The San Francisco call., 1897-07-29
Steamer and Bark COL
Iide Off NeWfound-
land Banks.
Captains Wife ana Four of
the VeSSePS Crew Lose
Their Lives.
The Woman Torn From Her Hus-
bands Arms as the Bark
Goes Down.

POSTON, MASS, July 2S.-The news OF
a tragic disaster a sea was brought to this
port tonight by the Allan lines steamer
Scandinavian, Captain Eastaway, from
Glasgow, Scotland.
On board the steamer were the four
survivors OF the British bark Flor
ence, OF st. Johns, n. f., which vessel
was sunk off the coast of Newfoundland
as the result of collision with the Scan
dinayian. The captains wife, Mrs. Eliza
Olsen, and four of the crew went down to
their death with the vessel. The names
of the men who lost their lives are as fol-
lows:
NOAH MORRIS, cook, aged 81 years,
of St. Johns, n. f., who leaves an invalid
wife and two children.
WILLIAM YABSLEY, aged 25 years
nephew OF the captains wife, single and
residing in st. Johns, n. F.
JAMES NORMAN. able seaman. aged
.! years single and also residing in St.
Johns, n. F.
WILLIAM FRY, 33 years of age, able
seaman, belonging to Poole England.
Captain Henry Olsen tells the following
story:
soft coal at Sydney, Cape Breton, we left
that port on Tuesday, the ooh, for st.
Johns, n. f. Wednesday evening a dense
evening dense fog settled over the ocean.
The usual precautions, such as blowing
The !oghorn and keeping a man well for
ward, were taken to guard against co.,
Hsion. Saturday at 1:20 P. NJ. the shrill
blast of a steamers whistle was heard
right beam, and before the sound died
away there loomed up, making directly
for us, the huge hull of an OCEAN steamer.
Hardly had we reached the deck when
the steamer, which proved to be the Scan
dlnavian, was upon US.
"Sne struck US on the port side between
the main and mizzen rigging, and before
her headway was stopped she went hall
way through u.s. The order to reverse
the steamers engines, which had teen
given when we were first sighted, soon
had the effect of backing 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 Aessel the Florence
went down, stern first, in ninety fathoms
OF water,
"Of the vessels crew, Morris, the cook,
1absley and Norman were never seen
after the steamer struck US, and they
were probably asleep in The forecas;le.
Poor Fry appeared al the side of the ves-
sci Just before she went down. A rope
was thrown him by his shIpmates, 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"
The captain was too much overcome to
tell OF the drowning of his wife, and Mate
Brodn!ck took up tnat thread of the mar
ratiye.
After reaching the deck of the Scandi-
navIan. l got coil of rope ana threw it
10 Captain Olsen, who was standing near
the galley of the vessel with his arms
around his wife. l heard the captain say
that they would die together. The cap
tain 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 backing
away pulled the line from his hands. 1
called to those on the steamer TO lower
away the lifeboat, but it was too late.
When the vessel took ber 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 reappeared above the water.
The captain soon came 10 the surface
and swan to lifebuoy thrown from the
steamer. When l found that there was
no hope for the remainder of the crew the
steamers boat was headed for Boston,"
The only grievance the shipwrecked
crew has against the steamer is that she
was going too fast in foggV weather,