The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-10
THE HURRICANE
STILL RAGING
All Efforts to Reach the
Russie Futile.
AN ANXIOUS NIGHT.
Thousands Waited Along the Shore
while Gales Fury Increased.
EVERY EXPEDiENT 7 FAILED.
Tugs anil Lifcboats Tried in Vain to
Reach the Doomed Vessel With
Her living G .r.o Of IL Hundred
Souls-I:ockct After Rocket
Was Fired lTruiticSsly.
Ilarrowin. Scenes.
Er Associatcl Press. !

from the village of Faraman, near which
the French Mail steamer Russie, from
Oran, Algeria, stranded Monday in 1t
violent storm. with fifty passengers and q
crew of forty on board, say that all ef-
forts to reach the steamer have failed,
on account of the tremendous height of
the seas which are running. The pilot
boats and torpedo boats. which have at
tempted to reach the steamer, have been
unable to battle with the waves and have
returned. The only hope seems to be in
the ability of life savers to throw a line
over the Russ:e as the wrecked vessel
is driven closer to the shore.
The forecasrie and part of the forward
deck-house are all of the vessel remain
ing above water.
y signal message was received at
O'Clock this afternoon from the Russia.
saying all OH board were alive, but beg
ging for succor- The sea has slightly
moderated but up to the present all
attempts at rescue have failed. When
RUSse quite a number of the crew ana
passengers We're seen clinging to the
forer.gging and to the rails, making des-
pairing signals for Succor, which those
ashore We're powerless to afford. The
gale increased in fury all night long and
though a :1icker;ng light was perceiveT
from time to time. apparently waved by
those on board to attract attention. it was
feared the steamer would either break
up or disappear in the shifting sands be-
fore morning. thousand awaited
along the shore and the fishermen pre-
pared to launch d boat a the first sign
of the abatement of the hurricane.
GREAT RELIEF.
when day broke twas a great relief
for the watchers ashore to find that the
bow and other parts of the forepart of
the ship We're still above water though
the stern had completely vanished \
group of men huddled on the steamers
bow renewed their mute appeals for help
AS the day wore on, more persons APP
peared on the deck. forming three groups
one at the bow, another on the bridge
and third around the funnel Thus it
was seen that most of the crew and pas
sengerS, who. a rectitied list shows, num-
Der l02, were still living.
Inc Russo lies partly on her BEAM
ends. with her deck facing selward and
The seas which have carried away her
hatchways filling the holds ana cabins
with water. Every possible expedient
was tried from the shore to save the
'2uioiSiS. 1He todSt tSuafu men ana flSil-
ermen manned l;febOats and made sew
eral Intellectual attempts to reach the
steamer, which was shifted by the inces-
SAINT pounding Of the seas a tritie nearer
the shore. One lifeboat got tlalf way
when it was capsized ard its crew swan
ashore and We're dragged out Of the water
by the people ashore, who formed a
lire with hands joined and waded breast
deep into the water in order TO seize
tIem.
ROCKETS FIRED FRUlTLEssLY.
y tug approached as near as possible
TO the wreck and then flew a kite to
which a life line attached in the
direction OF the Russie, but it failed to
reach the stranded vessel Floats were
also sent out from the beach with lines,
but in no case did they succeed in reach
ing the steamer. Rockets were fired
fruitlessly until the ammunition of the
rocket apparatus, which was very meagre,
ran out. The tugs which made repeated
efforts to react the Russio were them
selves threatered with disaster and
forced TO relinquish the attempts.
Late in The afternoon an attempt was
made to reach the steamer with a lifeline
from y tug lying off from the wreck.
Those on board Of the Russie were seen
to launch floats. but they We're all car
ried out to sea by the current
This evening the gale was subsidins.
Narrowing scenes were witnessed at the
office OF the steamship company here.
outside of which We're gathered the weep
ing wive; and children and other rela-
tives OF the crew, who mostly hail from
Marseilles. A message posted at $50 P
NJ. that up to that time all on board the
Russie were alive, evoked a pathetic eX-
plosion of joy.
The Russie was owned by the Societe
Generate de Transports Maritimes a,
Napeur of Marselles, and not by the
Compagne Generate Trans-Atlantique.
The Russie was of 623 tons net register.
and was built in 1897 at Sunderland
she was 2S1 feet five nctles long; her
beam was 81 feet, and she was 25 feet Z
inches deep.
The Line Snapped.
Shortly after o'clock. during a lull,
the men on shore succeeded in getting a
lifeline to the Russie, but it snapped as
it was being pulled on board. Other SINH
lar attempts failed: but a more hopeful
feeling prevails in view of the indications
that the weather is clearing.
A message from the RusSie says: THE
are kept below, but all the
crew are at their posts. and the captain
and officers are lashed to, the bridge. The
seamen tried to construct several RATS.
but as they neared completion they were
washed away
I The sinking of the stern in the mud
proves to have been a lucky thing for
those on board. as the bow Of the mail
boat is tilted high above all save the big
gest waves, and affords a refuge Other
wise it is believed that all would have
long since perished.
The cruiser Galillee and a tug with
rocket apparatus left Toulon arsenal this
evening to attempt to rescue the passen-
gers, who are chiefly colonial functiona-
ries and soldiers.