The morning news., 1897-04-11
SUNK BY THE GRAND DUCHESS.
BARKENTINE NELLIE SMITH WENT
DOWN AND FIVE MEN LOST.


tine Nellie Smith, bound from Sagua,
Cuba, for New York, at 3 o'clock Friday
morning, in a dense fog. The barken.lne
sunk in five minutes The captain, first
and second mates and two of the crew
were lost. The lookout, helmsman ana
steward were rescued after the vessel
went down by a boat from the Grand
Duchess.
The saved are:
Winfield S. Babbedge, steward.
Frank Conway. helmsman.
Lars Harvasan. seaman.
The lost are:
Capt. Dodge Of Peabody, Mass
First Mate Asson Of Boston.
Second Mate Nelson of Brooklyn
Martin Simons and Hans --, seamen.
The Grand Duchess left New York at
O'Clock Thursday afternoon. The weather
was thick and she ran in a fog all night
When the collision occurred she was max
ing twelve knots an hour The fog was
$50 dense that it was impossible to see more
than few yards ahead, First officer
Stevenson and Second officer Turner were
d
bow. They saw no lights and heard
no signals until the Duchess was close
upon the barkentine. Then a red light
was seen on the starboard bow, and the
steamers helm was at once put hard
a-port. The engines were stopped, and the
starboard engine was reversed, but the
vessels were too close together to prevent
on the port quarter. Capt Hanlon was
called from his cabin, and Immediately
took the bridge. He ordered the Duchess
put about with the helm a-port.
Nothing was in sight after the Duchess
had come about, and it was only by
chance that she ran into the immediate
vicinity of the wreck While looking for
the wreck, she came very near running
down another vessel in the fog her sig
nails being heard just in time to prevent
collision. When the Duchess had reached
point near where the barkentine went
down. Cries were heard and life boat, in
charge of Second officer Daniels, and five
men was lowered. The officer was in
structed, after being given the direction
of the wreck, to use every effort to find
the survivors and not to return as long
as there was hope of rescue.
If do not find them will not come
back" was the second officers reply.
The boat left the ships side at 4:O4
o'clock, and returned at 4:30. bringing the
three men. who had been picked up while
clinging TO the top of floating deck
Warm clothing and stimulants restored
Warmth to their chilled bodies and they
suffered little after being taken aboard.
They told the story Of the collision on
the barkentine
The Nellie Smith was bound for New
York from sagua Cuba, and was sugar.
laden. She sailed from Havana, March 10.
and touched at Sagua to complete her
cargo. She had experienced heavy weather
all the voyage. The barkentine lights. they
said, were displayed and the fog horn was
blown, though no horn signal was head
aboard the Duchess.
The sailor Harvasan was on the lookout
when the collision occurred. He saw the
mast headlight on the Duchess and heard
her fog whistle, and shouted to the first
mate, whose watch it was He blew three
blasts on his fog horn and then started to
leave the forecastle, but thinking of the
men there, as the Duchess. struck his YES
sell he went back to warn them. He ran
aft and found the water pouring over the
stern. Running back to the men who
were coming out Of the forecastle. he told
them the vessel was sinking. Harvasan
then ran up the forerigging and took to
the water as the vessel went down. He
does not know what became of the two
men he called.
The barkentine was under all sail at the
time of the collision, except the lib TOD.
sail. the fore royal and the mizzen ton.
sail, and was making about eight knots
an hour. There was moderate sourh.
southwest wind and sea. The fog horn
had been blown at intervals of three or
four minutes all the time.
Haryasan said if the first mate had
given the order to Conway, who was at
the helm, to put it hard a-port. the col
lsion would have been averted. but. in
stead Of doing so. he ran below to tell the
NN-PNNtA-A anu ~ was 100 ldle Wnen lfO
reached the deck. He said he believed
the rescue was effected in as quick a time
as was possible, and that everything tha,
could have been done under the circu,n.
stances was done to save the fated crew.
He thought all that were alive were res
cued. as he heard no answering cries
when he and the others were on the deck
house.
The Duchess remained In the neighbor-
hood Of the wreck until nearly 7 O'clock.
when, not seeing any signs of the wreck
or the rest Of the crew, she proceeded on
her way to Savannah.
AZ the time of the collision the Duchess
was running on two-thirds speed on ac-
count Of the fog. a vessel having been mar
rowly missed just a short while before
The rescued men were called into the So
cial hall by Capt. Hanlon yesterday aft
ernoon and presented s25 each. the money
having been subscribed for them bv the
passengers and, at their request. present
ed by the captain. The men spent last
:. hon nj & fNss.