The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-08-31
S,eamer Peconic Goes Down
Uf the Florida Coast,
TWENTY SAILORS DROWN
Only Two Of the Crew Escaped Wa.
terry Grave to Tell the Story-ves-
sci Was Bound to New Orleans
With Cargo ct CcaI on Board.

twenty men constituting all but
two Of the offers and crew CT the
American steamship Pecolic, bound
from Philadelphia to New Orleans
with coal, were drowned by the sink
ing of the vesse! OF the coast OF
Florida Monday. The disaster was
the result OF a fierce gale which rag
ed along the coast during the night
and early morning. l-ashed by the
storm, an immense wave struck the
vessel with terrific force about 12:3J
o'clock a. N. The impact coming
just as the vessel was making
turn, caused a shift Of the cargo
and the vessel careened and sank im-
nediately.
The accident occurred so quickly
that only two of these aboard her,
an italian and a. Spaniard, were able
to save themselves. They succeeded
in getting into a life boat, reached
AWSilo pCaCu oLSul uoon -uOAddJ.
and, landing, told the story of the
disaster.
About midnight of Sunday, during
the heaviest part of the storm which
had ragged All cay, the officer Of the
deck gave the order to Pat further
cut to sea, fearing they were ap-
chino nnor1,- IL;
the endeavor to turn the ship was
struck by a heavy sea, the cargo
shifted, giving a broadside and she
began sinking rapidly. In less than
ten minutes after the alarm was
sounded she had gone to the bottom
and no trace of her was left upon
the waters.
The account Of their own miracu.
lors escape out OF all Of the ships
crew who went down was sometn:n:
approaching the marvellous.
One Of these men was at the wheel
at the time the order was given, the
other was Upon watch. AS soon as the
ship began to careen these two meh
rushed for one of the small boats,
which they jumped into as the vessel
began to 90 down. With their knives
they severed the ropes as the waters
| level was reached, and the small boat
was thrown far out on the waves.
The men whose names are, respect
lively, Bage3lini Humberti and Anto-
|, no Clark, were unable to speak out
Of their native tongues, and 1t was
some time before the facts OF the
disaster were thoroughly ascertained.
They have testified to the correct
ness of the above report before a
notary pubic, and the people of Fer
nandina kindly cared for their wants.
At the time OF the disaster the
ship was .,tout 20 miles northeast OF
Fernandina, heading south, and IL
the teeth of the gale. The snail boat
was thrown here end there until final
" control was gained through hand
ling the oars, enabling the two un-
fortunate survivors to pull ashore at
! last
/ The vessel had been engaged IN
| the fruit trade from Central Amer
ica to New Orleans, but on account
of the quarantine regulations pro
| hibiting the import OF bananas she
had been engaged for two voyages 10
carry coal from Philadelphia to New
Orleans. She was a, ship OF 1,154
register AMI had On beard about 1000
tons CT coil. Size arrived at Phiia'
delphia August ID, and cleared LOT
New Orleans August 19.
The Peconic was built at Liver
pool, England, in 1881. She was 27o
feet long, "a feet 6 inches beam AM
% feet 8 inches deep. She formerly
sailed under the british flag and
ran on the Phelps Brothers & Co.'S
line between New York and Med.-
terranean ports. D. H. E. Jones of
the firm of J. wi Elwell & Co., ne"
York, is her present owner.
e,ieEIy MAD is MADDEN.