The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-18

I A. Baxter, one of the passengers, has
been recovered. The officers of the
steamship company were busy until
midnight answering inquiries. They
still hope that the steamers boats may
have succeeded in saving others.
Narrowing scenes were witnessed to-
day at the London office of the Atlantic
Transport Company, to which the
wrecked steamer Mohegan belonged.
A number of women tainted there
when the extent OF the calamity be-
came known and there was a constant
stream of telegraph boys running to
and from the office, seeking for infOr
nation or taking messages to anxious
Inquiries.
AN ILL-FATED VESSEL.
The MOhegan. it is now said, has
been an Inflated vessel from the start.
| 1t is added that she was only bought
! by the Transport company when their
| own boats had been sold to the United
! States government during the war.
! She was formerly the Cleopatra. of the
! Wilson and Furness-Leyland Line, and
| was bought direct from the Hull ship
! yard. She never ran for the Furness
| Line and only made one voyage out
and home. This, it is asserted, was
| most unsatisfactory and friends of the
! crew say that her engines were defec-
|
| is further alleged to have arrived at
| New York in such condition that she
was sent home empty and her return
J voyage took several weeks. during
! which she drifted a whole day and
! night. owing to the trouble with her
! engines. For the past two weeks the
/ steamer has been in dock undergoing
. repairs, but the managers say she was
| in perfect condition when she left port
| on this, her first voyage under her
| new name: 1t it asserted, however,
! that in a twenty-four hour trial last
! week, her performances were very
| unsatisfactory and the crew did not
wish to go on her on account of the
| previous defect in her engines. 1t is
! surmised that her engines broke down
! and that the vessel in the rough sea
| and heavy gale which prevailed, drift
| ed on the rocks.
Captain Griffiths, who is rlissing,
| was formerly captain of the Manitoba
and then captain of the Minnewaska,
| which was sold to the United States
| government for use as a transport dur
| ing the war with Spain.
| New York, October IA. D. Frank
| lin, of the Atlantic Transport Com
| pany, said today: There is no truth
! in the report that the Mohegans boil
ers were defective and that her cOndi-
| ton was not satisfactory. The vessel
|
! her first trip from this side she took
| twenty-five days and for that reason
| it was reported that she was overdue.
| This was not so. The ship was going
| only at half speed and We knew that
| she would not arrived on other side be-
| fore she did. On her arrival she was
| completely OVerhauled. AS it was
deemed advisable to give her a trial
before she sailed again, her date of
| sailing was put forward and the Mani
| tou sailed in her place October 9Th. Af-
| ter the trial trip we received a cable
| from the ships engineer and officers,
| saying that the Mohegan was perfect.
| l do not believe the wreck was caused
by any defect in her ma chinery or boil
| ers.'
Among those still missing are Mrs.
S. c. Crane, believed to be the wife of
| Stephen Crane. the novelist
| HEROISM OF SHIPS OFFICERS
| AND CREW.
| Falmouth, October 15.-The survivors
! without exception speak in the highest
terms of the devotion, heroism and
| GOODNESS displayed by the officers and
| crew of the ii-fated steamer, and de-
| clare that all were instantly at their
posts when it was known that she had
| struck.
! The perilOuS position of the ship was
| noticed on shore and a warning rocket
was sent up, but it was too late then
to avoid the catastrophe, which oc-
Cured SO suddenly that there was not
sufficient time to get all the life saw
| ing boats.
The scene was indescribable. Men
jumped overheard and in agony of de-
spair, and the women passengers hud-
died together and refused to leave the
| deck Officers remained on the bridge
to the last and many instances Of sac
ritice are recorded.
! Members of the crew are known to
have stood by and watched the boats
| launched and put off when it was ap-
| parent that these We're the only means
| by which their own lives could be saw
ed.
\ lifeb0at with a load of forty per
| sons on its way to the shore passed
! many who were battling in the water
| whom IL was impossible TO save. The
| Villagers. headed by the vicar and
| coastguard, stood on the shore and
| cheered the boats. When the lifeboat
| entered the little cove the fSherIne.!
| waded into the sea TO hold and dra-
the boat up on the beach and tenderly
| carried the survivors to their homes
which had been already prepared for
| their reception, and the vicar attended
the injured
The iifeboat was again launched and
put out for the wreck. on its outward
Journey picking up three survivors.
The trip to the wreck was fruitless 50
| far as taking any one from the vessel
J was concerned. but on its way back
| to the shore sixteen other survivors
were taken from the water This was
| just before daybreak
The latest list of the rescued shows
thAf eleven passengers were saved.