Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-01-16
ALL ON BOARD PERISH.
Every Vestige Of Wreck on St.
Mary's Bay Dis
appeared.
IDENTITY UNKNOW N.
Many of the Helpless People Drown
While frying to Reach
Land.

of the French Gable company are appre-
hensiye that the wrecked steamer may be
their cable-repairing boat, Francis Arago,
which carries a crew Of 120 men. She
was known to be off the Newfoundland
coast engaged in cable work, and she
has not been reported for several days
New York, Jan. 13-The general man
ager here of the French Gable line to-
day said that he does no. believe that the
vessel lest off the banks Of Newfoundland
was the French cable boat, Francois
ArGga. The Francois Arroyo left Hayre
about week ago bound for st. Pierre,
Miqueion. This boat, he said, was a
SLOW enc and was not yet due to arrive.
According to estimates she Is now QUO
miles south OF Newfoundland and is not
due to reach her destination until Sun
day. For this reason he does not be
Ieve that it was the Arago which was
lost.
St Johns, n f. Jan. 13.-No word
has been received from Peters river III
regard to the unknown steamer wrecked
and on fire in a reef in st. Mary's bay.
The storm is still raging and boats
cannot put off from the land. nor can
sailing vessels approach the vessel. 1t Is
feared that her hull has broken up,
which will Increase the difficulty Of iden-
tifying her unless divers are dispatched
to the scene. Definite news is expected
this evening.
trunk has drifted ashore at Peters
river containing Il womans clothing and
millinery. which shows that women were
on the ship. Other garments also were
picked up. including a pair Of trousers
marked j. ].
In a Treacherous Current.
The steamer, presumably eastbound,
went ashore before daylight Thursday
morning. A treacherous current, I'M
charted because Of its varying move
ments, runs into st. Mary'S bay, and
drags many Il ship to destruction, as it
did this one. A snoWstorm ragged all
Wednesday night and the ShreWdest
navigator would be baffied.
How this ship came to grief will ever
remain mystery, for not soul on
board remains alive to tell the tale
The first knowledge the fishermen had
OF the disaster was seeing a column of
fire some miles down the coast plainly
telling Of shipwreck, knowing that little
hope existed for the mariners, the people
of Peters river and HolyrOod started for
the scene, arriving 1T 10 o'clock to find Il
large steamer, yarlously estimated 1t
from 5000 to 1000 tons, battering its
bows out on the rocky shelf running sea
ward 500 feet below the steep cliffs
which form this dangerous coast
1t had struck bow on, teleScOped its
fcrepart, and then slid back into deeper
water. caught as it went by rocks that
IL.
forehead out. 1t sank by the head until
the waves covered it beyond the foremost.
Its afterpart was cOrreSpOndingly eie-
yated, and by some means had taken
hre, its cargo and saloon quarters max
ing flames visible for miles
Lifeboats Crushed.
Three men alone OF all the ships COM
pany were visible. Two, presuma bly, the
captain and chief officer, were on the
bridge. The third was dashed in the
maintop. The mass of wreckage, broken
and upturned boats. deck gear and fit
ments told their own story
When the ship struck and was seen to
be hopelessly wrecked, the crew launched
the boats and tried to get away from the
doomed steamer, but the mountainous
seas crushed the frail boats and every
person on them persisted. One boat with
two bodies, one believed to be that of
woman. was washed ashore in cove. but
SO far it has been too stormy to attempt
getting at it. How mapy men stuck by
the ship none can tell, but these three
were the forlorn hope.
When men appeared on shore the three
made piteous appeals for help, but none
could be given. The precipice drops 4
sheer 800 feet to the water below. In
the tempest no boat could live. and the
wOuld-be rescuers lacked life-saying APP
pliances.
swept the horizon, the cold was that of &
Newfoundland winter, and the poor
wretches could only gaze up at the cliffs
lined with fellow-beings powerless to help
them and wait for the death they knew
soon must come.
Tragic Struggle in the Water.
In the early afternoon a fiercer squat
than usual swept the sea. and when it
passed the bridge was no longer there
~ cbAH r. foS
and hurled overheard with its human
freight.
This tragedy nerved the man in the rig
ging to superhuman efforts to save him
self. He cast off his lashings, beat him
self furlOuSly for fifteen or twenty min
uteS with his hand to restore his inpeded
circulation, and then made his way down
the rattlineS to the water. He plunged in
and swan madly to the base Of the cliff,
where he strove in vain to effect lodge
ment on the rocks Back he swan to
ship rested himself for a while, and then
desperately renewed the attempt.
The crowd of spectators on the summit
OF the cliff cheered him with shouts and
directions, and he struggled valiantly for
half an hour But his strength was eX-
hauss ed and he used his last efforts to
swim back to the wreck, where he re-
gained the rigging and dashed himself to
the mast again. He was an elderly man,
for his bald head was distinctly seen by
the watchers through their glasses. AT
intervals after returning he waved his
oilcoat in appeal, but night fell aud left
him to his despairing vigil.
Burning Ship His Pyrs.
The flames of the burning hull lit up
the gloom and formed funeral pyre for
this viking for few hours later the
limp figure hanging in the shroud told
that the end had come.
The gale changed during the night and
created a cross sea, which further dam
AGED the battered ship. 1t gradually
sank. the fire was eXtinguished, and this
morning it was almost below the waves
As the day advanced it sank lower, and
when the last messenger left who could
reach the far-distant telegraph office in
time to send this dispatch it was burned
below the funnel. the CHASTITY figure in
the maintop being still visible.
Many bodies were seen floating about
in the surf and fragments of cargo
wreckage were working out of the ships
hold, but nobody dared approach it from
the shore.
Thought to be Allan Line Ship.
Halifax, n S. Jan. 13.-SteamshiI
men who were talking of sending {
steamer and a tug to the assistance
of the steamer stranded in st. Mary's