The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-01
Many Perish in the
Wreck of Stella
OFF CHANNEL ISLES
Over 100 Of the Passengers
Are Drowned.

Southampton, March 31.-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 af-
ternoon, in a dense fog, and foundered
in 10 minutes, her boilers exploding with
a tremendous report as she went down,
The coasting steamer Lynx, which
brought the news OF the disaster here.
picked up four boats and 40 persons be-
longing to the Stella
The second officer Of the steamer, who
was among those rescued. says that a
collapsible boat was launched full of
people, but he thinks she struck on the
rocks, owing to the fog.
Another steamer has picked up boat
containing 55 persons, including 20
women, who escaped from the wrecked
steamer. They have been landed here,
The Stella had on board 210 passen-
gers, who were going to spend Easter
in the Channel Islands. 1t is later es-
timated that nearly 100 persons were
drowned by the sinking of the Stella,
The Stella, which belongs to the Lon
don and Southwestern railway, left at
noon yesterday conveying the first day
light excursion Of the season to the
Channel Islands. The weather was
fOggy but all went well until the after
noon, when the fog became most dense,
Suddenly there was a crash and the
steamer struck on a reef.
The disaster caused intense excite
ment in the island of Guernsey and
inc Of
the office Of the London and Southwest
ern railways. Husbands are inquiring
for their wives and wives are asking for
| their husbands; parents are seeking
news of lost children, and children are
making inquiries for missing parents
All the flags are at half-mast at St
| Peter lie Port.
Up to noon today 1O2 passengers had
been accounted for, including Mr.. j
Parton and his wife. Mr.. Parton is the
| manager of the Western London office
of the American line. The steamers
Vera and Honfleur are cruising In the
vicinity of the wreck. 1t Is thought
probable that the PartOnS were the only
Americans on board the Stella, as the
list Of survivors does not contain the
list Of any other Americans so far as
known. The second mate was the only
officer Of the Stella who was saved
A boat in charge of the chief Off
! GER capsized and almost all its occu-
pants were drowned. A few Of them
were picked up by other boats.
Later accounts say the Stella had JAG
| passengers on board and that her crew
numbered 46 persons. Another steamer
of the same company which arrived
at the island of Jersey at about noon
today, reports having passed many
bodies of victims in the disaster about
the Casquet rocks.
A survivor Of the Stella, Bush says
the speed of the vessel in the fog was
not diminished. though the fog whis-
ties were sounded. Bush adds that al
$50 a. m. the engineer showed him il
the engine room a dial registering .
speed of Is IL knots, and that The
vessel struck within 25 minutes after
wards.
Bush further asserts that two life
boats were sunk with the steamer
which, after resting on the rocks fol
10 or 10 minutes, split in two and dis
appeared.
Continuing, Bush said: "When The
Stella disappeared, forty or fifty per
sons were discovered clinging TO pieces
of wreckage and crying piteOusly FOL
help. All the passengers and crew hac
| been provided with life belts, and there
was little panic as the ship sank.
first slipped into the water and theT
swan to one of the boats, into which
/ was helped. We rowed supposedly
in the direction of Guernsey, but sever
hours later found ourselves near the
scene of the wreck and saw dozens Of
persons clinging to the wreck" Tie
boat in which Bush was a passenger
was afterwards picked up by the
Lynx. The passengers all agree thai
perfect order and discipline prevailed
on board the Stella. The scene at the
moment of the sinking Of the yesse
was heartrending. Women WERE
screaming and praying, and people
were clinging to spars and otnel
wreckage in other directions.
The voice of Captain Rocks, from the
bridge, was frequently heard urging
the rowers to pull for their lives. The
boats were adrift for fifteen hours, dur
ing which time their occupants werC
without food or water, and as theil
clothes We're drenched, they suffered
greatly. The disaster is generally at
tributed to the high speed at which the
steamer was travelling in the fog.