this time was standing
near the galley on tie harkentine with MS arms
around his wife. Mrs Olsen was crying; ana i
heard the captain say that If they need ne they
would die together. The captain secured 'he
end of the rope and attempted 10 make 1t fast
about his wife. but the rope was not long
enough ard the steamer just men pachins
away from the wreck pulled the line from ms
hands | called to those on the steamer TO ioWer =,
the lifeboa: and Olsen, Essens and myself TOOK
hold and assisted the crew in getting the poal
out Of the chucks In the excitement ana cor
fusion no one seemed to know just what to do:
No knife could be found to cut the lashings OF
the lifeboat and finally the carpenter was
obliged to sever the grips with hatchet All
this was valuable time lost. and before the IRE,
boat had got into the water the Nessei hau
gone down. , -.
cantain became separated from his wife. They
were both drawn into the vortex caused ny the
sinking craft and Mrs. Olsen never reappeafed
above the water The captain soon came TO the
surface and swan to life buoy thrown from
the steamer and this. with a lifebelt, whlch ne
afterward secured and adjusted kept him ailoat
until the lifeboat. manned by the second ohcer
of the steamer. three Of her crew and myself.
,oached him He was completely exhausted and
rconsolahle at the loss Of his wife. When 1t
was found that there was no hope for the re-
mainder of the crew. the steamers bow was
headed vest and she continued on her way to
Boston"
The Florence rather small vessel for a
barkentine She registered only l90 tons net.
and her dimensions were 10 leet. oreaotn -
feet and depth of hold 13.1 feet. She was built
at Brxham. England. in 1873. and at the time
of her loss was valued at $500.