The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-11-15
BIG STEAMER SINKS.
An Appalling Disaster in the Bay
of Fundy.

Of Monticello, belonging to the Var
mouth Steamship company, has found
cred in the Bay of Fundy with an
appalling loss of life. OF the crew
and passengers of the Inflated steam
ship so persons are reported to have
persisted in the wreck. Some of the
bodies have already been washed
ashore. Capt. Harding, in command of
the City of Monticello, was among
those who succeeded in reaching the
shore. Among those who persisted, it
Is reported, were many women and chill
| dren.
When the terrific hurricane struck
the steamer she was in the Bay of
Fundy. Great seas were hurled over
her and in short time she became
unmanageable. Soon she started her
timbers and began leaking. The wa
ter gained fast and when it was de-
cided to take to the boats a frantic
scramble between the crew and passen-
gers began. Some were washed over
board. Some lost their lives by the
overturIing of small boats. Others
went down with the fated steamer.
She sank off Cape Forchie. The City
of Monticello ran between Yarmouth
and Halifax, which is 140 miles from
the home port.
Struck on Dangerous Coast.
The place where the Monticello
struck is at the mouth of the Bay
of Fundy, where the waters of the bay
| join those of the Atlantic. There are
many reefs and shoals at this spot and
the currents are many and changeable,
it being one of the most dangerous
places on the coast. The gate kicked
up a tremendous sea and at the time
the vessel struck the waves were beat
ing upon the rocks and sending spray
for hundreds of feet over the land.
Many Bodies Recovered.
The shore of this county for ten
miles east and west is strewn with the
wreckage of the hull and cargo of the
steamer City of Monticello, which
foundered Saturday morning, and 80
bodies of victims of the disaster have
been recovered from the sea, which is
still raging with terrific fury. Many
near where the first body came ashore,
and numerous relatives of members of
the crew, who nearly all belonged to
points on this coast, have arrived to
identify the dead. The bodies were
arranged in a room in the public hall,
| and Coroner Fuller, who held an in
quest, gave an opinion of accidental
h1N,
battered.
The first body was found at day
light, when the zinc lifeboat, which
was supposed by the survivors of the
first boat to have been swamped, was
discovered on the shore. The thole
pins were broken. A few yards distant
were the bodies of Mr.. Eldridge, a
passenger; Second Engineer Poole, Mr.
Fripp, a traveller for McGee's Sons, OF
St. John, N. b., and the body of a sea
man. All four had life belts around
them. At short intervals along the
beach II more bodies were found, max,
ing Is discovered up to noon Sunday
They had all evidently come ashore in
the lifeboat and were killed on strik'
ing the beach, not one escaping. The
remains so far identifi in addition ia
the four enumerated above are: Rupert
Olive, purser of the steamer Prince
Edward; baggagemaster Wilson, deck
hands Johnson, Levi Nickerson, Rob.
ert Nickerson, Van Renenberg, Austin
Wickens, James Cole, John E. Whit.
more, Stanley Ringer, Winslow Ringer
Harry Copeland and David Benham.
Captains Remains Found.
The body of Capt Harding, of the
Monticello, has been found at Picnics
Point, encircled with life belt and
fully dressed. An unknown body, sup,
posed to be that of traveller for a
western boot and shoe firm, has been
found at the same place, with the
bodies of Elsie Mcdonald and Second
Officer Murphy, recovered Saturday. Oh
| the members of the crew whose bod.
les were secured, Copeland and Ben
| ham were not known to be on board
until their bodies were identified. They
were not on the ships articles, hav
ing Joined for the trip only. Severa
bodies are still unidentified. One body
was recognized Sunday evening as
John Richmond, of Essex, N. B., q
| traveller for boot and shoe firm. HI
was not before known to have been &
| passenger. This swells the known
death roll to 80. Benham took the place
of Whitmore, previously reported lost
Copeland was also a substitute, but
for whom it is not known.
Some difficulty has been encountered
in figuring the total loss of life, as {
number of passengers joined the Mon
| ticello at St. John without first regis
tering at the booking Office. The,
bought tickets aboard. A revised lis
of the members of the crew prepared
| at the head office of the yarmouth
Steamship company here shows tina
the officers and crew numbered 2S, o
whom Third Officer Fleming, Wilson
| Cook, deck hand, and Miss Smith, tn,
stewardess, were saved. The tota
number of people who were on board il
now placed at SO. The four survivor
are Capt. Smith, passenger; Thir'
Officer Fleming, Quartermaster viii
son and Stewardess Smith. The tire
men saved agree that the cause o
the disaster was briefly: The steame
was pounded for hours by sea an
gale, sprang a leak and filled; becam
manageable, broke apart an
foundered.
Manufacturer Dead.
New York, Nov. Crank H. Stott
head of the wooden mill firm of c. II