The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-11
LINER PORTIA
ON The ROCKS.
She Went Ashore Near SambrO
Island In a Dense Fog.
PASSENGERS AND CREW SAFE.
One Hundred and Fifteen CastaWays Shell
tereL on a NelghhaTlng Island.
FEARS THAT VESSEL CANNOT BE SAVED
Thirty Women Were PIscsd In Tho eoats Before
Anyhody Left the vesssI-ThGs Was
no Confusion WhaisVsL
FEARS THAT VESSEL CANNOT Be SAVED

Halifax. N. S., July 1.-THE steamer
Portia, New York for Halifax, was
wrecked during a dense fog early last
evening on Films island, off Sambro,
point about Is miles TO the eastward OF
Halifax.
The passengers and crew, III all told,
landed on the island in the ships boats,
and are all comfortably housed there.
No loss OF life is reported. AS soon as
the people had all been safely landed
Capt. Farrell started for the mainland
with boats crew and reached Sambro
late last night. whence he sent the
news or the disaster to Halifax Dy
telephone.
Fortunately the weather was mod
crate and the sea running was not very
heaVy else the landing of those Oh
board the steamer could not have been
accomplished without great danger and
perhaps loss of life. The steamer is
already full OF water and a total wreck.
The disaster occurred shortly before
Z ID. m. The passengers, of whom there
are 75, are nearly all tourists. The
steamer had large cargo for this port
and st. Johns, n. +. The place where
sne struck is known as Big Fish shoal,
and Is one and a half miles west of the
light on Sambro island.
She began to make water Immediate
ly after she struck, and at 1880 o'clock
Capt. Farrell concluded that IL was un-
safe to remain on board any longer.
Orders We're then given to lower the
boats, which were manned by the crew,
and in a few minutes the entire ship S
company were floating on the heavy
rolling sea and steering eastward, in
which direction Ii was known the
mainland lay\
The fleet OF lifeboats, keeping close
together, made Inner Samhro island in
less than three-quarters OF an hour,
and their occupants were soon housed.
From Tuner Sambro TO the mainland is
only a short distance, and as soon as
Capt Farrell found that everybody on
the steamer was safe and sound he
started for Sambro village. whence he
dispatched the advices of the wreck.
When the steamer struck she came to
a sudden stop and the engines. which
were Immediately reversed, refused to
pull her off, In the long strong swell
her ern moved gently up and down.
but her bow held immovably to the
rocks
As soon as the news of the wreck was
received by +. ID. Corbett a. Co., Hall
fax agents of the Red Cross line. steps
were taken 10 dispatch steam tugs to
time the steamers A. c. Whitney and
S. l.. &. .3oyer were on their way down
the harbor. and it is expected that,
thought the fog will cause some deten-
ton they will be able to reach Inner
Sambro island before 1 o'clock i'm the
morning. Both steamers carried sup
plies of provisions for the passengers
and crew, which by the time the succor
arrives, will probably have consumed
all cne eatables on Inner Sambro.
The Whitney will take all the Por-
tia's passengers on board and start as
soon as poss !e for Halifax, while the
Boyer will take care of the crew and
visit the wreck to see what condition
., IS in.
The steamer Silvia OF the same line
was entering the harbor from the east
war at the very hour the Portia
struck on Big Fish, but. being several
miles distant from the scene Of the
disaster, she knew nothing OF VI until
she got to her dock at 3 o'clock. Capt.
Clarke says the fog outside was ex-
tremely thick and he had to proceed
W a great caution.
The Portia was an iron, schooner
rigged, screw steamer of 1872 tons res H.
ter. 220 feet long, 81 feet wide and 2ais
feet depth. She was built at Newcastle
In 1884 and was owned by c. 4. Bow
ring & Co. of New York.
The loss fthe Portia was attended
by the drowning of one person. an AS
syrian boy. 12 years old, known only
by the name of Basha, who was travel
ing second-class from New York to st.
Johns. n. F.. where his mother lives.
The boy had been seasick before the
wreck occurred and 1t was thought he
might be lying down i'm some obscure
part of the vessel. but n search made
as carefully as possible under the hur-
ried conditions failed TO discover him
and there is no doubt that he perished.