The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-05

This Is Claimed by Cubans-EiGht Lives
Jo.t-Narrow Escapes


JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Jan. do
tails Of the wreck OF the steamer ooi'
modore. bound for cuba. with cargo OF
arms and ammunition. which went down
about sixteen miles off New Smyrna at
g.gO Saturday morning. still leave seven
,nembers Of the expedition unaccouhteu
for. and they have been given up ior lost
When il was seen that nothing could save
the vessel from going down capt. Murphy
gave orders 10 take TO the boats. A panic
almost ensued among the eNcltaDle Ou-
bans. Twelve Of them hurriedly entered
one of the large surfbOats ana pulled
away for Mosquito Inlet hght without
any thought of those left behind.
A second boat was lowered. into which
twelve more of the crew hastily crowded,
and had scarcely left the steamer wheh
the boat was swampcd in the heavy sea
that was running. capt Muiphy'
stephen Crane. the novelist. G. y. Mont
gomery. and William Higgins. who were
stu aboard after the launching anu
xwamping of the second boat, gathered
together quantity Of timber, spars ana
railing. aud. lashlng them together. threw
overheard the hastily improvised raft.
4 small ten-fOot dingy was the only
boat remaining on the steamer, and this
was launched and entered by tho remain
ing members Of tho expedition only d
moment before the vessel finally settled
below the waves As those on the raft
had no means Of propciling the craft the
four men In tho little dingy cndeaVoTed
to tow il towards the shore. The waves
were running high. and sweeping the ralt
constantly. ana the men were being WASH
ed off. until only eight were left. AT thiS
time the line parted. and the raft was
carried away in the darkness.
After rowing about for some time IN
search Of the others they were finally
given up as lost. and the four men IN the
dingv resumed their lahOrious pull for
the shore. Tho oars were carried away
after going a short distance, and san
was imprOviscd by each OF the -FOUR tax
ing turns at holding mp the Captain
ovcrcoat. The boat successfully rode the
mountainous waves until IT struck the
surf i'm shore. when II capszed
Capt. Murphy. Crane and Montgomery
after a hard fight. succeeded in getting
safely ashore. completely exhausted. tiig-
gins was drowned and his body was cast
up on the sands. These three men made
their way to Daytona. arriving there late
I'm the morning. There they learned OF
the safe landing Of the first boat without
any accident. As no trains are run on
the Florida East Coast Railway on sun
day. these last survivors could not reach
this city to-day.
A late dispatch from Port Orange. near
Davtona. says that a boat containing
four men had succeeded I'm landing there.
No particulars were given. They are sup
posed 10 have been those who We're wash
ed overheard from the raft and who sue
coedcd in righting the overturned SURF
boat.
Late last night The Three Friends left
for the scene of the disaster in search
for those who may still he on board the
raft. The steamer However. will not be
able to reach the locality dntil about day
light and there is little hope Of saving
the wrecked men,
The Cubans charge treachery IN the
wreck Of the steamer, saying that so soon
as fl was discovered that the vessel was
leaking the pumps were tried. but were
found 10 have been tempered with. and
were useless. The men were then set at
work bailing out the vessel with buckets.
futile task that was soon abandoned.
The names of the eleven men. among
whom are the four landed AT Port Orange.
are JAS Rcdgan. engineer. Ed ID. Rit-
ter. second engineer. Frank =. Grain. first
officer: Mai. Julio Rodriguez Baz Jones
Franklin. fireman. hurry Mobiles Manuel
Gonzales. Jose Alvarez. Modesto Leon.
Louis Sierra, Jos. De Laney. and W. a.
&. Smith.