The evening times., 1899-03-09
INCIDENTS OF THE
MORAVIA'S WRECK
Story of a Survivor of the
Lost Steamship.
Experiences During Storm on a
DeSOlate Coast.
Struggles of the Crew to Reach
Firm Ground i'm Their
.. LifebOaf.

New York, March captain Jorgensen
and twenty y-nine members of the crew of
the Sloman Line steamship Moravia
which was wrecked on Sable Island on
February 13 last, in firece storm, arriv-
ed in this city yesterday from Boston on
the Fall River Line steamboat. The men
started for Newport News, where, it is
understood, they will find passage on the
Union Line steamship Pias for Hamburg,
their home port. The wreck of the Mora
via was attended with many exciting in
cidents, and, in view of their experiences,
the only wonder is that any of her officers
or crew reached land alive. 1t was, in
fact, once reported that Captain Jorgensen
and his men had perished.
On February IS the fishing schooner
Mondego arrived at Gloucester and re-
ported that while off Sable Island thirt cen
days before the Moravia had been sighted
broken in two on sandbar, and with no
sign of life on the vessel. While it was
believed from this report that the whole
crew had perished, the Government steam
er Aberdeen was dispatched from Halifax
TO inspect the wreck, and if possible TO as
certain the fate of the crew
The Aberdeen returned to Halifax on
March 3, but with the cheering inteli-
gence that only one man had died This
was the Moravia's chief officer, who had
died from exposure. The rest of the crew
were brought safely to Halifax by the
Aberdeen. Then for the first time the de-
tails of the loss of the Moravia were
learned. Captain Jorgensen reported tlat
in the voyage across the Atlantic he en-
countered hurricane weather from the
time of leaving the English coast Run
ming short OF coal, he decided TO make for
Nova Scotian port. After he had chang
ed his course he was for several days un-
able to take an observation. and had 10
navigate his ship by dead reckoning
While in the dark TO his actual loca ion
on February Is the Moravia suddenly ran
on a sandbar on the extreme northeast
end Of the Sable Island. Within two hours
after grounding on the bar the vessel be-
gan TO break up, and the crew, to save
their lives, We're forced TO desert the
steamer in the terrible gale which was
then in progress.
The stranding of the Moravia mad been
seen by the life-savers on the island and
they launched their boats and went TO the
rescue OF Captain Jorgensen and his men
II was also bitterly cold, and the work of
rescue in the heavy weather was a difficult
and dangerous task. Still, all the Mora
VIA crew were taken ashore and before
that had been accomplished the steamship
had broken amidships and the cargo was
floating about in the surf Chief Officer
Benton, who had worked like hero TO get
the men ashore, was so drenched by the
spray that when he reached the shore he
was attacked bw pneumonia and died in a
short time from the effects OF exposure.
Captain Jorgensen stated that he and his
men were treated most kindly by the ma
tives on Sable Island, and that they saved
much OF the Moravia's cargo, a portion of
which was brought on the Aberdeen to
Halifax. Such of it as had not been hurt
by the salt water will be sent TO the con-
signees.
When Captain Jorgensen reached this
city yesterday morning he was apparently
so depressed by the loss of his ship that
he was unwilling TO talk of the disaster,
and referred all enquirers TO Emil Naegel
the third officer of the Moravia. After re-
lating substantially the facts just stated,
he spoke of the experiences of the crew af-
ter the steamer went ashore on the Sable
Island shoals
The men were ordered TO get out the
boats he said. but the davits were so
incased in ice that though the work of en-
deavoring 10 free The tackles was continued
all night, the boats could not be loosened.
At I:30 o'clock in the morning however
the largest lifeboat was swung free and
lowered into the water Second Mate
Framsdorf. who had been thrown against
the davits during the night by a heavy
wave. and had had his right side crushed.
was lowered into the lifeboat, and eight of
the crew followed him. The distance from
the bar where we had struck 10 the island
was only two miles, but it took the life
boat twenty four hours to cover the dis
tance. The oif-shore currents caught the
boat and swept it nearly fifteen miles out
to sea. The tide then changed and the
boat drifted back. The men had put out
from the grounded vessel on Sunday morn
ing at 10 o'clock, but it was not until Q
o'clock on Monday morning that the life
boat finally drifted ashore on Sable Island.
The men who had stayed on the Moravia
had had an easier time. Another boat con-
tanning twelve sailors was lowered from
the vessel on Sunday afternoon. and this
boat made shore without much difficulty.
The Cape Sable lifesavers had also put
lifeline aboard the Moravia. and lifeboats
were sent out and the remainder of the
ships company were taken ashore The
Moravia in the meantime had begun to
break up, and several hours after Captain
Jorgensen left her she broke in two