Evening journal., 1898-03-04
PERILS OF THE DEEP
Squall Capsizes a Schooner,
Drowning Nine People.
BRIDGEPORT COMM FAMILY VICTIMS
The Tragedy Occmfed or Marquesas,
Near Key West, and Its Details Are
Graphically Described by One
of the Survivors.

KEY WEST, March 1.-THE schooner
Speedwell, Captain Collier, from Marco,
Fla. for Key West, was struck by a
squall yesterday while off MarQuesas,
Is miles from here, and capsized. Nine
persons were drowned out Of 13 all told
on board. Among the victims were the
three children of Captain Collier
George, Tom and Wilbur, aged respect
lively 4, and sand the entire Nichols
famly-Mr. Bradley Nichols and his
wife, their son and the latter's wife and
two grandchildren. The family was
from Bridgeport, Conn Those saved
are Captain Collier, Samuel Gates and
Jesse Green (deckhands) and Mr.. r. w.
Bates of Meyers, Fla, a passenger The
Nichols family is said to have been we'll
to do. All had been staying for q. month
or two at a small hotel kept by Captain
Collier at Marco, and they were on their
way home.
The survivors say the speedwell,
which was a small vessel Of about 25
tons. was making slow headway against
headwind. About z o'clock in the
morning Captain Collier was at the
wheel and the Nichols family and the
Collier children in the cabin asleep.
Suddenly n squall came bowling up
abeam. Gates and Green rushed to take
in sail. AS the jib Tapped loose the
squall caught the schooner and blew
her clean over on the port side.
Collier, the deckhands and Mr.. Bates
were swept into the seething sea. but
caught the rigging just in time to save
themselves. The wind. rain and surges
drowned the dying cries of the i'm
priaoned Nichols family and the Col
lier children. The men lashed them
selves to the rigging. After being thc-e
for two hours the sea subsided. Then
they got the dingey loose, baled her out
with hat broke a thwart in two pieces
and with these for oars rowed toward
Marqucsas. After going three miles
they were picked up exhausted by q
fishing sloop and brought here about 4
o'clock in the afternoon.
Samuel Gates, one Of the survivors.
who was seen at his home here last
evening. said:
Captain Collier has been sailing now
for 25 years in these waters. He Is not
to blame for this awful thing. The
squail came up Ike nothing have ever
seen around Key West. Before we
knew II we were lifted off our feet and
in tho water. and as for those poor peo-
lAN fitnil lfiWWf NilEg we're Itlitu III
Ike res The wife Of the younger
| Nichois, as pretty a woman as ever
HteIpod aboard a ship. rose to the sky
light. l was clinging to the rigging.
She waved her hand at me, ard that's
the last ! saw of her. When we got of
two hours later they were all dead
"ClA Mr.. Nichols was the only one to
get out OF the cabin. I guess he was
washed out; for, after young Mrs Mich
cis waved her hand al me. / saw what
| I tt1usht was the coat Of old Mr.. Mich
| o's floating by. Then I saw his hand
/ md ] knew IL was not only coat w,
1 Idid not see n thing Of the children OF
/ hear 2 cry. We had TO bale with th'
/ hat all the time we were in the di-gey
! and often came near being swamped."
Soon after being brought into port
| Captain Collier and Jesse Green went
out on the yacht Buccaneer, accompa.
MED by diver. TO try to recover "a,
! bodies.