Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-30
Fifteen Scotsman PaSSen-
gers Drowned.
THE ACTION OF THE CREW
WasDisgraceful, the Passengers Being
Held Up and Their ValuableS
Taken--Suffered Much For Days
on a Barren Island.

fifty Scantlly clau, 3 UeIeLl HELL
| women and children We're On board OF
an Inter-Colonial special which stean1e
Into Bonaventura depot tonight. They
composed the greater number of those
who sailed from Liverpool on Septem-
Der IA. on board the Scots
man, bound for Montreal, which was
wrecked on the shores OF the straits or
Belle Isle at 2:30 o'clock on the morning
! Of the 21st. 1t was not only a tale OF
shipwreck that they had to tell, but
one of death. Of suffering and pillage,
for Is at least Of the Scotsman's pass
engers persisted, all suffered. cruelty
from cold and privation and, almost
the worst horror Of all, the men who
we're supposed to succor and assist those
committed to their care in the hour OF
need, turned on the helpless passengers
md, with LOADED guns and revolvers,
compelled them to part With the few.
valuables saved. Captain Skrimshire
and his officers We're exceptions. For
the honor Of the British merchant ma
rine, the crime may not be ascribed to
the men engaged in it. but to a gang
Of wharf rats and hangers-on, picked on
the docks Of Liverpool to replace the usu-
al crew Of the Scotsman. which Joined
the seamen's strike on the other side.
The list Of those who persisted is as fol-
lows:
First class passengers: Miss Street,
! Montreal; Miss Childs. wife Of the stage
manager Of the Sign Of the Cross" COM
pany; Mrs. Roberts and infant: Mrs.
| Scott Mrs. Robinson. wife OF the man
ager Of the Sunlight Soap company. of
Toronto; Mrs. Robinson; Mrs. Dicken-
son. wife of a former editor of the Tor
onto Globe.
CnanrI alapc vn0CconCaVS. NrS MI nj
Scott, Mrs. Watson. Mrs. Talbot. Mrs.
Tuthill, Mrs. Shelton, Mrs. Eliza Wat
kins, Miss Weavers.
| 1t will be noticed that all who persisted
were women. This is accounted for by
the fact that they We're occupants Of the
first boat which left the steamer after
she struck and which was swamped
before it could get clear Of the ship.
Entering the straits Of Belle Isle on
Thursday night the steamer ran into
a dense fog. At 2 o'clock in the morn
ing there was a shock underneath the
keel of the vessel. ollowed by another
and another. The passengers were
asleep in their berths and all were awak-
ened by the shocks and hurried on deck.
The thick bank of fog shut off from sight
F., the shore. The superficial examination
of the ship told Captain Skrimshire that
! she would be a total wreck and that she
must be ado at once. A port life
DOdl W DIS lO"elGu anu AZ llIiS IioIy
women and children We're placed. Hard
ly was it clear of the ship when it cap
sized, throwing it's into the
water. Those who persisted were in this
boat. Some We're saved for the ship had
listed to port and several women We're
washed back on the deck. One woman
clung to a rope for two hours before be-
ing rescued.
Meanwhile. disgraceful scenes We're
being enacted on board. Hardly had
the vessel struck when the men from
the stokehole rushed into the cabins
and, Sitting open valises and bags 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. It is said
some of the steerage passengers Joined
the firemen in lOOting the aggag OF
the first-clasS passengers.
In more than one instance rings We're
torn from the fingers of f~ainting and
dying women. Capt. Skirmshire and
his officers could do nothing against the
mob. When morning came it was round
that the Scotsman lay close in shore,
alongside a cliff fully 1000 feet high. A
second boatload of women and children
which had been sent off was called bach
and the passengers trans-shlpped to the
rocks alongside the ship. Until $50 the
Scotsman worked increasingly in getting
the passengers ashore and when dark.
ness and a heavy fog set in, they were
safe on the rocks. But here the new
danger Of starvation faced them. The
lower decks of the ship were entirely un.
} der water. A quantity of biscuit wa
} carried on shore and on this, with a very
little corned beef and wild berries ovel
200 people existed for four days. SOM
natural springs We're found but despite
} this, the bad condition of food and water
} brought On much sickness. Many of thu
passengers suffered from the exposure
. After much difficulty some overcoats ane
shaWls were secured for the women
} nearly every one of whom had left the
} ship in night clothes.
:, The passengers were obliged to climb
. up a rocky cliff nearly 300 feet high be
} fore they could find a place large enough
} to rest. Here they stayed on the rock.
} for four days and nights. The first nigh
they had absolutely no shelter, but or
Saturday the captain sent up blanket:
and other clothing. A number OF passen'
gers attempted to reach the lighthouse
which was about eight miles away as thu
J crow flies. To do this it was necessary Il
climb about 200 feet higher, before {
path could be reached.
} It was not until the 26th that the Mont
, fort came along and was signalled by tn,
Belle Isle light, where a number Of pas
sengers walked from the wreck. Aftel
bringing these people on board ship sh'
proceeded to where the Scotsman lay
The weather was bright and clear. A