The San Francisco call., 1905-08-29
ALI but Two of Pc
comic S Grew
Drowned.
Collier Founders During
Night Off Coast
of Florida.
Survivors Reach Fernandina
and Tell of Their Ship
mates Tragic End.

FERNANDINA. Fla, Aug. 2S.-Twen-
ty men. constituting all but two of
the officers and crew of the American
steamship Peconic. Captain Jones.
bound from Philadelphia for New Or
leans. with coal, were drowned by the
sinking of that vessel of the coast of
FLORIDA to-day The disaster was the
result of fierce gale which ragged
along the coast during the night and
early morning. Lashed by the storm.
an immense wave struck the vessel
with terrific force about 1880 o'clock
this morning. The impact, coming just
as the vessel was coming about, caused
a shift of the cargo, and the vessel
listed over and sank Immediately. The
accident occurred SO quickly that only
tvo OF those aboard her-an italian
aEd Spaniard-Were able to save
themselves. They succeeded in getting
into lifeboat, reached Amelia Beach
about noon. and on landing told the
story Of the disaster.
About midnight OF Sunday, according
10 their story. during the heaviest part
of the storm. which had ged all day,
the officer OF the deck gave the order
TO put farther out to sea- fearing they
We're approaching the coast too nearly.
In the endeavor TO come about the
ship was struck with a heavy sea; the
cargo shifted, and she began sinking
rapidly.
SINKS RAPIDLY.
In less than ten minutes after the
alarm was sounded she had gone to
the bottom. One of the two survivors
was at the wheel at the time the order
was given; the other was upon watch
AZ soon as the ship began to careen
these two men rushed for one of the
NH
the vessel began to sink. With their
knives they severed the ropes as the
waters level was reached, and the
small boat was thrown far out on the
waves. They say that they discovered
through the blackness and storm the
figure Of part Of the awakened crew,
some Of whom managed to crowd into
another Of the ships boats. This was,
however, caught in z trough of the sea,
thrown violently against the ventilat-
ors, and then wedged fast Their pitt
ful cry for help could be heard as the
ship went down in the sea
SPEND NIGHT OF TERROR.
Alone through the remainder of the
night, In the awful wash of waters
with the storm raging and threaten
Ing each moment TO swamp their small
boat, these two men were gradually
borne ashore toward Amelia Island
a
men. whose names are respectively
Bagellini Humberti and Antonio Clark
were unable to speak except in their
native tongues, and IL was some time
before the facts Of the disaster were
thoroughly aseertained. They have
testified 70 the correctness of the above
report before a notary public, and the
community here cared for their wants
At the time Of the disaster the shin
was about 200 miles northeast Of here
heading south and in the teeth of the
gale.
The vessel had been engaged in the
fruit trade from Central America TO
New Orleans, but on account of quar-
antine regulations prohibiting the inn
port Of bananas she had been engaged
for two voyages to carry coal from
Philadelphia TO New Orleans. She was
a ship Of 1854 tons register and had on
board about 1900 tons of coal She ar
rived az Philadelphia August "a and
cleared for New Orleans August l9