The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-01
Boiler Exploded as She Disappeared
Beneath the Water. and Added to
the Horror Of the Caiamity.
NEARLY 200 PEOPLE ABOARD
SURVIVORS PICKED UP AFTER
FLOATING ABOUT ALL NIGHT.
Officers and Crew Praised for Their
Gallant Conduct-Captain Last Seen
Going Down with His Ship.

SOUTHAMPTON, March 91.-The passen-
ger steamer Stella. plying between this port
and the Channel islands, crashed upon the
dreaded Casquet rocks, near the island of
Alderney yesterday afternoon, in a dense
I, fog, and foundered in ten minutes, her boiler
exploding with tremendous report as she
went down. The Stella had on board 140
passengers, who were going to spend Easter
on the Channel Islands, Her num-
bered forty-two. 1t is believed at least sew
enty lives were lost.
The coasting steamer Lynx, which brought
the news of the disaster here, picked up four
boats and forty persons belonging to the
Stella The second officer of the steamer,
who was among those rescued, says that
collapsible boat was launched, full OF people,
but he thinks she struck on the rocks, owing
to the fog. Another steamer has picked up
a boat containing fifty-five persons, including
| twenty women, who escaped from the
wrecked steamer. They have been landed
here.
The disaster caused intense excitement in
| the island of Guernsey and here. There
were narrowing scenes at the offices of the
| London & Southwestern Railway at both
places. Many families lost one or more rela-
| tives. Husbands are inquirng for their
| wives, and wives are asking after their hus-
| bands; parents are seeking news of lost chill
| dren and children are making inquiries for
missing parents. All the flags are half
masted at ST. Peter le Port. Among the
| saved are Mr.. j. Parton and his wife. Mr..
| Parton is the manager of the Western Lon
| don office of the American line.
| The Stella which belongs to the London
| & Southwestern Railway Company, left
| southampton at noon yesterday, conveying
| the first daylight excursion of the season to
| the Channel islands. The weather was fog
| gy, but all went we'll until the afternoon
when the fog became most dense. At
| O'Clock the Casquet rocks suddenly loomed
| up through the fog bank and the steamer
| almost Immediately afterward struck amid
| ships. The captain. seeing that the Stella
was fast sinking, ordered the lifeboats 10 be
| launched. His instructions were carried out
| with the utmost celerity, and the women
and children were embarked in the boats
| Then the captain ordered the men TO look
| after themselves.
SURVIVORS STORIES.
| A survivor states that he and twenty-five
others put off from the Stella in a small
| boat. Inc sea was CAIN, Uul there WIS d
big swirl around the rocks. When this boat
| was a short distance away from the wreck
the boilers of the Stella burst with ter
rifle explosion. and the vessel disappeared
stern foremost, in the sea. The last thing
! the survivor saw was the figure of the cap
tain of the Stella. standing calmly on the
bridge and giving his last instructions. The
captain perished with his vessel, owing to
| tna hy he cte NOR
| being very great indeed.
Continuing, the survivor referred to said
"The suction tremendous that we
thought our boat would be engulfed. 1 saw
| five boats and the collapsible boat, besides
| our boat leave the wreck. They contained
| altogether between eighty and one hundred
| persons. Five of the boats were soon lost
TO view, but we took a boat filled with
women in tow. and the occupants OF our
| boat took the oars in turn and rowed all
night long until most of us dropped asleep
| thoroughly exhausted. We sighted sail
| boat at s o'clock in the morning. but the
| Great Western Railway Company's steamer
| LYNX, from Weymouth, had, meanwhile
hove in sight. She bore down on us and
took us all on board. She eventually landed
| Us at Guernsey"
| A survivor of the disaster, named Bush
says the speed of the Stella in the fog was
not diminished though the fog whistles
| we're sounded. Bush adds that al $50 a. m
/ the engineer showed him in the engine room
a dial registering a speed of eighteen and
one-half knots. He says the vessel struck
within twenty-five minutes afterwards
| Bush further asserts that two lifeboats
| were sunk with the steamer, which, after
| resting on the rocks for fifteen minutes
| split in two and disappeared. Continuing,
| Bush said: when the Stella disappeared
| forty or fifty persons We're discovered cling
| ing to pieces of wreckage or cabin furniture,
| and crying piteousiy for help. All the pas
| sengers and crew had been provided with
| life belts, and there was little panic the
| ship sank. l first slipped into the water
| and swan to one of the boats, into which
/ 1 was helped. We rowed supposedly in the
| direction of Guernsey. but seven hours later
| found ourselves near the scene of the wreck
and saw dozens of persons Cinging to the
| rocks" "
The boat in which Bush a passenger
was afterwards picked up by the Lynx.
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 the
life belts and lowered the boats.
HEARTRENDING SCENE
| The scene at the moment OF the sinking
! 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 caused by the
| sinking vessel The voice of Captain Rocks,
| from the bridge. was frequently heard urg-
| ing the rowers 10 pull for their lives. The
boats were adrift fifteen hours. during which
| their occupants were without food or water
and as their clothes were drenched. they