The evening times., 1900-03-20

PHILADELPHIA. March ZO--Tne ALL
absorbing topic in shipping circles
Is the unusually large number of
steamers lost this year. Although hard
Iy two months and a half have elapsed
since the beginning OF the year, no less
than fifteen large steamers have been
wrecked or reported missing In every
case the unfortunate craft has been we'll
equipped with machinery Of the latest pat
tern and manned by a large crew, but
although navigation has reached such a
hiCh state Of development, il cannot sue
cessiully cope with the mighty power OF
the elements.
The terrible storms arising in the West
Indies are strangely enough. coming
farther north every year. and these. their
violence little abated by the long distance
'trsversed. are greatly feared by sailors.
.Fogs and hidden rocks are the Othe. causes
of this enormous destruction of steamers.
which from present indications will he
greater this year than ever.
: The most tragic case in the history Of
the years disasters at sea is that OF the
Ge erman tank steamer HelgO and. She left
Philadelphia on the morning Of January 5.
bound for Bergen, With a cargo OF 110O,-
OC0 gallons of refined petroleum in bulk,
valued at $4,000. under the command Of
Capt. +. Won RitteTn. and carried
crew Of thirty-fye men. Her courze lay
nortLward in part Of the Atlantic dan
gerous at all times on account Of rocks
but particularly so at this time of the
year on account OF the heavy fors. Just
how the Helgoland met her tate will never
be known, bat II is probable she struck
Il rock.
on January II a despatch was received
from ST. Johns, Newfoundland. stating
that aSlarge steamer, believed 10 be pas
senger ship, whose name cOu not be s.
certaned had been wrecked on a reef in
81 MaTy's Bay, about five miles fom tie
shore. Her head lay low in the water,
while great clouds of smoke. tinged here
and there with murcky flames. rose from
her after part The Philadelphia agent
Tor the Helgoland. George ID. Ali. 2, INST
entertained no fears for the safety Os lis
ship. as the voyage to Bergen req lires Il
teen days. II was therefore with great
surprise that he heard Of the HelOgland's
disaster
The Divers Report.
\ diver who had been sent down TO dis
cover the identity OF the ship in St
Mary's Bay found the name Helgolaud N
the bow. The sight that met his eyes
WIS a terrible one The HeIgolgnd lay
tEJTe. her upper decks blackeued by The
frc-a shapeless mass OF iron. sails, and
CDrdage. Her miZZen and mainmasts hung
over the side and her funnel was gone.
Another terrible disaster was the COLI
sicn between the steamers Ardandhu and
the Herman Winter, in Vineyard Sound,
January p, resulting in the total loss Of
the former. The Ardaudhu was a fine
steel screw steamer. with a registered ton
mage Of 2.l69. She left New London. Con-
30
command Of Capt G. Dundas. and carried
a cargo OF $40 bales Of hay. The sCory
Of her collision is thrilling in the extreme
and gives some idea Of the dangers en-
countered by sailors even in the best
equipped steamers. Early on the morning
~ January % the AIdandhu was suddenly
euyelCped in a dense fog. She proceeded
slowly, her siren blowing at short inter
vals when suddenly out Of the gloom
there reared mp the enormous hull of a
steamer. The signal to reverse engines
WAS given. but too late. There was a dull
grinding sound. and the next instant the
water came pouring into the Inflated
steamer. The second officer and the cngi-
neer. who we're below when the collision
occurred. we're jammed in by the rush Of
waters and drowned. The rest Of the
crew were rescued by the Winter, wIicn
put into port next day with her bow stove
in.
The British steamer Bath City foundered
OF Lundy's Island February "a. The Path
City which was a big steel screw steam
eT. with a net tonnage OF 2.5l5. left New
York February .. for Bristol England, un-
der command of Captain Jones. She
struck a rock of Lundy's Island and
In backing of. enlarged the break and sank
a few hours later. The captain. the first
End second mates. the third engineer, and
ten OF the crew were rescued. The rest
are reported missing but IL is believed
they will turn up alive.
struck Rock.
The German steamer Remus left Phila-
delphia, January 4. with a general cargo.
bound for AarhUus, Denmark. On jan
uaTy 90, when only few hours out from
port. she struck a reef at Hornsrif one
Of the most dangerous places on the Dan
ish coast. Her cargo was a total loss. and
Capt II. Willems. together with thirteen
OF the crew was drowned.
There are eleven other steamers reported
either lost or missing since January l.
1900. The Gate City, an iron screw
steamer. perished On the second OF this
month. The German steamer Liyadia
Capt J. Bendfeldt, went ashore at Ter
schilling. January p. on her way from
Hamburg for the Delaware Breakwatc- |
The crew we're saved. but on January 20 |
the Livadia went TO pieces and the cargo |
was lost. The Miami. which left San Fran
cisco. January l6 for Nanaimo was total |
~ wrecked on the morning OF January 25 |
near oyster Bay. British Columbia The
British steamer Sutton Is also reported
missing.
Within the last week four large steamers
have been lost. The British steamer Wind
sor which arrived at Calais, France, from
Leith Sotland, on March 2, reported that
the Cuvier. a large British freighter, was
sunk in collision with an unknown steamer.
The Windsor picked up the second officer
and two Of the seamen, but the rest OF the
crew were drowned. The Cuvier was un-
der command OF Captain Quinton and was
bound for Brazil from Antwerp. The col
HsiOn occurred somewhere in the stormy
North Sea. The Cuvier was built OF steel |
I'm 1883 and was owned by w. Holland and |
". Jones. Her gross tonnage was regis
tered at 2.299 and she carried a crew of /
fifty men.
The United Fruit Company's steamship |
the Admiral Schley, Captain Botman. which |
arrived in Philadelphia March l3 report |
ed the rescue of the chief officer and four |
sailors Of the wrecked steamship Frammes |
The Frammes left Philadelphia on Febru-
ary 10. under command Of Captain Thorb- |
jorsen She carried a crew OF fourteen
men and a cargo Of steel rails and spars.
On the evening Of March the Frammes
ran ashore on Hogsty reef a barren tract
Of sand half way between Great Inagua
and Crooked Island The crew gained the
reef In safety and the next morning the