The evening times., 1900-03-20

&oland and the Mystery of the Ida.
PHILADELPHIA, March 2O-Tne all.
absorbing topic in shipping circle.
is the unusually large number OF
steamers lost this year. Although hard
iIy two months and 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 well
equipped with machinery of the latest pat
tern and manned by large crew, but
although navigation has reached such a
high state of development, it cannot sue
cessfully cope with the mighty power of
the elements
The terrible storms arising in the West
Indies are strangely enough, COZ nng
farther north every year, and these, their
violence little abated by the long distance
traversed, are greatly feared by sailors.
,Foes and hidden rocks are the othe. causes
of this enormous destruction of steamers,
which from present indications will lie
greater this year than ever.
: The most tragic case in the history of
the years disasters at sea is that of the
German tank steamer Heigo and. She left
Philadelphia on the morning of January ;,
bound for Bergen. With a cargo Of llOO,
eco gallons of refined petroleum in bulk
valued at s15,G00. under the command of
Capt. F. Non Rittern, and carried a
crew Of thirty five men. Her course lay
northward in a part of the Atlantic dan
gerous al all times on account Of rocks,
but particularly so at this time of the
year on account of the heavy fogs. Just
how the Helgoland met her tate will never
be known. but il is probable she struck
d rock.
On january II despatch was received
from ST. Johns Newfoundland, stating
that arlarge steamer, believed to be a pas
senger ship, whose name cOu not be s.
cerJained had been wrecked on reef in
ST. Mary's Bay, about five miles f.om tie
shore Her head lay low in the water,
while great clouds of smoke tinged here
and there with murcky flames, Iose from
her after part. The Philadelphia agent
Tor the Helgoland. George D. Ali. az INST
entertained no fears for the safety of lis
ship. as the voyage 10 Bergen req 1ires Il
teen days. 1t was therefore with grett
surprise that he heard Of the HelOgland's
disaster
The Divers Report.
A 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
was a terrible one. The Helgolsnd lay
there. her upper decks blackened by The
fire-a shapeless mass OF iron, sails and
cordage. Her mizzen and mainmasts hung
over the side and her funnel was gone
Another terrible disaster was the COLI
sion between the steamers Ardandhu and
the Herman Winter, in Vineyard Sound. !
January %. resulting in the total loss Of
the former. The Ardandhu was fine
steel screw steamer. with registered ton /
mage of 2.l69 She left New London. Con- 1
necticut, January %. for Halifax, under |
command OF Capt. G. Dundas. and carried 1
a cargo OF 5.770 bales of hay. The story 4
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
Of January % the AIdandhu was suddenly
enveloped in a dense fog. She proceeded
slowly. her siren blowing at short inter
walls. when suddenly out of the gloom
there reared up the enormous hull of
steamer. The signal to reverse engines
was given. but too late. There was dun,
grinding sound. and the next instant me
water came pouring into the Inflated
steamer The second officer and the engi-
neer. who were below when the collision l
occurred. were jammed in by the rush of 1
waters and drowned. The rest Of the
crew were rescued by the Winter, which
put into port next day with her bow stove
in.
The British steamer Bath City foundered
off Lundy's Island February "a. The Bath
City. which was a big steel screw steam
er. with a net tonnage of 25l5. left New
York. February o. for Bristol England un
der command of Captain Jones. She
struck a rock of I-undy's Island and |
in backing of enlarged the break and sank
few houTs later. The captain. the first
snd 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
uary 80, when only few hours out from
port, she struck a reef at Hornsriff, one
Of the most dangerous places on the Dan ,
lsh coast. Her cargo was total loss. and :
Capt. H. Willems. together with thirteen
Of the crew. was drowned.
There are eleven other steamers reported
aither lost or missing since January !,
800. The Gate City, an iron screw
steamer. perished On the second OF this
month. The German steamer Livadia
capt j. Bendfeldt, went ashore at Ter {
'chilling. January %, on her way from
Hamburg for the Delaware Breakwate- Q
The crew were saved, but on January 20 :
he Livadia went to pieces and the cargo
Vas lost The Miami. which left San Fran !
-isco. January 16. for Nanaimo was total o
v wrecked on the morning Of January 25 n
near Oyster Bay, British Columbia The 7
British steamer Sutton is also reported q
Missing.
Within the last week four large steamers y
ave been lost. The British steamer Wind 4
or. which arrived at Calais, France, from C
eth Sotland on March g. reported that O
he Cuvier. a large British freighter, was
unk in collision with an unknown steamer. @
he Windsor picked up the second officer Z
nd two of the seamen, but the rest of the
rev were drowned. The Cuvier was un-
er command Of Captain Quinton and was
ound for Brazil from Antwerp. The col r
sion occurred somewhere in the stormy
orth Sea The Cuvier was built of steel
1883 and was owned by w. Holland and -
i. Jones. Her gross tonnage was regis
cred at 2.299 and she carried crew of n
fly men p
The United Fruit Company's steamship | r,
he Admiral Schley, Captain Botman. which -
rrived in Philadelphia March 13. report | :
the rescue of the chief officer and four
ailors of the wrecked steamship Frammes | p
he Frammes left Philadelphia on Febru- | A
~ 10. under command Of Captain Thorh- p
,rsen She carried a crew OF fourteen | p
len and cargo of steel rails and spars | y
N the evening of March ? the Frammes II
an ashore on Hogsty reef, a barren tract ;.
( sand half way between Great Inagua
nd Crooked Island. The crew gained the y
aef in safety and the next morning the ID