The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-20
TERRIBLE SOUND DISASTER.
FIVE LIVES LOST BY CAPSIZING OF
THE YACHT VENE1ZIA.

lionafre, His Two Daughters, the Cap
Catastrophe Occurred Off Greenwich
Two Survivors Rescued by the Tug
Gertrude and Brought to New Haven
The two survivors of the yacht We
netzia disaster in the sound off Green
witch Thursday afternoon, who were
brought to this port early yesterday
morning on the tug Gertrude, left this
city at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon
for their home in Philadelphia. The
two survivors were Mrs. Walter j.
SpranlSle, whose husband is secretary
of the United States Steel company,
and the steward of the yacht, James
Stanbridge. AS soon as they arrived in
this city yesterday morning Mrs Span
kle telegraphed to her husband and he
accompanied by James Mcintosh, a
New York broker, who is a friend of
the Colburn family, arrived here at 1870
yesterday afternoon.
The disaster is one of the worst that
has happened on the Sound in years.
The yacht Venetzia, owned by Arthur
G, Colburn of Delaware City, a Million
aire spice and tea dealer of that city
the head of the A. c. Coburn
company of Philadelphia, left Della
ware City Monday to join the Corin-
THAN Yacht club Of Phi ladelphia, of
which Mr.. Colburn was a member and
which was cruising in the eastern end
of the Sound. Aboard the yacht were
Mr.. Colburn and his three daughters,
Miss Ida Colbuln, Miss Annette Col
burn and Mrs. Sprankle, Captain Flint,
captain of the craft, Steward Stan
bridge and a sailor who rs unknown
but who went by the name of Frank.
The yacht left Thompkinsville at 10
o'clock Thursday forenoon. Mrs
Sparkle was to leave the yacht at
Bridgeport. Her child was staying at
Black Rock and she intended to get the
child after discriminating and return to
Philadelphia by rail.
According to the story of the stew
ard, the accident happened between 3
and $3.50 in the afternoon The sky was
very squally, and the steward says he
heard Mr.. Colburn say to Captain Flint
that it would be we'll to take in some
of the light sails, but the captain re-
piled that the boat would stand all the
wind that was coming. She then had
up all her light sails, including jibs,
staysail and topsail,
Stanbridge says he was in the galley
preparing supper when he heard an un-
usual fluttering of the jb and felt the
beat heel over. He rushed on deck and
was about midships when she capsized.
When he found himself in the water |
he attempted to grasp one of the sails !
which lay on the water, but found that |
1T was sinking, and then swan for the |
yawl's tender, which was bottom up. |
AS he was supporting himself at one !
end of the boat, Mrs. SpranSle, who is
an expert swimmer. caught hold of the
and they balanced themselves
thus until the tug Gertrude appeared,
and her attention was attracted to
their shouts, When picked up they
ypEFer thoroughly exhausted.
The steward saw nothing of the 9TH
ers of the party after the disaster, and
believes that some were carried under
by the sails and rigging, and that 9TH
ers were drowned in the cabin,
After Mrs. Sprankle and the steward
had been clinging to the overturned
tender for about two hours, the tug
|
barges in tow, saw them and took them
4 hoard. She had barges for several
ports between New Haven and Provi-
dence, and came up the sound about
in the course followed by the yacht up
to the time the squat struck her.
Warren Brown. the tugs pilot, and son
of the captain, Tassar c. Brown, was
81 the wheel at the time and espied
10 the |
certrude directly for it and as he ap-
heard the cries Of Mrs. 5pran-
xla and the steward. To get them
aboard the tugboat was the work OF a
rew minutes. Both were well cared for
and were soon feeling more comfort
able, although suffering greatly from
lie shock The Gertrude headed for
New Haven and arriving here about
o'clock yesterday morning, and remain
n at Belle Dock for about three hours.
Soon after the two shlpwrecked per
sons we're taken ashore the Gertrude
With her barges steamed out OF the
1arbor
The survivors of the party stated .
yesterday that while they were cling
ng to the yachts overturned tender
| large steamer passed not. FAR away !
md that a number OF SHldllef poatS
"a ssed. but apparently did not see
hem. Captain Brown after taking
hem aboard the Gertrude did all he
.ould to make them comfortable ana
accompanied them to the Tontine hotel
= a carriage. Their ready money had
,een lost in the yacht and the captain
rindly supplied them and did not leave
ram until they were well cared for I
7rSantain Brown said that he picked J
be two survivors up just off Green
,,icb about in the middle of the Sound
The Gertrude had a tow OF seven S
,.rges hound for New London and
1aw BEDFORD Captain Brown former t
y lived in Fair Haven, and his VIE s
now staying at Pine Orchard
The wrecked yacht was fifty-tWo feet n
ver all. and measured thirty-nine feet e
!, the water line. Her beam was 12.6
~ her draught rs feet She was de- h
iensd by Burgess, the famous Boston
esiener and was built at Mystic in
ooo She was formerly sloop rugged, +
Mt later was changed to a yaWl.
THE work of searching for the bodies e
+ the victims Of the catastrophe will
roba bly begin at once. Last evening G
+ IT. Collins, of Philadelphia bust Fl
aes associate of Mr.. Spranllle, the SON
Law of Mr. Colburn arrived here ana
! will remain in New Haven for sew
raj DAYS to represent the remainder of
,4S,l II