Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-10-20
MOHEGAN DISASTER.
A Statement Made by the Atlantic
Transport Company.
CAUSE OF DISASTER A MYSTERY.
The ChIvalrous Crew Thought First to Save
the Women and Chlldren--FiSty Per-
sons wero Saved and 1OS Per-
ished or Are Missing.

London, Oct. 1.-THE Atlantic
Transport company issued the follow
ing statement yesterday evening re-
garding the fate of the steamer Mohe-
gan, which was wrecked last Friday
evening off the Lizard, between the
Manacles and the Lowlands: "Of the
passengers, II have been saved, 10
bodies have been recovered and 33 are
missing. OF the crew and cattlemen,
80 have been saved, IA bodies have been
recovered and 81 are missing" Since
this statement was issued 1S other
bodies have been picked up, including
two that havo been identified as pas
sengers. The reports of the different
correspondents differ widely as to the
rescues, recoveries and losses, though
none has been able to obtain the exact
number of those saved or the bodies
recovered.
The latest advices from Falmouth
yesterday evening say that SO bodies
have been identified, mostly the bodice
of sailors Four as yet unidentified,
including those of two elderly ladies,
One appears to be a German. She
wore a watch and wedding ring,
both engraved "1S71." The other wore
a silver brooch, with the letter ''D'' in
pearls, This is probably the body of
Mrs. Charles Duncan.
Nine of the bodies have been brought
to Falmouth, the others to the village
church at ST. Keverine. The rescued
passengers are being sheltered at cot
tages along the shore and the crew at
the sailors home at Falmouth.
The cause of the disaster remains
the profoundest mystery. Nobody at
tempts to explain how the Mohegan
got so far north of her true course
from six to seven miles. There was
no fog at the time, while the wind on
her port quarter was not sufficient to
prevent her answering her helm. 1t
has been suggested that her compass
was faulty, but daylight lasted long
after Eddystone light was passed. The
sailors say that the fact that the Liz
ard light was not visible should have
served to give the alarm. AS all the
navigating officers were lost, it is
doubtful whether light will ever be
thrown on the cause of the disaster.
The masts of the Mohegan, which are
above water, show that her stern is
landwsrd, causing theory that the
navigating officer on discovering that
he was in the bay turned seward.
Two engineers who were saved de-
clare, however, that they never slack
ened speed.
Messrs. Smith and w. ]. Blooming
dale say there was the greatest diff
Guilty in launching the boats The
ropes were new and stiff and the
blocks would not work. Four or five
times as many sailors as should have
been necessary struggled to lower
each boat. The lockers were hard to
OPEN The crew, in chivalrous effort
to save the women, made mistake OF
undermining the boat, which cap
sized as soou as it was launched.
The death of Mr.. L. w, King, who
was a newspaper proprietor at Nan
tucket, Mass, and of his family, in
Guiding Mrs. King, her mother, Mrs.
Weller, and his sons, Rufus, aged II
years, and Anthony, aged seven years,
has caused deep sorrow at Penzance,
where the family had summer cot
tage and we're very popular
Joseph ORorle, Kingsvale, who was
saved, says he was on deck when the
crash came. The lights went out i'm
mediately. Rushing to the saloon he
heard Mr. King exhorting his family
to keep cool. ORorke, with seven
others, chung to the rigging until six
o'clock Saturdaymorning,' when life
boat took him off. He identified the
bodies of the Kings and Mrs. Weber
and will have them embalmed and
taken to the United States in accord
ance with csbled instructions from
the relatives OF the family at Nan
tucket.