Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-03-04

man Freight I'm Her Cabin, Where They
Are Drowned-Five OF the Lost Are
Children-Collapsso Of . Dry-Kiln Nor
tally wounds Two Men-Others Probs-
bly, Dead In the Ruins Of the Kiln.
Key West. Fla. March 4.-The schoon-
er Spcedwell. Captain Collier. from
Marco. Fla. for Key West, was struck
by a squall yesterday while on Mar
Qucsas, eighteen miles from here, and
capsized. Nine persons were drowned
out OF thirteen on board. Among the
victims were three children Of Captain
Collier-George. Tom and Wilbur. aged
respectfully 4. s and sand the entire
Nichols family-Bradley Nichols and his
wife, their son, and the latter's wife and
two children. The family was from
BRIDGEPORT. Conn. Those saved are:
Captain Collier: Samuel Gates and Jesse
Green. deckhands. and r. w. Bate. Of
Myers. Fla. a passenger.
Caught Its Prey While They Slept.
The survivors say that the Speedwell,
which was a smallvessel Of about twen-
ty-five tons, was making slow way
against q head wind. About z o'clock
Captain Collier was at the wheel and
the Nichols family and the Collier chill
dren were in the cabin asleep. Sudden
ly squall came bowling up abeam.
Gates and Green rushed to take in sail.
The squall was too quick, however, and
caught the schooner and blew her over
on the port side. Collier, the deckhands
and Bates were swept into the sea, but
caught the rigging just in time to savo
themselves. The wind. rain and waves
drowned the dying cries of the impris-
oned Nichols family and the Collier chill
tren.
Captain Was Not to blame.
The men lashed themselves to the
rigging. After being there for two hours
the sea subsiced. Then they got the
dingey loose. baled her out with a hat,
broke a thwart In two pieces and with
these for oars. rowed toward Mar
quesas. After going three miles they
were picked up exhausted by a fishing
sloop and brought here. Samuel Gates,
one Of the survivors. who was seen at
his home last night, said: Captain
Collier has been sailing in these waters
twenty-five years. He Is not to blame
for this awful thing. The squall came
up like nothing have ever seen around
Key West. Before We knew it We were
lifted of our feet ard in the water;
and as for these poor people down be-
low. they were penned in like rats. The
wife OF the younger Nichols rose to the
skylight. / was clinging to the rig
ging. She waved her hand to me and
that Is the last i saw of her.
At the Home Of the Victims.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. March 4-The news
received from Key West regarding the
capsizing Of the schooner Speedwell and
the drowning of the Bradley Nichols
family Of this city cast gloom over
the many friends OF the lost Bradley
Nichols was one Of the most prominent
real estate dealers in this city, and
was very wealthy. His son Warren,
who was also drowned, was associated
with him in business. The wife Of the
young Mr.. Nichols was the daughter of
Prosecuting Attorney Billings, Of this
city. The two children of Mr.. and Mrs.
Warren Nichols. who were also
drowned, were a boy years old and a
girl OF years. A third child was not
taken on the trip. but remained in this
city with its grandparents. The family
was going to Key West to take a steam
er to return home