New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-01
LOSS OF STEAMER STELLA.
SEVENTY PERSONS DROWNED IN A DIS
ASTER NEAR ALDERNEY.
VESSEL RUNS ASHORE on THE CAsoUEr
ROCKS IN A DENSE FOG-BRAv-
cry OF THE OFFICERS.


Islands. crashed upon the Casquet Rocks. near the
island OF Attorney, yesterday afternoon In dense
fog. and .oundered In ten minutes her boilers ex-
plodnC with tremendous report as she went
down. About seventy persons are thought TO be
lost The coasting steamer Lynx. which brought
the news Of the disaster here picked up four boats
and forty persons belonging to the Stella.
The captain and the other officers. most OF the
ard many OF the passengers sank with the
Stella. a boat in charge OF the chief officer cap
sized and almost all its occupants were drowned
few OF them were picked up by other boats.
Another steamer has picked up a boat containing
ffy-fve persons. including twenty women. who
escaped from the wrecked steamer. They have been
landed here
The Stella had on board 900 passengers. who were
going spend Faster in the Channel Islands.
The Stella. which belongs TO the London ana
Southwestern Railway Company. left Southampton
yesterday conveying the first daylight ex-
cursion Of the to the Channel Islands There
about hundred and elghty-hve passengers
board. and the numbered thirty-fve men
The weather was foggy. 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 cap
tain. seeing that the Stella WAS fast sinking, or
dercd the lfebcats 10 be launched. His instructions
were carried out with the utmost celebrity. and the
and children were embarked in the boats
Then the captain ordered the men TO look after
themselves
STORY OF 4 SURVIVOR.
A survivor states that he and twenty-five others
put on from the Stella In small boat. The sea was
calm hut there big swirl around the rocks
When this boat 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
the figure OF the captain Of the Stella
standing calmly the bridge and giving his last
orders
The survivor referred 70 said
THE suction was 80 tremendous that We thought
our boat would he cngulfcd. five boats and
a coapsible boat besides boat. leave the
wreck They contained altogether between eighty
ard ono hundred persons. Five OF the boats were
lost TO view. but took boat filed with
women in tow. and the occupants Of our boat TOOK
the oars in turn md rowed all night long. until
most of us dropped asleep. thoroughly exhausted.
1--WE sighted sailhoat Mt G o'clock I'm the morn
ing but the Great Western Railway Company's
steamer Lynx from Weymouth. had meanwhile
hove in sight She bore down and took us
all on board. She eventually landed us at
Guernsey.
The Great Western Railroad Company's steamer
Vera from Southampton, picked up forty others
OF the survivors and landed them at Guernsey.
According to the late = estimates OF the ohicials
Of the London and Southwestern Railroad Com
pany not more than seventy persons were drowned
out OF the two hundred ana twenty on DOdIu lhe
Stella when she struck on the rocks. Other re-
ports however place the number Of drowned
much higher
SCENES AT RAILWAY OFFICES
The disaster caused intense excitement in the
island Of Guernsey and here. There were harrow
ing scenes at the Offices Of the London and South
western Railway at both places. Many Guernsey
families lost one or relatives.
Husbands are inquring for their wives and wives
are asking for their husbands: parents are seeking
news OF lost children. and children are making in
quirics for missing parents. All the flags are half
masted AT st. Peter-le-Port '"'
Up to noon to-day 1902 messengers had been ac-
counted for. including J. Parton and his wife Mr..
Parton is the manager Of the Western London Of
flee OF the American Line.
II is thought probable that The Partons were the
only Americans aboard the Stella. as the list Of sur
vvors does not contain the names OF any other
Americans far as known
The second mate was the only officer Of tho Stella
who saved.
Later accounts say that the Stella had 10
passengers on loard, and that hor crew numbered
fof ty-two persons.
A steamer which arrived the island Of Jersey
at about noon to-day reports having passed many
bodies victims of the disaster about the Casquet
4 survivor Of the Stella named Bush saws the
speed Of tho vessel In the fog was not dInniSheI,
though tho fog whistles were sounded. Bush adds
that AZ $50 q m. the engineer showed TO him IN
the cnane-room dial registering \ speeI ol ~
five minutes iftcrward.
Bush further asserts that two lfeooats were
.,,rk ,.fth tho steamer. which. after resting on
the rocks for ten or fifteen minutes SPIN J" '"'
", continninc Bush said: when the Stella dis,
appeared forty or fifty persons were discoyerra
cnginp pieces Of wrcck%ge or c9nn ,urr,s,rs
and crew had been provided with htehetII s an9
there was little panic as h ,no sum 10 ono Of the
hoats into which ! was helped We ~, soreer
1t.
The wreck. and saw dozens OF persons ''"'N''' "
n 'rb, boat in which Bush was passenger was
afierwaid picked NJ by the Lynx.
GOOD ORDER PREVAILED
The passengers all agree that perfect orne' anu
discipline prevailed on board the stella. me '''N
promptly took mp their stations "hen me S''"',e'
s,ruck served out the ifebelts and lowered inc
boats -.
rho scoro AZ the moment of the sinking NJ the
,oseo1 was heartrcndine Women were screaming
and pra wing and people were cNnglhg 10 slaLS sna
other wreckaee in other directions. Those VINO i man
succeedcd in getting into the boats had mario"
escape from being cnsulfcd on account Of the sue
The voice Of Captain Rocks from the bridge. was
frequently heard urging the roWeIS 10 pun 'o' '''"
TIE boats we're adrft for fifteen hours dur during
which time their occupants we're without iood OF
water and az their clothes were drenched. they
suffered greatly .,..-, . 49, hi,h
speed AZ which the steamer was travelling IN me
The steamer HonEeur IeiuIHfu III"
having made tho circle Of tho Casquet Rocks. She
picked mp two boats containing women's clothing
money jewery and opera-glags case. the last
had evidently been used in bailing.
Mopv most IA thetc incidents reported In
several cases men lifted their wives and children
into the boats and then persisted themselves IN
their presence one wife who was thus bereaved
lost her reason. ,.
a large number Of the survivors arrived mere
without any clothing clad only in blankets.
The steamer Stella. which belonged TO the Lon
don and Southwestern Railway Company ana ran
in connection with its land service was puit al
Clvdehank by J & @. Thompson In 1892 she was
c5g feet long 35l I'm width and ltS In draught
Her gross tonnage was 0j3 and her horsepower
4q5 She was steel built had two screws. eight
COMMITMENTS water ballast and iripe-expansion