The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-06-21

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and struck the greatly protruding ran
of the English warship Camperdown
which ripped her open from stem to sterr
and she sank like a rock in less time
than it takes to write this The loss o.
life was terrible, nos one Of the four o.
! five hundred steerage passengers escap
ing. This unusual loss Of life was ow
I ing to several reasons, one was the ra
pidity with which the steamer sank, an
other that at the time Of the accident
the steerage passengers were all below
at their supper. When the first shock
was felt they made a frantic attempt to
get on deck. The door leading from the
steerage into the companionway instead
of opening to the outside unfortunately
opened to the inside. The rush was SO
great that the door became jammed and
could not be opened and in consequence
these poor people drowned like rats in a
trap Divers who went down subse-
quently found the bodies in an upright
position. men, women and children
packed like sardines in box" and so
tightly that explosives had to be used in
order to extricate them. 1t was a most
CHASTITY and most horrible sight and
froze the blood, even of those who were
accustomed to grewsome sights
On my way home | stopped over at
Milwaukee and one evening attended a
ball at the Athenaeum, at which | re-
lated to few friends in the smoking
room the particulars Of the sad catastro-
ply | was introduced during the even
ing to Mr. c. who was connected with
one Of the evening papers, and he hear
ing my story mentioned that his father
had been "a passenger on the Inflated
steamer and was one of the very FORUM
ate ones who managed TO escape. The
unfortunate Camperdown which caused
this sad catastrophe was herself run
down the following year in much the
same manner off the coast of Tangiers
while taking part in naval maneuvres
About a year after the Utopia catas-
trophe ! again had occasion to pass the
Straits of Gibralter. | was on deck at
the time with Mr. Morris, New York
stock. broker, and just as we passed Eur
opa Lighthouse pointed ont to him the
exact spot where the wrecked steamer
lay. He seemed very much interested
in ~ much as ne had friend aboard
the ill-fated steamer at the time she
went down. Here he mentioned the
name &C., which | instantly recognized
rs that of the father of Mr.. { whom /
met vt the Milwaukee ball and it was
then that first became acquainted with
the particulars of Mr.. Cs rescue.
1t seems that Mr.. G was on deck at
the time Of the accident and instantly
the extens Of the injury and
awaited the sinking of the vessel, When
he saw that the end was near he Jumped
into water rs far from the steamer
as he could in order TO swim away and
not be caught in the vortex. When he
arose from the water he saw swimming
in front of him black black object at
which he instinctively grasped and then
discovered that 1t was a large New
foundland dog also intent upon saving
itself AS the accident happen ned with
in few hundred yards of shore, Mr.. G
In company with the dog and holding
onto it., managed to reach the shore, and
thus together saved themselves. The
strange or remarkable part of the story
is, however, still to cone.
A day or two before Mr.. C's departure
from Genoa he met ut the Desoto hotel
an American gentleman, with whom he
became acquainted The gentleman,
whom will call Mr.. X, also intended
departing for America in a few days
Just prior to Mr.. C's departure the gen
tleman came TO him with rather n pc
culiar request He handed Mr. G an or
binary wallet and requested him to be
kind enough 10 take charge of it saying
that in the course Of II few weeks he
would call for II at Mr. C's Office in New
York rs he intended to take the mex.
steamer. His reasons for his request
were these. The wallet he said. contain.
ed papers of no value to anyone but
himself or his heirs. IL bot't the wallet
and he himself should become wrecked
great loss would be sustained II, how.
ever he should become wrecked or any
accident happen to him aud the wallet
be saved, others could still reclaim the
value Of its contents
The request although rather strange
one, was not unreasonable and Mr.. G.
readily consented to it, and taking the
wallet placed it in his pocket The next
day he left Genoa and two DAYS after
his departure the terrible catastrophe
befell him which have just narrated
by which he lost all his belongings in.
GLIDING also the wallet belonging to Mr.