Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-04-07
STEAMER STELLA WRECKED
Foundered in a Fog Off the
English Coast.
LOSS OF LIFE REACHES I2o
Tho Vessel Struck the Dreaded Casor..
Rocks Near the Island of Alderney,
and Went Down in Ten Minutes.

Southampton. April 3.-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 after.
noon, in dense fog, and foundered in
10 minutes. Her boilers exploded with
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.
1t is estimated that 1870 persons were
drowned.
The second officer of the steamer.
who was among the rescued, says a col.
lapsible boat was launched full of peo.
pie, but he thinks it struck on the
rocks, owing to the fog. Another
steamer has picked up boat contain.
ing 45 persons, including 90 women
who escaped from the wrecked steamer.
The Stella lett Southampt yester-
day conveying the first excursion of the
season to the Channel islands. There
were about 1876 passengers on board and
crew numbering % men. The
weather was foggy. At O'Clock Cas-
quet rock suddenly loomed up through
the fog bank, and the steamer almost
Immediately afterwards struck amid.
ships. The captain, seeing the steamer
was fast sinking, ordered the lfeboats
launched. Women and children were
embarked in the boats. Then the cap.
tain ordered the men to look after
themselves.
A survivor stated that he and 25
others put off from the steamer in a
small boat. The sea was calm, but
there was big swirl around the rocks.
When this boat was short distance
away from the wreck the boilers of the
Stella burst with terrific explosion
and the vessel disappeared stern fore.
most 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 instruc.
tions. The survivor referred to said:
"Tbe suction was 30 tremendous that
we thought our boat would be en-.
quilted. saw five boats and the col
lapsible boat besides our own leave the
wreck. They contained altogether be.
tween 80 and 100 people. Five of the
boats were soon lost to view, but we
took boat filled with women in tow,
and the occupants of our boat took oars
in turn and Iowed all night long until
most of us dropped asleep, thoroughly
exhausted. We sighted sailboat at 6
o'clock in the morning, but the steam.
er Lynx from Weymouth had mean.
while hove in sight. She took us all
on board. She eventually landed us at
Guernsey"
The Great Western Railway Com
pany's steamer Vera, from Southamp-
ton, picked up 40 others of the surviv-
RS and landed them at Guernsey.
Up to noon liz passengers have been
unaccounted for.
Later accounts say the Stella had 140
passengers on board, and that her crew
numbered 42 persons.
Another steamer of the same COM
pany which arrived at the island of
Jersey about noon today repoi is having
passed many bodies of victims of the
disaster about the Casquet rocks.
A survivor of the disaster named
Bush says the speed of the Stella in
the fog was not diminished, though the
fog whistles were sounded. Bush adds
that at $3.50 P. M. the engineer sh owed
him in the engine-room dial register
ing speed OF 1917 knots. He says
the vessel struck within % minutes
afterward. Bush further asserts that
two lifeboats were sunk with the
steamer, which after resting on the
rocks for 10 or 10 minutes split in two
and disappeared. 1t is thought possi-
BILE the Partons were the only Ameri-
cans on board, as the list of survivors
does not contain the names of any other
Americans, as far as known. The
second mate was the only officer of the
| Stella who was saved.