Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 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 chip and wipes 1t
out. -, .
The sudden and unexpected disas-
ters at sea have been happening since
history began and are still being re-
corded. Remember the Maine in mod
ern times. There was also the fleet of
Xerxes about 500 b. c., when 400 ships
were lost in the H~ellespont, 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 e 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
t. " On May 20, 1896.
The Drummond Castle had on board
beside the crew and officers, number
ing 100, a complement Of lac passen-
gers, many of them women and chill
| dren. The ship was bound for Lon
don and mad 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 18th
| of June, when the fog became heavier,
and during the afternoon became so
dense that the captain ordered the en-
eines slowed down and the sounding
leads brought out. AS night fell the
shin was simply feeling it's 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 a quarter after
10 o'clock at night, when, through q
rift in the fog, apparently a long way
off. the lookout reported a light. The
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 ne
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 fatal almost
within sight OF the home port.
It was close on to IL o'clock when,
with a rending, crashing noise, the
shin struck the reef. The officers and
crew realized in an instant what had
happened. The vessel plunged Tor
ward and shook itself from End TO
end. Then the passengers, reused out
OF their first sleep, came pouring all
undressed to the decks to 2 Q
what had happened. Capt. wood on
| the bridge and Lieut.. Wood tried to
calm them, and assure them that there
was no danger. They counted upon
the water-tight ~bulkheads holding and
keeping the ship afloat until help ar
rived. This, however, proved a false
hone and the boats were ordered out,
The crew worked like madmen aided
bv the messengers, but all to 40 avail,
the ship did not stay aioat a quarter
Of an hour after striking. The boats
were loaded, and overloaded, and be
fore they got clear the ship went
down.
ont of the $50 persons aboard the
vessel only three escaped with their
lives. and these were picked up from
the floating wreckage by Breton fish
ermen.
Hardly less frightful than wreck
ING on a rock far at sea Is a collision
n the fog between two huge vessels
loaded with people. 1t was a disaster
of this sort that overlook the French
steamer Bourgogne. which left the
nart ~ New York east bound on July
70 1895. The trip promised to be a
Yecord breaker for the big ship, which
had on board, outside the crew, isl
erst class passengers. 1875 second class
ana 2e6 third class. in all 1872 per-
so,s ON the evening Of July 3 the
p-ourgocna was Just OF Halifax and
nnrhans atty miles from Sable Island
the fog came up thickly n the YES
sal slowed down and was feeling Its
usay along. This was about 3 o'clock
the morning Nothing could be
aaon N n direction but the dense
crav bank OF fog. AT 5 O'Clock me
watch was reused by the SOUND OF 2