Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-10-20
BIG SHIP GOES DOWN
STEAMER MOHEGAN STRIKES ON THE
ROCKS NEAR THE LIZARD.

Crew Stands by Its Post to the Last and
Makes Noble Effort to Save the Pas
compensatory Told by Surviving Pas
senger-Awful Loss of Life.
FALMOUTH, Eng, Oct. Is. - The
British steamer Mohegan, Captain
Griffith, belonging to the Atlantic
transport company, has been wrecked
in the vicinity of the Lizard, between
the Manacles and the low lands. 1t is
believed that about LAT persons of her
passengers and crew were drowned.
Only AZ survivors have reached tho
shore When the steamer was seen to
be in distress life boats put off from the
shore and every effort possible was
made to save the passengers. A num-
Der of tugs which put from this port to
the assistance of the Mohegan We're
compelled to return without being able
to approach the vessel owing to the
severity of the weather prevailing.
One of the survivors of the Mohegan,
Mr.. George Maule of New York, was
interviewed after he had sufficiently
recovered to be able to tell the story of
the wreck. He said: II am shipper
OF horses employed by the American
Transport company. We left London
on Thursday and all went well until
o'clock yesterday evening when most
of the passengers were at dinner The
steamer was going at full speed, and
suddenly we heard a loud crash, which
seemed to denote that we had collided
with some other vessel. But when
we rushed on deck we found
that the Mohegan was on the
rocks between the Manacles and
the low lands in the vicinity of the
Lizard. Orders were given at once to
lower the boats and the crew of the
steamer behaved like heroes Her
captain STOOD ON the bridge and the
greatest order prevailed among the off
GERS and crew. The steamer, however,
began to settle by the head. Two boats
were launched. The women were sent
away in the first boat. but whether
these boats reached land or not I do
not know ! managed to secure a Fife
belt and jumped overheard in company
with the chief officer of the Mohegan,
Mr.. Couch. He made me take off my
coat and shoes. Soon after that we
were parted from each other. When I
was leaving the vessel, little girl
begged piteously that try to save her,
as she did not want to die yet. was
powerless to help her. Eventually l
caught hold of a plank, which was
floating ON the water, and / chung to it
for two hours. At the expiration of
that time I was picked up by tug.
could not have lasted much longer.
cannot explain how the accident &C.
CURED. The whole matter is not very
clear to me.
From other sources it was learned
that the Mohegan sank about 20 min
utes after she ran on the rocks. The
local seamen appear to be unable TO ex-
plain how the Mohegan got into such
position.
AS the day wore ON further reports re-
ceived here showed that 40 survivors of
the Mohegan were landed at Port Hou-
stock, Cornwall, where the bodies of
five dead persons have been received.
William Moore, seaman of the
Mohegan, belonging to London, was
among the men who succeeded in reach
ing Port Houstock. He said the vessel
struck forward on the starboard bow,
and sank head first, her stern rising
right up in the air. Moore sprang
overheard and after swimming for a
considerable time succeeded in reaching
an empty life boat belonging to the
steamer. He got into the boat and
started to row for the shore. Sometime
afterwards he saw one of his shipmates,
man named Hilson, on raft. Hilson
was exhausted and Moore dragged him
into the life boat. Hilson's shoulder
was badly injured. The sea was then
running heavily and the life boat was
nearly full of water and escaping two
or three rocks she was smashed to
pieces. Moore and Hilson were washed
ashore.
The reports received as to the number
of survivors are extremely contradictory
at this hour. In fact it is now said that
the only persons rescued are those who
have detailed their experiences, as al
ready cabled, and those who were
taken to Port Houstock in the two
journeys which the life boat at that
place made to the wreck. Some of the
rescued persons died from exhaustion
after landing.