Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-04
A GALLANT RESCUE.
WORK or THE british STEAM
SHIP PONDO.
SAVES CREW OF SCHOONER
During the Recent Storm-One boat
smashed. Hut Another Quickly
Manned by VoIunteers-Mny Have
Gone townships Missing.

NEWPORT NEWS. VA. November s.
tSpecial)-The British steamship Pondo.
Captain Brewis. which arrived in polt
this morning from Pensacola. Fla. for
coal, en- route for Antwerp with general
cargo. brought the shipwrecked crew OF
the Italian bark Colombo which was out
from Catania for Savannah. Ga. seventy
seven days, when she was caught IN the
hurricane which swept the coast elrly
In the week The story told by Captain
Brewis is that OF q thrilling rescue on
the morning OF November 1st. during a
strong wind and heavy sea. Captain Sal
Nador Scamba. Of the Colombo: his mate
Angelo Capadanno. and the men Of the
Italian crew praise the work Of Chief
officer Thomas Airth. Of the Pondo, and
his boats crew. ia rescung ~ ship
wrecked men at the peril OF their own
lives, and tell story which reflects no
credit on the conduct Of the master Of an
unknown schooner. which stood by the
wreck. but refused to send off a boat.
and finally sailed away when the smoke
of the Pondo was sighted.
The Colombo was long overdue at Sa-
vannah. and for four days before their
rescue the sailors had nothing cooked 20
eat. most Of the provisions having given
out on the morning Of October 3lst the
worst Of the hurricane struck the bark
and dismasted her. besides shifting the
ballast. choking the pumps with ballast
sand. and badly straining the ship. The
schooner referred 10 went out OF her
course TO reach the Colombo. and after
exchanging signals made no effort to
launch boat. i'm spite OF the piteOus
cries and appeals OF the imperilled tia
lians. The schooner stood off and seemed
TO be waiting for a lul in the storm.
When the Pondo approached the schooner
signalled that the steamship would look
after the wreck. and then scudded
away. The bark was then in latitude 1926
north. and longitude Il west, which is
about 300 miles south of Cape Hatteras,
and about seveLty-five miles off Savan-
nah, whittier the bark was bound. Cap
tain Brewis changed his course. and ran
as close 10 the Colombo as safety would
permit. The signal he saw was IN. ""
meaning u am sinking" An effort was
made to lower the port lifeboat, but it
was broken IN pieces before il could be
launched, and the "a board boat was
lowered and a crew ~ volunteers, under
Chief-Officer Airth. went 10 the rescue.
The boat could not go alongside, and II
was necessary for the men 10 jump over
and swim to IT. The eleven men were
taken off I'm this way The crew saved
none Of their belongings and the distress
signal was left flying in the excitement
The rescued men have been turned over
10 the Italian Nice-COnsul. The Colombo
was partly insured, and was owned by
the mate who had made his home in II
for twenty-three years.
Captain Thorpe, of the British steam
tnrbf oh Savannah
for coal. and sailed to-day for Gotten
berg. reported that on Tuesday morning,
below Hatteras. he passed a water-logsed
vessel The crew was in the rigging
shouting for help and small boy was
ringing a bell on deck His own ship was
I'm danger. and he could not stop then,
but he turned back later to give aid. and
the vessel was nowhere 20 be seen. 1t is
his belief that she went down.
. The steamship Acme, which left PEN
eacola. Fla. October 25th for Newport
News ahead Of the Pondo. has not ar
rived and IL is feared that she has met
with accident.
The b7ttleship Kentucky will have her
official trial of the Massachusetts coast
November 23d. The Navy Department
has been notified Of the selection Of the
date By the ship-vard officials. The bat
tleship will leave here about the 10Th for
New York, to go in the dry-dock for
cleaning.
The name Of Z. ]. Alulcahy, the Repub-
lican candidate for the House Of Dele
gates. will not appear on the ballots IN
this district next Tuesday. as he fled
his notice OF candidacy wrong with the
Clerk Of every court I'm the district. In
stead of having two witnesses to his Sig
nature. as the law provides for persons
who can write he had IL attested only
bv notary public as the law requires
when the candidate cannot write. The
Election Board tonight notified him that
ne is no longer "A candidate.