Evening star., 1899-03-31
SEVENTY DROWNED
English Pleasure Boat
| Strikes Casquet Rocks
NEAR THE ISLAND OF AlOERNEY
The Boilers Explode as the
Steamer Settles.
SURVIVORS TOOK TO TEE BOATS
They Were Picked Up by Passing
Coast Steamers.
SURVIVORS TOOK TO TIE BOATS
CAPTAIN AMONG MISSING

SoI I1HAMP1ON, March 3l.-Ihc p3SSen-
ger steamer Stella. plying between this port
and the Channel Islands, crashed upon the
| dreaded CasqIet rocks near the Island Of
Alderney, yesterday afternoon in dense
fog ana founjered in ten minutes. her boil
ers exploding with a tremendous report as
she went down.
The Stella, which belongs 10 the London
and Southwestern Railway Company. left
Southampton at noon yesterday. conveying
he first daylight excursion of the season
to the Channel Islands. There were about
49, passengers on board, and the crew num-
bered thirty-fve men. The weather WAS
fogSy, but all Went well until the afternoon,
when the fog became most dense.
AT O'Clock the Casquet rocks suddenly
doomed up through the fog bank and the
steamer almost Immediately afterward
struck amidships The captain, seeing that
the Stella was fast sinking, ordered the
lifebo2ts TO be launched. His instructions
Were carried out with the utmost eelerity,
and the women and children were embark
ed in the boats. Then the captain ordered
the men 10 look after themselves.
Estimates of the Lost.
According to the latest estimates Of the
officials of the London and Southwestern
Railway Company, not more than seventy
persons We're drowned out of the 22n on
board the Stella when she struck on the
rocks. Other reports. however, place the
number of drowned much higher
The second officer of the steamer, who
was among the saved, says that collapse
BILE boat was launched full of people. but he
thinks she struck on the rocks, owing TO
the fog.
Another steamer has picked up a boat
containing fifty-five persons, including
twenty women, who escaped from the
wrecked steamer. They have been landed
here.
The coasting steamer Lynx, which
brought the news of the disaster here pick
ed up four boats and forty persons belong
ing TO the Stella.
A survivor states that he and twenty
five others put off from the Stella in a small
boat. The was calm, but there was a
big swirl around the rocks. When this
boat was a short distance away from the
wreck, the boilers of the Stella burst with
terrible explosion and the vessel disap-
peared, stern foremost, in the sea.
Captain stuck to His Shin,
The last thing the survivor saw was the
figure of the captain of the Stella standing
calmly on the bridge and giving his last
instructions. The captain perished with
his vessel, owing to the suction caused by
the sinking steamer being very great in
deed.
Continuing, the survivor referred TO said:
THE suction was so tremendous that we
thought our boat would be engulfed / saw
five boats and the collapsible boat, besides
our boat, leave the wreck. They contained
altogether between eighty and one hun
dred persons. Five of the boats were soon
lost to view, but we took a boat filled with
women in tow, and the occupants of our
boat took the oars in turn and rowed ali
night long, until most of US dropped asleep,
thoroughly exhausted.
I'VE sighted a sailboat at 6 O'Clock in the
morning, but the Great Western Railway
Company's steamer Lynx, from Weymouth,
had meanwhile hove in sight. She bore
down on US and took us all on board. She
eventually landed US at Guernsey"
Vera Picked Up Forty.
The Great Western Railway Companys
steamer Vera, from Southampton, picked
up forty others of the survivors and land
ed them at Guernsey.
The disaster coused intense excitement in
the Island of Guernsey and here. There
were narrowing scenes at the offices of the
London and Southwestern railway at both
places. Many families lost one or more
relatives.
Husbands are inauiring for their wives
and wives are asking after their husbands;
parents are seeking news of lost children,
and children ara making inquiries for miss
ing parents. All the flags are half-masted
at st. Peter-Le-Port.
Up to noon today 102 passengers had been
accounted for, including Mr.. ]. Parton
and his wife. Mr.. Parton is the manager
of the Western London Office of the Amer
lean line.
The steamers Honfeur and Vera are
cruising In the vicinity of the wreck