The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-10-20
THE WRECKED MOHECAN.
Ninety-6ve Lives Lost Of Brit
aims Stormy Coast.
THE BRAVERY OF THE SAILORS.

OH 0SVimy OVocts
THE BRAVERY OF THE SAILORS
None OF Them Made any Effort to Es-
cape in the Lifeboats, and the Gal
liant Omcers Went Down with Their
Doomed Vessel.
London. Oct. 1.-THE steamer Mohe-
gan. OF the Atlantic Transfer company
was wrecked last Friday evening. OF
the la persons on board. including 81
passengers. S6 were lost. The total num-
Der Of bodies thus far recovered is b6.
Many persons undoubtedly were kill.
ed by being dashed on the rocks who
would have escaped IL cast ashore on
an ordinary coast. Some OF the bodies
are horribly mangled.
The cause OF the disaster remains the
profoundest mystery. Nobody attempts
to explain how the Mohegan got 80
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 the helm. 1t has been
suggested that the compass was faulty
but daylight lasted long ;fter Eddy
stone light was passed. The sailors
say the fact that the Lizard light was
not visible should have served to give
the alarm.
Remarkable stories OF rescues con.
tinue. Robert Barrow. a seaman. per-
formed the feat OF swimming unaided
through the roughest water to Cove
rack Point. a distance OF two and one
half miles. He climbed up the ragged
cliff. where a searching party found
him early the next morning completely
exhausted. A. C. L. Smith, OF Oregon
q passenger. surrendered to q woman
in the water wreckage that was sup
porting him and swan ashore unaided
The womsn was saved.
The crew. in chivalrous effort Il
save the women. made the mistake o.
undermanning the boats. There wer'
only four sailors In one boat. whicf
capsized as soon as II was launched
Messrs. Smith and Bloomingdale "a,
that Captain Grifiths had appeared II
all day.
The hrroism Of the English coast
patrol and the discipline OF the Saxon
sailors stand out boldly. The MohegaI
smashed upon the rocks at the Man
acles OF the Lizard at 7 o'clock Friday
evening while the passengers were n,
dinner.
From sdhe best evidence obtainable n,
St Keverine II appears that the No
hogan fuundered fve minutes after sh,
struck the rocks. She was going al
full apeed. struck twice. Itopped and
rapidly settled into the water. As tn,
captain and the executive officers oil
the Steamer went down with her n ha.
how she got out OF her course. as Fall
mouth Light and the coast were vis,
ible.
Dinner was ready and Captain 0rif
fiths was about to proceed TO the sa
loon when a sudden crash made Il M
parent that the steamer had gons
ashore. The captain Immediately wen
on deck. and the survivors say the,
saw him on the bridge doing all In hi.
power to lessen the disaster
There was a rush for the boats, bu-
the officers stood firm and put tn.
women aboard first. Captain Grffi q
stuck to his post on the bridge shoutin,
orders through trumpet until ne wen
down with the ship. One passengel
cut away the falls Of lifeboAt with Z
razor and thus saved several lives.
As soon as the Mohegan struck tn.
shrieks Of the passengers were waited
ashore and the Port Houstock lifeboat
Immediately put out. The life savers
did noble work. and the Port Houstoch
boat WAS Immediately followed by
others. There was high sea running
as the result OF . gale. which made
II necessary for tugs which put out t.
turn back.
The terror OF the scene was inde-
scribable-men Jumped overheard in an
agony Of despair and the women pas
sengers huddled together and refused
to leave the deck The officers remained
on the bridge 10 the last and many
instances OF sacrifice are recorded.
Members OF the crew are known 10
have stood by and watched the boat.
launched and put or when IL was ap-
parent that these were the only means
by which their own lives could be