The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-11


First Boat Was Dashed TO Pieces
Against Sides of steamer-Vessel
Went on Reefs on Bermuda-Pas-
sengers Were in Their BunI<s
and Were RudeIy Awakened-Ofti-
GERS Were Cool and Calm, but Sea-
men Were Ratified.
Hamilton, Bermuda, Feb. 1O.-The
Quebec Steamship Companys steamer
Madiana, Capt. Frazer, which sailed
from New York last Saturday with a
party of excursionists for special
cruise around the Caribbean Islands,
went ashore on the reef off this island
at 8 o'clock this morning. The passen-
gers had a thrilling experience. This
ship is a total loss. but all on board
were rescued. and brought safely to
from the wreck. to a tug standing a
mile off. The mails and the passen-
gers baggage were also saved.
According to statements made by
those on board. the Madiana was
threading her way in the night through
lIit uditoW tuduu6l between the COIdi
reefs which leads to Hamilton harbor.
when she struck reef one and a half
miles northeast of North Rock. No
explicit explanation is yet forthcoming
as to how the vessel went on the rocks,
and the only information obtainable
from the officers is that the light which
indicates the channel for some reason,
could not be seen.
All the passengers were in their hunks
when the Madiana struck the rocks but
the shock of the impact awakened them
and they rushed on deck, the majority
of them without attempting to dress.
Considerable alarm. though not a panic
prevailed among the passengers when
they found that the vessel was hard on
the rocks. but the officers went among
them and Gained them, although a
number did not venture below again to
see to their clothing. A part of the
crew did not share the GOODNESS of the
officers, but the latter soon restored
order among the troublesome seamen.
Passengers HuddIed Together.
Signals of distress were sent up and
the passengers passed an anxious time
| during the latter part of the night
| The Madiana listed heavily after a
| time and when morning broke lay
| broadside to the wind. The passen-
gers were huddled together on the
| hurricane deck. and the sea breaking
over the steamer drenched them to
! the skin.
AS soon as the news of the wreck
became known here. government and
other tugs proceeded to the scene to
endeavor to render assistance. A
heavy sea, however, was running. and
they dared not approach too close to
the reef on which the Madiana was
pounding. For some time no COM
munication with the Madiana was pos
sible.
The tug Gladisfen stood about
mile off waiting an opportunity to as
sist, but 1t was not until IL O'Clock
this morning that it became possible
to effect a rescue. The crew of the
Madiana launched a boat, but it could
not live in the sea then running and
was dashed to pieces against the
steamers side. A second and more
successful attempt was made a little
later and some of the passengers
were lowered into it, and after much
exertion 1t succeeded in reaching the
Gladisfen. Other lifeboats were then
launched, and the remainder of the
passengers and the captain and the
crew gained the salvage tug in safety.
BY the prompt action of Engineer
Nelson, who had the Madianas bulk
heads broken through, the mails, and
the passengers light baggage were
taken out and brought in the last boats
to the Gladisfen, which landed the
passengers, crew, mails and baggage
here this afternoon
Was No Confusion,
Joseph Crowfut of Hartford. Conn,
one of the passengers, was interviewed
hxYf ha ,rOfof tod
He said: There was no confusion
among the officers or the passengers.
The officers faced the situation coolly
and quickly treasured the passengers.
The crew, however, who were mostly
foreigners, became disorderly at first.
but discipline was soon restored. Find
ing that the center of the ship was
firmly fixed between two rocks and
that there was no immediate danger of
her breaking up, the passengers gained
confidence.
At about IL o'clock one of the Ma
dianas boats was lowered, but before
anyone could get into it, it was SMASH
ed to bits. The other ships boats were
then launched with better success
The passengers were attached to
ropes, the women first of ALL then low
cred into the life boats. 1t was a dam
gerous journey to the Gladisfen. The
boats crews had to pull through the
heavy seas, but no mishap occurred
and we were all safely embarked on
the Gfadisfen. The officers and the re-
mainder of the crew, with some of the
passengers light baggage followed us
The wreck was abandoned and we
were landed here
Theodore w. Noyes of the Washing
ton Star, Otis H. Luke of Boston, and
many other passengers confirmed the
particulars given above, and empha-
sized especially the fact that there was
no panic on board.
In an interview with the Associated
Press, Theodore w. Noyes of the
Washington Star, said: '"The passen-
gers cannot understand where the
fault lay on a reasonably clear night,
in a known tortuous course. There
was no local pilot aboard. The diff
cult channel is clearly not properly
lighted, and the arrangements at Ber-
muda for receiving and promptly act
ing upon signals of distress from
wrecked vessels are distinctly made
quate."
New York, Feb 10.-A. z. Outer
bridge & Co received this telegram to-
night from their agent at Hamilton:
IAN persons saved. All ashore, ex-
cept captain and second officer, who
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