The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-11

TO That Fact May Be Attributed No
Loss of Life-Steamer Filled Ram
idly, and All Were Taken Ashore
and Found Temporary Shelter
Relief Sent From the Mainland
to sambrO.
HALIFAX, N. s., July 1o-Tbe steam
er Portia, from New York for Halifax
was wrecked during a dense fog early THE
evening on Linn's island, off Sambro. a
point about Is miles to the eastward of
Halifax. The passengers and crew. 11s
al toid' landed on the island in the ships
poats ana all are comfortably housed
there. No loss of life is reported.
AS soon as all the people had been safe
~ landed Capt. Farrell started for the
mainland with boats crew and reached
Sambro late tonight, whence he sent the
news of the disaster to Halifax by tele-
phone.
fortunately the weather was moderate
and the sea running was rot high, else
the landing of those on board the steamer
could not have been accomplished without
great danger and perhaps loss of life.
The steamer is already full of water
and total wreck
The disaster occurred shortly before
p. m. The passengers, of whom there are
seVenty-five, are nearly all tourists The
steamer had a large cargo for this point
and st. Johns, N. F. The place where
she struck is known as Big Fish shoal.
and Is one and a half miles west of the
light on Sumbro island.
CAPTAINS MISTAKE.
1t is believed Capt. Farrell mistook the
position when he heard the bomb signals
at Sambro light, which sound every twen-
ty minutes, and which are said to be SO
misleading that it is extremely difficult to
locate ships position on hearing them.
Sumbro light was on the Portals star
board bow, a mile and a quarter distant,
when she pounded on Big Fish shoaI,
when, to place her in "a safe position, the
light should have been on the port side
1t was $50 when she struck. She began
to make water Immediately and at 1880
Capt. Farrell decided that it was unsafe
to remain on board any longer. Orders
were then given to lower the boats. The
lifeboats, keeping close together, made
quarters of an hour and their occupants
were soon housed.
RELIEF IS SENT.
From inner Sambro to the mainland Is
only a short distance, and as soon as
Capt. Farrell found that everybody from
the steamer was safe and sound he start
ed for Sambro village, whence he dis
patched the advices of the wreck.
Two relief steamers have been sent to
the wreck, and should arrive soon after
l o'clock in the morning. Both steamers
carried supplies of provisions for the pas
sengers and crew, who, by the time the
succor arrives, will probably have con-
sumed all the eatables on Inner Sambro
island.
The Portals passengers will be brought
as soon as possible to Halifax. Capt.
Farrells report to the agents is not very
hopeful as to the chances of the Portia
ever getting off the shoal or, indeed,
that she will hold together very long.
When he abandoned her he considered
the case almost hopeless.
PASSENGERS IN A PANIC.
When the steamer struck most of the
passengers were on deck. The Portia
took the shoaI with a dull, grounding
shock that sent thrill from stem to
stern and brought all on deck to their
feet in alarm. The steamer came to
sudden STOP and the engines, which were
Immediately reversed, refused to pull her
off. In the long swell her stern moved
gently up and down, but her bow held
immovably to the rocks. When her COM
mander found her filing rapidly he gave
orders to abandon the ship. Few of the
passengers ventured below to recover
their Valuabes after they learned they
were in danger.
The Portia had unusually large
number of passengers on board, and the
stateroom was crowded The passenger
list was lost, as well as all the ships
papers, and the names cannot be OBJ
tanned here tonight. AS there were 1T
altogether on board, it is estimated that
there were at least eighty passengers,
summer tourists, on a pleasure trip.
The Portia was an iron schooner rugged
screw steamer, 1872 tons register, 200 feet
long 80 feet wide and 231a feet depth.
She was built in Newcastle in 1884 and
was owned in New York.