Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-11

passengers of the Madiana, gave the fol-
lowing account of the wreck to the CORE
spondent Of the Associated Press at Hamil-
ton:
Eat ten minutes of O. clock this morning
the passengers on the Madiana were awak-
ened by crashing, grinding sounds and
jar which set every inch of the steamer
quivering, and brought every passenger to
his feet in his state room. Soon the cry Of
All on deck brought every one, many in
night attire, into the social hall.
ut was found that the steamer had run
on the reef to the north of Bermuda. and
\ the first efforts to back off the reef and ex-
tricate the ship proved unsuccessful, as
she was fast on the rocks, which were tear
ing out her bottom. The water rushed in
through the rents, put out all the fires and
surged through the halls and state rooms
Of the main deck. Those passengers who
came out in pajamas and night gowns,
fearing that the vessel would go down i'm
mediately, soon found that they could not
return to the lower state rooms for cloth
ing or valuables;; The surf beat fercely
against the starboard side of the ship,
which had settled down, with the port side
high on the reef
The listing grew more serious each min
ute: and the waters began to surge in the
social hall, where the passengers were as
sembled. In this room the more self-pos-
sessed of the passengers urged calmness,
ana snort prayer was offered up. There
was never company Of men and women
assembled in circumstances Of extreme
peril who resisted better the impulse to
panic in unselfish consideration for one an
other. In number Of ways this was
shown.
Sea Smashed Three Boats.
Soon the passengers were called to the
hurricane deck. The sea had smashed three
boats on the steamers exposed side. The
other three boats were put in order for low
ering, but they could not hold the eighty
odd passengers, to say nothing of the Off
GERS and crew. The surf began to sweep
across the sliding surface Of the hurricane
deck. drenching over and over again the ILL
clad women, some of them old women who
huddled there. The stewards made their
way to some of the state rooms which
were. comparatively speaking. out Of the
reach or the waves, and brought blankets
oVercoats and wearing apparel of all sorts.
which were distributed among the SILVER
ing.
Bread. cakes. coffee and whisky were
also supplied, the stewards force doing
their duty admirably. The officers were
courageous and steadfast, and behaved
we'll. The members Of the crew, it is I'M
derstood. were assembled hastily for the
cruise. They were not drilled to lifeboat
duty. and In some cases unskillful, a large
number being foreigners who showed
lack of discipline
1T was Gods mercy that the passengers
were not compelled to run the risk of taxi
ing to the boats as their only salvation
from the raging waters. The surf and the
wind beat the steamer steadily upon the
reef. not permitting her to slide off aud
sink in deep water. After a long period CT
apprehension 1t became apparent that tie
greatest danger was that the ship might
break in two.
Passengers Beaten by Surf.
1.-The passengers lay or stood on the hur-
ricane deck beaten by the surf for four or
five hours in dread and suffering, with the
lights Of Bermuda in plain sight. We could
see the lights Of the lighthouse and steam
ers, and We all Interpreted them as being
relief approaching the wrecked ship. This
hope resulted in bitter disappointment time
and time again.
STEADY and frequent signaling with
rockets and colored fires meanwhile was
going on without seemingly ATTRACTING at
tention from the shore.
AT last. between and 10 o'clock. a ing
approached within one and a half miles
and the passengers We're transferred to it
In the ships boats by a slow and painful
process. We were then brought to Hanil-
ton.
After the accident occurred the cap.aIn
and officers did everything that could be
asked. were considerable for the passengers
comfort and courageous in their bearing.
the fault lay for such an accident on a
reasonably clear night in known tortu-
Gus course. There was no local pilot
aboard. This difficult channel Is clearly not
properly lighted and the arrangements at
Bermuda for receiving and promptly acting
upon signals of distress from wrecked YES
seis are distinctly inadequate"