Evening star., 1901-06-26
OCEAN LINERASHORE
Lusitania Strikes Reef on the New
foundland Coast.
HAD 500 PASSENGERS ABOARD
One Small Boatload of These Are
Reported Missing.
WILD SCENES ON THE SHIP

ST. JOHNS, N. F., June 26.-The steam
er Lusitania, with 500 passengers on board
was wrecked last night off Cape Ballard.
The Lusitania was bound round Cape
Race for Montreal, with a large cargo and
a shipload of passengers. She mistook her
course in a dense fog and went ashore
near Renews, twenty miles north Of Cape
Race, before daybreak. The ship ran over
reef and hangs against a cliff. The pas
sengers, who are mostly emigrants were
panlc-stricken. They stampeded and fought
for the boats, but were overcome by the
officers and crew, who secured control af-
ter great trouble and prolonged struggle
With the rougher element among the pas
sengers, who used knives The women and
children were first landed and the men fol-
lowed The crew stood by the Ship A
heavy sea was running but at latest ad-
wees the Lusitania was holding her own
II was thought likely, however, that she
would prove a total wreck.
The disaster occurred miles from the
nearest telegraph station Several steam
ers are hitting out here to go to the scene
of the wreck
Passengers Had Rough Experience.
The passengers Of the LusitanIa had q
terrible experience. The first knowledge
winch they had of the disaster was when
owing to the ship rasping over the rocks
they We're all hurled from their berths by the
shock Many of them were bruised and
tney all hurried on deck in their night
ciolies "A scene of great excitement en-
sued. Five hundred persons were clamor-
ing 10 escape, while the crew tried to pac-
1fY them and launch the boats The male
passengers, In their attempt to seize the
ooats, trampled the women under foot and
fought the crew with knives
passengers assisted the crew in the efforts
to get out the boats One boat was unset
ana Its occupants were immersed 1t is
sun supposed that some Of these were
dehnltely established. Another boat. hav-
ing on board twenty people has not vet
been reported She is supposed to he adrift
IN the log, and this may have given rise
10 the report which reached here that
twenty persons were drowned by the upset.
ting of a boat
The women and children rescued were
almost naked Drenched with spray. they
were pulled up the cliffs by the coast neo-
pie. Some Of the boats were demolished
In the surf while attempting to land. and
thelr half-drowned occupants held on to
rocks, shlvering with cold. until rescued
Spend an Awful = ght.
Ihis morning the unhappy passengers
after shivering for hours on the hill top,
tramped over weary miles In their en-
deaVor 10 reach the houses of the fisher
men where they are now sheltered.
Previous to reaching the cliffs the pas
sengers passed two hours of terrible anx-
iety on the wreck.
AS furious rain storm and heavy sea
ragged all night 1T Is feared the Lusitania
will be total wreck. The last reports re-
ceived here said the steamer was breaking
up, that her foreholds were full of water
and her cargo was being salvaged
There Is hope Of saving the effects of
the passengers. as, where possible they
We're slowed above decks.
Six steamers are now on their way from
here to the scene Of the wreck 1t is ex-
pected that the rescued passengers will be
brought here tonight
Cape Ballard, as cable from ST. Johns.
is situated on the coast of Newfoundland
about sixty miles south of ST. Johns
The Lusitania was built in Liverpool by
Lara BROS. In 1SIl She Is 879 feet 8
inches long, has Al feet inches beam and
Is y feet inches deep.