The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-29
PASSENGERS ARE ALL SAFE.
They Were Taken OF BY the Steamer Whit
ney and Brought 10 Boston.
BATTLED ALL NIGHT WITH THE GALE
Spsng Aleas After She Struck and In-mshng
Water txinguIshsd Her Fires STORY Of The
Disaster Told BY Passenger.


Boston. Nov. 29.--The steamer Fair
fax of the Merchants and Miners trans
portation company. plying between Bal
timore and this city. is fast on the
rocks at the Sow and Pigs shoals.
There We're only six passengers on
board and they were all safe and sound.
One OF the passengers, c. j. Griffith OF
Baltimore. who was taken from the
wreck by the life savers and trans
ferred to the steamer Whitney arrived
in Boston last evening and was seen
by reporter al the Parker House. He
said:
II boarded the Fairfax Friday night
at Norfolk, and besides myself there
were only five other passengers, two
brothers belonging in this city. a Mrs.
Cutherell and S-year-old daughter. and
a colored man whose name L do not
know.
THE storm struck us between and
O'Clock Saturday night. and the snow
was SO binding we could see only few
yards ahead.
The force OF the gale was so terrific
that we could not hold our course. and
the ship, as consequence, drifted
around, covering circle of about 20
miles. After many hours of battling
with the storm we went aground-that
was between 5 and q o'clock Sunday
evening and quite naturally we were
In very excited state of mind fer a
short time.
''As soon as the officers could learn
the exact position of the steamer they
Informed US that we had grounded on
the rocks at -the Sow and Pigs shoals
which is, l believe, about $50 miles
from Boston.
The officer stated that the steamer
had struck bow on. and, aside from
the awful noise the storm made. there
was not the slightest evidence that the
steamer would be broken up
I'VE began to display signals calling
for help, but the sea was running aw-
fully high. and doubt If our signals
could be seen by the life saving station
ashore. We could just distinguish the
Sow and Pigs light, which looked TO be
about three miles away.
About a. m. the steamer H. M
Whitney loomed up in the distance and
lowered around about two miles away.
No boat could live i'm the sea, and the
Fairfax.
"All night long the rudder kept
humping against the rocks, and the
noise was enough to convince about
anybody that the Fairfax's hull would
soon go to pieces.
The ship began to make water rap
Idly, and one hour after we struck the
fires were put out. and later on the
electric plant was rendered useless.
The captain assured us that we were
in no urgent danger. and although we
were driven out OF the cabins by the
water and forced TO go on deck we kept
UP courage.
EARLY in the morning. about o'clock
i should judge. a boat from the life
saving station came alongside and, al
though the sea was very rough, | got
aboard Mrs. Il. j. Cutherell and her
daughter remained on board owing 10
he rough water and the danger attend
ing the transfer and at the time we
showed off from the sides OF the Fairfax
she was standing in Is feet OF water
and looked TO me as though she would
have a hard time I'm weathering the
gale. Mrs. Cutherell was a brave wom-
an, and seemed to be perfectly con-
tented 20 remain aboard when the cap
tain said there was no immediate dan
ger.
I'VE were wrapped up in blankets
while on deck, but suffered considera-
bly, from the storm"
Z. J.. Cutherell chief machinist on
the Il. s s. Amphitrte. whose wife and
child were on the Fairfax. was an in
terestcd listener to Mr.. Grifiith's story.
and heaved a sigh of relief when told
his family were safe. He said that they
were coming mp from Norfolk TO re-
main In Boston while his boat was un-
dergoing repairs. IL was her first voy-
age, and Mr.. Cutherell fancied IL will
be her last. for he considered that his
wife has had a fair share OF hardships
during this trip.
The mate of the Whitney was seen
later in the evening. and said the Fair
fax was hard ana fast and looked as
though she might weather the storm.
Others on the Whitney gave IL as their
opinion that she would certainly go TO
pieces before help can be rendered.
At the office OF the Merchants and
Miners company they knew compara-
lively nothing about the boat except
what they had learned from the mate
Of the Whitney. They were OF the opin-
ION that the Fairfax Is in a very COM
Portable position and will be saved.
Capt. Hallett OF the Whitney. which
arrived at India wharf last evening
from New York. states that he sighted
the Fairfax and stopped In answer TO n
signal. He was given Capt Johnson's
Iltpatrnts 10 the owners or the FAIRFAX
IN Baltimore TO the agents here to de-
liver.
The Fairfax was commanded by Capt.
johnson and was bound from Baltimore
and Norfolk for this port. She was due
at Battery wharf at noon Sunday. Her
cargo consists of n large consignment
of cotton and general merchandise She
is an iron steamer OF 1875 tons net and
255f tons gross. She is 250 feet long, ~
feet beam and IS feet depth Of hold.
She was built by Harlan Hollings-
worth at Wilmington, Del. in 1891
For some time past the Fairfax has
been running alternately between Bal
timore and Providence and Baltimore
and this port.
Wreckers have started from Provi- i.
dence and are already alongside the
Fafrfax. tug he's also gone from
Vineyard Haven. and the company ex-
poets 10 hear favorable news at any
moment