Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-04-01

London. March 3l.-The news Of the
disaster TO the Stella spread slowly
through London IN the absence of the
usual evening newspapers, today be-
ing Good Friday. AS the afternoon
advanced small groups gathered at
the Waterloo station, where many
painful scenes took place mong the in
uuirers for friends at the railway Of
fees. A large crowd collected to wait
the arrival Of the train from South
ampton. at this evening, which
brought three Of the survivors. Messrs.
David King. a London merchant, He'll
bron and Greener all of whom were
wrapped in great rugs and bore evi-
dent traces of their sufferinSs. They
were Immediately surrounded and anN-
iously questioned.
Mr.. King, who was among the last
to leave the ship, said: The greater
part of yesterday was exceedingly
pleasant. but toward evening we en-
countered mist which soon develop
ed into dense fog. There was, how
ever, no apprehension. Suddenly Z
great shock told us that the Stella had
struck a rock. Screams rent the air
but the coolness of the officers consid-
erably allayed the excitement. The
crew behaved splendidly, lowering the
| boats with the greatest promptitude.
| Every woman was supplied with a lie
| belt. At first we thought there would
be time for all the boats to clear away;
but suddenly the boilers burst with a
dcafening roar, rendinE the ship amid
! ships"
| Mr. King and two frcmcn. Osborne
and Bayley. were the last to leave the
! vessel. He had just given up a life
belt to aid a clergyman's wife and was
literally pulled into boat by Second
Mate REYNOLDS. who was instrumental
| in saving many lives.
The boat. with % persons, drifted Tor
II hours in the intense cold and was
! finally picked up by the Great Western
| Railway Cos. steamer vera from
| Southampton.
| Mr King believes that i've poatS
wera launched. He saw one upturned.
with children clinging to it.
| Tho Chcrbourg correspondent Of th'
| DaiIv Mail saws: The eight passengers
| az tbe Stella who were landed here. were
rescued from a boat that originally CON
! tanicd "a men The boat caps;zed ana SlA
| were drowned. The others chung To the
| keel for hours and then manager l,
! right The boat. which was half full OF
| other accounts say that Capt. ReGks
! sunnosed the fog was merely in banks
! and as is the usual experience, ana De
! clded to run through it, but as IT BECAME
| continually denscr. he lost his bearings
! When the Stella struck there was ter
| rihIc sensation-a noise Of metal an'
| woodwork being torn bodily away, the
| vessel passing over the jagged rocks nj
/ fuIl Epccd and her side being ripped open
! like rnatchwood. When she slid off tho
| rock She turned completely over, carry
! ing lot of people with her.
1 The eight survivors who were lanueo
NJ Cherbourg by the tug Marsouin were
picked up off floating furniture van by
! y fishing boat The ladies on board one
of the life boats sang hymns all nigh
| long 10 keep UP the spirits of their com
nanions. Two bodies were washed ashor,
| on the island of AldcrneN. one pasSen-
ger saws he remarked to the crew on th'
! hirh rate OF speed at which the Stcil;
| was travelling in the fog. telling Their
| he did not consider II safe.
! The Daily Mail will publish. tomorrow
DISPATCHES from several passengers urS
! ing the Daper to demand thorough in.
| ynstigation as to whether the steamer
was racing against time.
The steamer ctella, which belonged tt
! the London & Southwestern Railway Co
and ran in connection with itS land ser
vice. was built al clyde Bark. oy Mcssrs