The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-14
The POItia Wrecked Or
Nova Scotia.
SHB SINKS In dep WATER
All the Passenger and Crew v
Except one Boy-rhe steamer, LIN .
Dense Fog, Goes Aground Those
Aboard Hurrtcdiy Taken Ashore In
the Boass-The soon Amer
Forced over h Shoal lnso Deep
water and Goes Down.

Halifax. ~. s, July 1.-THE steamer
Porsia, which struck on Big Fish shoal,
fifteen miles east M Halifax. last night,
filed and sank during the night.
The only victim Of -he wreck was q
~ls-year-old Assyrian lad. known by the
name OF Basha. who was travelling Sec
ond class from New York to St Johns,
y. r, where his mother lives. The 9TH
ers on board The steamer. including sew
en1y passengers and a crew OF thirty
four, officers and men, who were landed
safely at Sambro island. were cared for
there during the night and will be
brought here today.
The accident. which happened about
Z o'clock in the evening and which Is
believed to have been due to a dense
fog which prevailed at the time. prob
ably ends the career Of the Portia,
which was an iron VESSEL OF 49, tons.
fifteen years old.
The locality in which she struck Is
very dangerous and even before she
went down 1t was apparent that she
was badly damaged. Ii Is considered
probable, however, that attempts viii
be made to reach parts OF her cargo and
the baggage of her passengers.
The accounts of the wreck which
reached here last evening indicated that
the passengers and crew escaped from
the ship with comparative ease. but
later reports show that the work was
not accomplished without considerable
difficulty.
The steamer had mounted the rocks
with a shock that was felt in every
part Of her hull and all on board knew
Immediately what had happened. The
next moment. the heavy southwest
swell lifted the steamer and forced her
forward. A hurried inspection showed
Captain Farrell that his ship had been
broken and was filling, and also that
, she was in danger OF being forced
i, across the shoa and thrown into deep
water beyond. He ordered the boats
to be mad ready at once. This was
done and the passengers. including
about thirty women, filled them with
out confusion, although the dangerous
swell added peril TO the proceeding. AS
the passengers took their places ii was
discovered that the Assyrian lad was
missing. A hasty search OF the YES
sci was made, but the boy could not be
found. When last seen he was seasick
and it is Thought he had crawled into
some obscure corner to lie down and
thus escaped observation when the
searchers tried to find him.
The shipwrecked men and women all
were LANDED on Sambro island, which
was hardly two miles from the place
where the steamer lay. They were car
! ed for there during the night. although
the accommodations We're meagre. The
inhabitants Of the island gave up their
homes, and their provisions which were
| Scanty.
The steamers A. c. Whitney and
Boyer were dispatched from here as
soon as possible after the news OF the
accident reached here. bearing food for
those at Sambro. The arrival OF the
steamers early today brought great,
relief to the shipwrecked men and
women as We'll "a 10 those who live
or the island. At day break those
who had come on the Portia were ak
en- on board the two steamers from
Halifax and they reached here this
morning.
None of the passengers saved their
baggage and a number reported that
their money and jewels had been lost.
Captain Farrell, who left the Portia
last night to look after the safe landing
OF the passengers, returned to the
scene a few hours later on a Sambro
lobster steamer. 1t was found that the
Portia had been carried entirely over
the shoal and sunk in nine or ten faith
oms of water, a short distance on the
other side, only the topmasts being Wis
ible above the surface.