The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-01-22

So uncertain are the ways of fate
that even with every precaution, with
every appliance of modern science,
and with the best of tried officers, dis
aster overtakes a ship and wipes it
out.
The sudden and unexpected disas-
tiers at sea have been happening since
history began and are still being re-
corded. Remember the Maine in moo
eru times. There was also the fleet of
Xerxes about 500 B. c., when 400 ships
were lost in the Hellespont, and only
yesterday the loss of the Russie at
the mouth of the Rhone in 1900.
The loss OF a ship in a storm
through the failure of the rudder or
because of the violence Of the ele.
ments is not difficult Of comprehension
but the irony of fate appears in all its
cruelty when the ship goes to the bot
tom in a. calm sea while those on
board are in the midst of festivities.
This, however, was the fate of the
British steamer Drummond Castle, of
$500 tons, which sailed from Cape
Town on May 20, 1896.
The Drummond Castle had on board
beside the crew and officers, number
ing l05, a complement of lac passen-
gers, many of them women and chill
dren. The ship was bound for Lon
don and had passed Finisterre at a
good speed in spite Of the fact that it
encountered an occasional fog. The
sea was perfectly calm and everything
seemed to be going well until the 10th
of June, when the fog became heavier,
and during the afternoon became SO
dense that the captain ordered the en-
gines slowed down and the sounding
leads brought out. AS night fell the
ship was simply feeling its way along.
Music was heard from the cabins and
the decks and all of the passengers ap-
peared to be having a most enjoyable
time. This lasted until quarter after
10 O'Clock at night, when, through
rift in the fog, apparently long way
off. the lookout reported light. Inc
captain thought at first he had the
lights of Ouessant sighted and was
heading properly for the channel, Act
ing upon this theory the captain went
ahead under the impression that he
WAS heading into the English channel
and for home. 1t may have been the
festivities on board or some other
cause, but the captain was just twelVe
miles out of his reckoning. and that
error of twelve miles was tatal almost
within sight of the home port.
II was close on to IL o'clock when,
with n rending, crashing noise. the
shin struck the reef. The officers and
crew realized in an instant what mad
bappened. The vessel plunged lot
ward and shook itself from end 10
end Then the passengers, reused out
of their first sleep, came pouring All
undressed to. the decks to ma OUT
what had happened. Capt. WOOD OF
tho bridge and Lieut.. Wood tried 10
calm them, and assure them that there
nos M danger. They counted upon
the water-tight bulkheads holding ahu
keening the ship afloat until help ar
rived This, however, proved a laise
hone and the boats were ordered out
The crew worked like madmen, aided
nv the messengers, but all to no avail
the shin did not stay afloat quarter
of an hour after striking. The boats
were loaded, and overloaded, anu be
fore they got clear the ship went
down.
Ont Of the ESQ persons aboard the
vessel only three escaped with their
lives. and these were picked up rem
the floating wreckage by Breton nsh-
ermen.
Hardly less frightful than wreck
ING ON a rock far at sea is collision
~ the fog between two huge vessels
Ioaded with people. II was disaster
10 this sort that overlook the French |
steamer Bourgogne, which left the |
,,ort Of New York east bound on July |
70 1898. The trip promised to be
record breaker for the big ship, which |
had on board. outside the crew, i9l
srst class passengers, 125 second class
and 29s third class, in all 1872 per
sons On the evening OF July the
pourgogne was just off Halifax and
perbans fifty miles from Sable Island.
THE fog came UP thickly and the yes
sol slowed down and was feeling Its
nov along This was about o'clock
49, s,,,, Nothiuv could be