The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-04-01
More Than Two Hundred Persons
Were on the Steamer When
She FOundered.
THE WEATHER VERY FOGGY
And the StelIs. Going at Full Spsed.
Crushed Upon casauet Rocks
Many Agonizing Scenes.

SOUTHAMPTON. March 2l-The pas
senger steamer Stella. plying between this
port and the Channel islands. crashed up
on the dreaded Casquet rocks. near the
Island OF Alderney. yesterday afternoon,
in dense fog. and fOundered in 10 min
uiss Her boilers exploded with a tre-
mendous report as she went down. The
eoasting steamer Lynx. which brought (
the news of the disaster here, picked up
four boats and 20 persons.
It is estimated that 10 persons were
drowned.
The second officer OF the steamer, who
was among the rescued. says a eollapsibie
boat was launched full OF people, but he
thinks 1t struck on the rocks, owing to
the fog. Another steamer has picked up
a boat containing IS persons. including D
women who escaped from the wrel ked
steamer.
The Stella had on board 30 passengers
who were going to spenu Easter In the
Channel islands.
The Stella left Southampton yesterday
conveying the first excursloR Of the sea
son TO the Channel islands There were
about Is5 passengers on board and crew
numbering IS men. The weather was
toggy. At 4 o'clock CasQuet rocks sud-
denly ioomed up through the fog bank.
and the steamer almost immediately
afterwards struck amidships. The cap
tain. seeing the steamer was fast sinking.
ordered the lifeboats launched. Women
and children We're embarked in the boats.
Inen the captain ordered the men 10
look after themselves.
A survivor stated that he and 25 others
put OF from the steamer in a small boat.
The sea was calm, but there was a big
swirl around the rocks. when this boat
was a short distance away from the
wreck the boilers OF the Stella burst with
terrific explosion and the vessel dis
appeared, stern foremost in the sea. The
last thing the survivor saw was the figure
of the captain of the SteRa standing
calmly on the bridge and giving his last
instructions. The captain perished with
the vessel. The survivor referred to said:
"The suction was so tremendous that
we thought our boat would be engulfed
saw five boats and the collapsible boat
besides our own leave the wreck. They
contained altogether between 50 and 100
people. Five Of the boats were soon lost
| TO view, but We took a boat filed with
women in tow and the occupants of our
boat took oars in turn and rowed all
night long until most of us dropped
asleep. thoroughly exhausted. We sight
ed a sailboat at o'clock in the morning,
but the steamer Lynx, from Weymouth,
had meanwhile hove in sight She took
lus all on board. She eventually landed
ius at Guernsey"
The Great Western Railway Company s
steamer Vera. from Southampton, picked
lup 40 others of the survivors and landed
them at Guernsey.
The passengers all agree that perfect
order and discipline prevailed on board
the Stella. The crew promptly took up
their stations when the steamer struck,
served out life belts and lowered the
boats.
The scene at the moment of the sink
ing Of the vessel was heartrending. Those
who had succeeded in getting into the
boats had narrow escape from being
engulfed on account of the suction by the
sinking vessel.
The voice of Captain Rocks from the
bridge was frequently heard urging
the rowers to pull for their lives. The
boats were adrift Is hours, during which
time their occupants were without food
or water, and, as their clothes were
drenched, they suffered greatly.
The disaster is generally attributed to
the high speed at which the steamer was
travelling in the fog.
The steamer Honfieur returned tonight
after having made circle Of Casquet
rocks. She picked up two boats contain
ing women's clothing, money, jewelry and
an opera-glass case. The last named
article had evidently been used in bailing
In several cases men lifted their wives
and ran into the boats and then perished
lin their presence. One wife who was
thus bereaved lost her reason.
A large number OF survivors arrived