Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-12-07
DEATH LIST GROWING.
Frightful Loss of Life on the New
England Coast.
MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE Persisted.

Passengers and Crew of the Wrecked
Steamer Portland, All of Whom Were
Drowned, Numbered Over 100 - The
Shore Strewn with Wrecks, and to Make
Matters Worse Another Northwest Storm
Is Sweeping the Coast.
Boston. Dec. News Of the loss Of
The Boston and Portland Steam Packet
company's steamer Portland, off Cape
Cod, and the death of more than $50
persons, comprising the passengers and
crew Of the steamer, and news from
hitherto unheard-of ports in Cape Cod,
showing that at least a score and half
Of vessels were wrecked along that
shore with the loss of twelves lives.
has come as a dire climax to the pre-
vfous report of disasters resulting from
Saturday nights storm. There are still
other places to be heard from on both
sides of the cape, which have not been
reached by train on account of wash
outs and which are cut off from other
means of communication by broken
wires, blocked highways and shattered
bridges. While the total loss of life
cannot be estimated with any degree of
accuracy, it is known that more than
200 persons persisted. This estimate is
made on the basis of only one from
each crew reported missing, and each
of which would include at least three,
while the larger schooners would have
seven or eight men aboard.
Fifty-Six Vessels Totally Wrecked.
From present reports it is known that
ffty-six vessels have been totally
wrecked, while forty-nine are ashore
with hardly a chance Of being saved.
or the fifty-six total wrecks, barges
not included, forty-three craft aggre-
gate 12,202 gross tonnage. OF those in
perilous positions twenty-eight aggre-
gate 7159 tons. The stranding of the
big English liner Ohio and the ocean
tug Tamaqua are not included in the
estimate given, nor many of the big
coal barges ashore in Boston harbor.
The position of these latter craft is now
dangerous. for they are exposed to the
northeast storm which has started in
here, and which promises several inches
of snow at least. A brisk wind of twen-
ty miles an hour is blowing from
north northeast. These conditions will
greatly interfere with the work that Is
being done at points where vessels were
wrecked, as the sea is running high and
the snow Is thick on thS water. The
number of schooners which have been
driven ashore in fairly safe berths or
damaged by collision or dismasted
can be reckoned by the scores and
many of them are likely to be included
in the list of total wrecks before the
day ends.
Five Victims of the Portland.
Five bodies have been recovered at
Orleans from the Portland. The vessel
was wrecked just north of Cape Cod
The wreckage and a great many bodies
are drifting south. possibly as far as
Nantucket. 1t is thought that the
northeast gale will bring bodies in. The
entire cape is patrolled. The body of
Dudley Freeman is the only one iden-
titled as yet. 1t will be shipped to Port
land.
There appears to be little apprehen-
sion for the safety of the steamer Gate
City, of the Savannah line, in spite of
the report which reached here that
life preserver bearing the name Of the
steamer had been picked up on Cape
Cod. The steamer Chattahoochee, which
has arrived here, reports having passed
the Gate City at Montauk Point, L. l..
at $3.50 Monday afternoon, and that
there was nothing amiss with the Sa-
yannah liner as far as could be OBJ
served The storm was over at the
time the Gate City was seen by the
Chattahoocee, and in all probability
she is safe and near her destination,