The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-30
LOOTED THE BAGGAGE
UGLY STORY IN CONNECTION WITH
THE WRECK of THE STEAM
Err SCOTSMAN
SAILORS TOOK TO THE GR0G

+ SAILORS TOOK TO THE GROG
Got Drunk and Held High Carnival
All Night, While the Doomed Yes
sci Lay Upon the Bar - Helpless
Passengers Grossly InsuIted, Of
ficers Being POwerless to Re-
strain the Intoxicated Men.
MONTREAL, Que, Sept. 29.-Two hun
dred and fifty scantily clad, baggage-be-
reft men, women and children were on
board an Intercolonial special whi h
steamed into the depot tonight They
comprised the greater number of those
who sailed from Liverpool, Sept. IA, on
board the steamer Scotsman, bound for
Montreal, which was wrecked in tie
Straits of Belle Isle, at 2:30 on the morn
ing of Sept. q. 1t was not only a tale
of shipwreck they had to tell, but one of
death, of suffering and pillage-for fif-
teen, at least, of the Scotsman's passen-
gers perished, ri suffered cruelty from
cold and privation, and almost the worst
horror of all. the men who were supposed d
to protect those committed to their care
the crew-turned on the passengers and,
with drawn revolvers, compelled them to
give up the valuables saved.
Capt. Skrimshire and his officers were
exceptions. For the honor of the British
merchant marine the crime may not be
ascribed to the men engaged in it, but to
a gang of wharf rats and hangers-on
picked up on the docks at Liverpool to
replace the usual crew of the Scotsman,
who joined the seamens strike on the
other side The list of those who perish
ed is as follows:
First-Class Passengers = Miss st eet,
Montreal; Mrs. Childs, wife of the stage
manager of the Sign of the Cross" con-
pany; Mrs. Robert and infant, Mrs. Soft,
Mrs Robinson, wife of the manager Of
Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Dickinson, wife of
former editor of the Toronto Globe:
Second-Class Passenger M. M.
Scott, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Talbot, Mrs.
Luthin, Mrs. Shelton Mrs Eliza Wat
kinS and Miss B. WeaVers.
VICTIMS ALL WOMEN.
All those who perished were women.
This will be accounted for by the fact
that they were occupants of the first boat
which left the steamer after she struck,
and which was swamped before it could
get clear of the ship.
The Scotsman sailed from Liverpool on
Sept. IA The passage to the Straits of
Belle Isle was a fair one, though the
green crew in the stokchold lessened the
+l,o tl,a
ed Belle Isle she was about a days run
behind her usual average. Entering the
Straits of Belle Isle on Thursday night
dense fog blanketed down on the sea and
made navigation-a work Of great caution
at all times iii the straits-a precarious
undertaking. The speed Of the ship was
reduced, and she felt her way in. AT
2 O'clock there was a shock underneath
the keel of the vessel, followed by another
and another. The passengers were asleep
in their berths, and all were awakened by
the shocks.
On deck the thick bank of fog shut out
the sight of shore. Passengers ran hither
and thither, but Capt. Skrimshire and his
officers went among them, calming their
fears. A superficial examination of the
ship told the captain that she would be
a total wreck, and that she must be
abandoned at once. A port lifeboat was
lowered, and in this many of the women
and children were placed. Hardly was it
clear Of the ship when it collapsed,
throwing its occupants into the water.
Those who perished were in this boat.
Some were saved, for the ship had listed
to port, and several women were washed
back to the deck. One woman clung to
rope for two hours before being rescued.
PASSENGERS LOOTED.
ing enacted on board. Hardly had the
vessel struck before men from the stoke
hold rushed into the cabins and, Sitting
open bags and valises with their knives.
took all the valuables they could lay
their hands on. Several of them fired
shotguns and tried to force men to leave
their cabins.
1t is said that some of the steerage
passengers joined the firemen in looting
the baggage of the first cabin passengers
In more than one instance rings were
torn from the fingers Of fainting and dy-
ing women. Capt. Skrimshire and his
officers could do nothing against the mob
he1 morning came 1t was found that
the scotsman lay close in shore along
side cliff fully a thousand feet high.
A second boatload of women and children.
which had been sent off, was called back.
and the passengers transshipped to the
rocks alongside the ship
Until ESQ the officers and some of the
crew of the Scotsman worked INCREASINGLY
IN getting the passengers ashore, and
when darkness and heavy fog set in
they We're safe on the rocks Until the
next morning starvation faced them. The
lower decks OF the ship were entirely
under water. a quantity of biscuit was
secured, together with some corned beef
and on this the passengers and crew
subsisted for four days. Some suffering
prevailed, but there was no serious sick
ness. Many passengers suffered from ex-
posure.
After much difficulty some overcoats
and sEawls were secured for the women
nearly every one of whom had left the
ship in their night clothes.
WITHOUT SHELTER.
The passengers were obliged to climb
up rocky cliff nearly soc feet high be-
fore they could find a place large enough
to rest Here they stayed on the rocks
for four days and nights. The first night
they had absolutely no shelter. but on
Saturday the captain sent I'D blankets
and other clothing. A number of passen-
gers attempted to reach the lighthouse
which was about eight miles away, as
the crow flies. To do. this ii was neces-
sary to climb about 1,2Oc feet higher be-
fore a path could be reached.
1t was not till the 265h that the Mont
fort came along, and was sgnaled by
the Belle Isle 'tght boat, where a num-
Der of passengers walked from the wreck
Iiefore bringing these people on board
she proceeded to where the Scotsman
lay. The weather was clear and calm. AS
soon as practicable the boats were
launched and the work of transferring
the passengers began.
The Montfort took 250 of the passengers,
and the steams hip Grecian, which soon
after came along, took the remainder
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