Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-07-29
COLLISION IN 4 FOG.
The British Bark Florence Struck
BY an Allan Liner.
FIVE ON THE BARK DROWNED

Sinks In Three Minutes After the
sharp Bow OF the Scandinavian II
Pulled Out of Her Side The Cap
taIn's Wife One of Those Lost.
Boston. July 29.-The Allan line
steamer Scandinavian arrived yester-
day afternoon from Glasgow, and
brought with her the four survivors OF
the crew of the British barkentine
Florence, Captain Henry Olsen, which
Scandinavian last Saturday, while In
a dense fog 20 miles south of Cape
Race. Four members of the crew were
drowned, together with the wife OF
Captain Olsen. The Florence was
bound from Sidney, C. b.. to st. Johns.
N. f., with cargo Of coal.
The men who lost their lives were:
Noah Norris, cook. aged 81 years; Will
lam Yabsley, aged % years, a nephew
of the captains wife; James Norman,
seaman, aged 80 years; William Frye.
seaman, aged 80 years. of Poole, Eng
land. The former three were from st.
Johns; N. f.
Captain Olsen said: I'VE left port
on Tuesday, the goth inst, for st.
Johns. N. F. On Saturday, after be-
ing nearly three days in the fog, and
standing in all that time in the direc-
ton Of Cape Race. N. F., thinking we
were approaching land, I ordered the
vessel put about on the starboard tack.
At 1920 p. m. the 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.
II was below when the first intima-
ton came of the steamers approach,
and was hurriedIy 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 asleep in his bunk. Hardly
had he reached the deck when the
steamer, which proved to be the Sean
dinavian, was upon us. She struck us
on the port side, between the main and
mizzen rigging, and before her head
way was stopped she went half way
through us. While the vessels were
locked together we were in no imme-
date danger, except from falling spars,
which were dropping all about us on
the decks. The order to reverse the
steamers engines, which had been
given when we were first sighted, soon
had the effect of breaking her away
from us, and in about three minutes
after she pulled her sharp bow out of
the gaping hole in the side of our ves-
sci the Florence went down stern first
in 90sfathoms of water. OF the vessels
crew, Norris, the cook, Yabsley and
Norman were never seen after the yes
sci struck us, as they probably were
asleep in the forecastle
When the impact came Ole Olsen.
the boatswain, and Seaman Robert Es-
sens jumped into the main rigging, and
were soon followed by Mate Brodnick,
and all three men swung themselves
on to the steamers deck by means of
the lower guard, being assisted in do
ing so by the carpenter of the steamer,
Poor Fry appeared at the side of the
vessel just before she went down. A
rope was thrown him by his shipmates
on board the steamer, and he was
pulled half way up the steamers side,
when he relaxed his hold, fell back into
the water and was never seen again, y
The captain was too much overcome
to tell of the drowning of his wife, and
Mate Brodnick took up the story. He
said:
Immediately after reaching the deck
Of the Scandinavian l got coil of
rope and threw it to Captain Olsen,
who at this time was standing near
the galley on the bankentine, will.
his arms around his wife. Mrs. Olsen
was crying, and 1 heard the captain
say that if there need be they would
die together. The captain secured the
end of the rope and attempted to make
1t 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.
called to those on the steamer to
lower the lifeboat, and Olsen, Essens
and myself took hold and assisted the
crew in getting the boat out of the
chucks. In the excitement and con-
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 a Ratchet. All
this was valuable time lost, and be-
fore the lifeboat had been gotten into
the water the vessel had gone down.
when the vessel took her last
plunge the captain became separated
from his wife. They were both drawn
into the vortex caused by the sinking
craft, and Mrs. Olsen never reap
peared above the water. The captain
soon came to the surface and swan to
a life buoy thrown from the steamer,
and this, with a life belt which he
carried and adjusted kept him afloat
until the lifeboat, manned by the sec
ond officer of the steamer, three of her
crew and myself reached him. He was
completely exhausted, and inconsolable
at the loss of his wife,
The Florence registered 1879 tons. and
was built at Brixham, England, In
1873.