Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-07
Sinking Of
The WaeSland
emission Came 81 Midnight Without Ae Least Waning
o., Was Run Into c4mdSbp When She Went Doun
u,y Boilers Exploded win Terrific Force-c4n Ofces's
SNy Of Ae Dsas'et'

sinking She also has deep dent IN
her port side
AN OFFICERS ACCOUNT.
An 0ncer of the WaesIand In an in
terview, gave graphic description OF
the loss Of the steamer He said
II saw the whole affair | was late
IN turning In as the night was foggy
and we naturally were apprehonsive,
Practically an the passengers had re-
tired, | was taking a last look at the
weather and IN 80 doing peered over
the ships side when, without the slight
est warning there came a fearful crash,
which made the Waesland stagger IRON
stem to stern. Ny God we are struck
! shouted Then there doomed right
over our ships bow The steamer which
had run into u.s. II was terrifying, OF
course. We instantly recognized the
peril The darkness at that time was
impenetrable, but there was no mis-
taking the terrible consequences Of such
an impact. The nose of the Harmonldes
appeared to have eaten right into our
side, We We're going very slowly with
no more speed than was necessary TO
Keep lltuUNNAt wv WIZ NAi b'h ~ . - ~
angles, tremendous hole was made
and for moment the stem OF the
Harmonldes was literally inside our
ship
RUSH OF EXCITED PEOPLE.
"a rush of excited people from all
parts Of the ship Immediately ensued'
The passengers tumbled up just as they
had retired for the night The men,
women aud children were in their night
dresses. In q few moments the pas
bengers had thrown a shawl or blan-
ket over their shoulders. Terror ana
bewiderment regned for a few mo-
ments hut the passengers gradually
ranged themselves In groups about the
decks where they were best sheltered
and the crew worked like clockwork IN
getting out the boats, The only excep-
ton 10 the good behavior Of the pas
sengers was In the case Of saloon pas
senger who rushed hlther and thither'
calling In turn on heaven and earth TO
rescue him. Fortunately the other pas
sengers were not affected by this man =
pitabe mental agony, but were quietly
and methodlcally marshalled into the
boats
IN THE SMALL BOATS.
"The experience In the small boats
was trying on account OF the darkness
and cold We did not known exactly
where we were and for long time
could not discover the whereabouts OF
the Harmonides, though she was near
by. The boats stood well away nom
the sinking Waesland for fear OF being
sucked down and we could hear the
rendlng and tearing Of her timbers as
she seemed TO break In two. Then there
was a terrible explosion as the boilers
blew up and all was over.
1--WE drifted and rowed for, seeming
~. two or three hours, finally getting in
touch with the Harmonides We had
no difficulty in getting on board. All
our effects went TO the bottom with the
Waesland,
"The collision was terrible, alike in
the suddenness of the shock and In the
completeness Of the steamers destruc-
ton and We think we were most FORUM
ate IN escaping as we did
A MAN WITH. LIFE BELTS,
r. r., Ferguson, a saloon passenger,
who, curiously enough. was on board
the Waesland when she colllded with a
schooner. not far from Philadelphia,
says the principal excitement took the
form OF rushing for life boats, He saw
a man who had seven life belts attached
to various parts Of his body.
As the last boat in which Mr. Fergu-
son was seated, was leaving the ships
side, cries for help were heard on board
of her and the boat returned aud found
that two Of the Waeslands crew had
been left behind one of these men had
slept throughout from the first impact
TO the last boat leaving the sinking
steamer and only discovered his peril
GUS position when she sea water food
ed his bunk, through the port holes,