Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-08-29
A TITHE SAVED
Of the Grew of the Ameri-
Can Steamship PeCOniC
THE RESTAT THE BOTTOM
Two Latin Sailors Driven to the
Florida Coast by the Black Storm
They Escaped, Told the Story of the
Wreck.

Ferdinanda, Fla. Aug. 2S.-Twenty
men consisting of all but two of the
officers and crew of the American
steamship Peconic, Captain Johns,
bound from Philadelphia to New Or
leans with coal, were drowned by the
sinking of that vessel off the coast of
Florida today. The disaster was the
result of the 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 1890 o'clock
this morning
The impact, was just as the vessel
was making turn and caused a shift
of the cargo and the vessel leaned over
and sank Immediately. The accident
occurred so quickly that only two of
those aboard her-an Italian and a
! Spaniard, were able to save them
selves. They succeeded in getting into
a life boat, and reached Amelia beach
about noon and on landing told the
story of the disast ar.
About midnight of Sunday, accord
ling to their story during the heaviest
part Of the storm which ragged all day,
the officer of the deck gave an order
to put further out to sea, fearing they
were approaching the coast. too close
! ~. In the endeavOr to turn, the ship
was struck with a heavy sea; the car
go shifted and she began sinking ra-
pidly. In less than ten minutes after
the alarm was sounded she mad gone
to the bottom. One of the two survi-
vors was at the wheel at the time the
order was given; the other was on
watch. AS soon as the ship began TO
careen the two men rushed for one of
the small boats. which they jumped
into as 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 OH
the waves.
They say they discovered in the
( blackness Of the storm the figures of a
part of the awakened crew, some OF
| whom managed to crowd into another
of the ships boats. This was however
4 caught in a trough of the sea, thrown
violently against the -ventilators aud
| then wedged fast. Their pitiful cries
for help could De heard as the snip
went down in the sea.
! Alone through the remainder of the
tnight in the awful wash of waters, with
the storm raging and threatening each
moment to swamp their small boat
these two men were gradually borne
ashore toward Amelia island, landing
just dJ II a. III. lOudS. Inc men, whose
names are respectively Bagellini Hum
berti and Antonio Clark, were unable
to speak except in their own tongues
and it was some time before the facts
of the disaster were thoroughly ascer-
I tanned. They have testified to the cor
rectness of the above report before q
notary public and the community here
fcared for their wants.
! At the time Of the disaster the shiI
was about 200 miles north east of here
leading south and in the teeth of the
gale. The vessel had been engaged
in the fruit trade from Central Amer
lea to New Orleans but on account OF
the quarantine regulations prohibiting
the import of bananas she had beer
engaged for the voyage to carry Goa
from Philadelphia to New Orleans. She
was a ship of 1,154 tons register and
had on board about 1900 tons of coal
She arrived at Philadelphia Aug. IA
and cleared for New Orleans Aug. 10