The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-30

ers. compelled them to part with the
few valuables saved.
Captain Skrimshire and his officers
were exceptions. For the honor of the
British merchant marine. the crime
may not be ascribed to the men who
engaged in 1t. but to gang of wharf
rats and hangers on, picked up on the
docks at Liverpool to replace the usual
crew of the Scotsman, which joined the
seamen's strike on the other side.
The list of those who persisted is as
follows:
First class passengers:
MISS STREET. Montreal
MRS. CHILDS. wife of the stage
manager of the Sign of the Cross"
company.
MRS. ROBERTS and infant.
MRS. ROBINSON. wife of the man
ager OF the Sunlight Soap company of
Toronto.
MRS. ROBINSON.
MRS. DICKINSON. wife of former
editor Of the Toronto Globe.
Second class passengers:
MRS. M. NJ. SCOTT Occurs twice..
MRS. WATSON.
MRS. TALBOT.
MRS. TUTHILL.
MRS. SHELTON.
MRS. ELIZA watkins.
MISS B. WEAVER.
1T will be noticed that all who per-
ished were women, This is accounted
for by the fact that they were occu-
pants of the first boat which left the
steamer after she struck and which
was swamped before it could get clear
Of the ship.
Entering the straits of Belle Isle on
Thursday night the steamer ran into a
dense fog. At 2 o'clock in the morning
there was shock underneath the keel
of the vessel, followed by another and
ia ma
in their berths and all were awakened
by the shocks and hurried on deck.
The thick bank Of fog shut out the
sight Of shore. A superficial examina-
ton of the ship told Captain Skrimsbire
that she would be total wreck and
that she must be abadoned at once.
A port lifeboat was lowered and in
this many of the women and children
were placed. The boat was hardly clear
of the ship when it capsized, throwing
it's occupants into the water. Those
who persisted were in this boat. Some
were saved, for the ship had listed to
port and several women were washed
back on the deck.
One woman chung to rope for two
hours before rescued. Meanwhile dis
graceful scenes We're being enacted on
board
Hardly had the vessel struck before
the men from the stoke hole rushed into
bags with their knives, took all the
valuables they could lay their hands
on. Several of them fired shots and
tried to force the men to leave their
cabins.
1t is said that some of the steerage
| passengers Joined the firemen in loot
ing the baggage of the first-class pas
sengers.
In more than one instance rings were
| torn from the fingers of fainting and
| dying women. Captain Skrimshire and
| his officers could do nothing against the
| mob. When morning came it was found
| that the Scotsman lay close in shore,
| high. A second boatload of women and
| children which had been sent off was
| called back and the passengers tran
shipped to the rocks alongside the
| ship.
Until $50 the officers and some of the
| crew of the Scotsman worked I'M
| ceasingly in getting the passengers
ashore and when darkness and a heavy
fog set in they were safe on the rocks.
| But here the new danger of starvation
| faced them. The lower decks of the
ship were entirely under water. A
| quantity of biscuit was carried on
shore and on this, with a very little
| corned beef and wild berries, more than
200 people existed for four days. Some
| natural springs were found, but de-
| spite this, the bad condition of food
and water brought on much sickness.
| Many of the passengers suffered from
| the exposure. After much difficulty
some overcoats and shawls were Sc
| cured for the women, nearly every one
of whom had left the ship in night
clothes. The passengers were Obliged
to climb up rocky cliff nearly 800 rect
high before they could find place
large enough to rest. Here they stayed
on the rocks for four days ana nlghts.
The first night they had absolutely no
shelter. but on Saturday the captain
sent up blankets and other clothing.
A number of passengers attempted TO
reach the lighthouse, which was about
eight miles away as the crew flies. TO
do this it was necessary to climb about
1000 feet higher before path could
be reached.
It was not until the Goth that the
Montford came along and was signaled
by the Belle Isle light, where num-
her of passengers walked from the
wreck. After bringing these people on
board ship she proceeded to where the
Scotsman lay. The weather was bright
and clear, As soon as practicable the
boats were launched and the work of
transferring the passengers began.
The Montfort took $50 of the pas
sengers and the steamship Grecian,
which afterward came in sight, took the
remainder. excepting four, who decided
to return to England on the Monterey
the next vessel to appear. Forty-fiVe
of the crew also went on this boat.