Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-01
MANY LIVES LOST,
Fng|shtxcuIsion Stsans'i Strikes
casqust Rocks and Sinks
SHIP FOUNDERS QUICKLY
RsIsrs Burst, With a Terrific El-
Eaosion, as She Goes Down.
CAPTAIN PERIsHEs WITH VESSEL.
He Remains at His Post TO the Last,
Giving Instructions for the Safety
of fOthers-AmericansW Who Were on
Board Among the Saved.
CAPTAIN PERIsHEs WITH VESSEL.

this port and the Channel Islands. crash
ed upon the dreaded Casquet Rocks. near
the Island Of Alderney. yesterday evening
in a dense fog. and fountered in ten min
utes, her boilers exploding as she went
down. Reports as TO the number lost are
conflicting, but the officials Of the Lon
don and Southwestern Railway Company
which company owns the boat, said lhdt
The drowned would not exceed seventy
Other reports make the loss much h's"ei'
Three boats, including collapsiDie po"''
are missing
The Stella left southampton al noon
Yesterday conveying the first daylight
excursion OF the season to the Chahhei
1s,a,as ,rbere were about 1S5 passengers
q, hoard. and the crew numbered thirty
6ye men. The weather was foggy, but all
went well until the afternoon, when the
fog became more dense. At O'Clock the
Casquet Rocks suddenly loomed up
through the fog-bank, and the steamer
almost Immediately afterwards struck.
amidships The captain seeing that the
Stella was fast sinking, ordered the life
boats to be launched. His instructions
were carried out with the utmost CELEBRITY,
and the women and children were en-
barked in the boats. Then the captain
ordered the men to look out for them
selves.
LAST OF THE VESSEL
A survivor states that he and twenty
five others put off from the Stella in
small boat The sea 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 terrific explosion, and the vessel
disappeared. stern foremost, In the sea.
The last thing the survivor saw was the
figure Of the captain of the Stella stand
ing calmly on the bridge, and giving his
last instructions. The captain perished
with his vessel owing TO the fact that the
suction caused by the sinking steamer
was very great indeed.
The survivor. referred to said "The
suction was so tremendous that we
thought our boat would be engufed. /
saw five boats and a collapsibe boat. be-
sides our boat leave the wreck. They
contained altogether between eighty and
100 persons. Five of the boats were soon
lost 10 view. but we took a boat filled
with women In tow, and the occupants of
our boat took the oars in turn, and rowed
Hll night long, until we almost dropped
asleep through exhaustion.
I'VE sighted a sail-boat at O'Clock in
the morning, but the Great Western Rail-
way rompany's steamer Lynx, from Wey-
mouth, had meanwhile hove in sight. She
bore down on us and took us all on board.
She eventually landed us al Guernsey"
SURVIVORS PICKED UP.
The Great Western Railway Company's
etpe NerQ
UP forty others of the survivors and
landed them at Guernsey. Up to noon
today 102 passengers had been accounted
Tor. including Mr.. j. Parton and his wife
Mr.. Parton is the manager of the Western
London office OF the American Line.
Later accounts say that the Stella had
li9 passengers on board and her crew
numbered forty-two persons. Another |
steamer of the same company, which ar |
day, reports having passed many bodies |
OF victims of the disaster at Casquet /
Rocks. A surveyor of the district. named |
Bush, says that the speed of the Stella |
in the fog was not diminished, though the |
whistles We're sounded. Bush adds |
that at $3.50 y. NJ. the engineer showed |
Shim In the engine-room a dial registering
Il, speed of eighteen and half knots. He
says the vessel struck within twenty-five
minutes afterward. Bush asserts that two
life-bAats were sunk with the steamer.
whch\ after resting on the rocks ten
or hft en minutes, split in two and dis
appeared
LITTLE PANIC.
Continuing, Bush said: "When the
Stella disappeared, forty or fifty persons
were discovered clinging to pieces of
wreckage. cabin furniture. ETC.. and cry
ing piteously for help. All the passengers
and crew had been provided with life
belts, and there was little panic as the
ship sank. first slipped into the water,
and then swan TO one Of the boats. into
which ] was helped. We rowed sup
posedly in the direction of Guernsey, but
several hours later we found ourselves
near the scene of the wreck. and saw
dozens of persons clinging TO the rocks"
The boat in which Bush was a passenger
was afterwards picked up by the Lynx.
The passengers all agree that perfect
order and discipline prevailed on board
the Stella. The crew promptly took up
their stations when the steamer struck,
served out the life-belts, and lowered the |
boats
HEARTRENDING SCENE.
The scene at the moment of the sink
Ing OF the vessel was heartrending. Wo-
men were screaming and praying, and
people were cIinging to spars and other
wfeckage IN all directions. Those who
had succeeded In getting into the boats
had narrow escape from being enguifed, |
On account of the suction caused by the
sinking vessel. The voice OF Captain | !
Rocks. from the bridge. was frequently
heard. urging the rowers TO pull for their
lives The boats were adrift for fifteen ,
hours. during which time their occupants I
We're without food or water. and as their
Clothes were drenched. they suffered
greatly. II
The disaster Is generally attributed to :
the high speed at which the steamer was :
travelling In the fog.
It thought probable that the Partons d
were the only Americans on board the d
stella, as the list OF survivors does not a
contain the names Of any other Ameri- /
ans, so far as known. IL
ONLY OFFICER SAVED. Il
The second mate was the only officer a
~ the Stella who was saved The captain
ma the other officers most of the crew. p
'nd many OF the passengers. sank with a
ne Stella. A boat In charge Of the chief
nicer was overturned and almost all Its
ccupants were drowned. A few OF them
we're picked up By other boats. q,
ihe steamer Honf1cur returned tonight, | ),
fter having made the circle Of the Cas- :,
uet She picked up two bodies. some | =,
l0thes, money and tewelry, and al opera
lass
PATHETIC INCIDENTS.
Many pathetic incidents are reported. D
, many cases men lifted their wives and | 8