Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-11-21
And Binding Snowstorm
Cause Of Hi|da Disaster.
Vessel Ran Upon Rocks and
Boilers Soon Exploded
Giving Passengers No Time to Save Lives.
Dead Now Numbers I20.

London, Nov. 20.-One hundred and
twenty-eight persons lost their lives in
the wreck Of the London & Southwest
ern Railway Co.'S. steamer Hilda, off
the northern coast Of France, Saturday
night. according to an official. estimate
given out, tonight, by the officers of
the company. This death roll includes
Il saloon passengers, 50 French onion
sellers and 81 of the crew.
Distressing scenes We're witnessed at
the offices of the London & Southwest
ern Railroad Co., both in London and
at Southampton, but the company was
unable to hold out the slightest hope
to relatives of the missing passengers.
The officials said it would have been
impossible for a boat to live more than
a few minutes in such a sea as pre-
vailed, Saturday.
James Gunter, the only seaman of
the British channel steamer Hilda
saved from the wreck of that vessel
off the port Of st. Malo, Saturday
night. says there was no panic on
board. The rough sea made it impos-
sible to lower boats. Gunter clung to
eiS ltlhiS3o VI tlC tOpIiIdSt With nine
others below him who died during the
night of exposure.
The Hilda first struck at 10 O'clock
Saturday night. She was going dead
Slow. Rockets were sent up but there
was no response. Seven minutes later
the ship broke amidships and her decks
We're swept bare with the exception of
her survivors who clung to the mast.
They were rescued by the steamer Ada
at 10 o'clock Sunday morning, after
having endured II hours of agony.
In response to the captains appeal,
when he found it would be useless to
attempt to launch the boats, all the
women and children were mustered in
the main hatch and the stewardesses
fixed life belts around each of them.
the French onion sellers assisting in the
work. Everybody was very quiet. Gun
ter says there were about 20 persons
in the rigging when the vessel found
erec. He describes pathetically how the
MEL gradually dropped off exhausted
by the terrible cold, and says the roar
of the elements was awful. AS the men
fell off they ejaculated: I'VE have had
enough of this. 1t does not matter how
we die. Good Bye
Guater himself fought against a
strong inclination to sleep and says
that before his rescue he cared little
what became of him,
Paris. Nov. 2O.-Special reports re-
ceived here Of the wreck of the London
& Southwestern Railway Cos. steamer
Hilda. which left Southampton, Fri
day richf oil
was totally wrecked on Les Portes
reef outside the Jardin lighthouse,
three miles from st. Malo. at o'clock,
yesterday morning, with the loss of
over 100 lives, gives a graphic descrip-
ton Of the disaster.
Owing to the rough sea together with
a thick snowstorm, the captain of the
Hilda probably took the buoy light of
the rocks for the ST. Malo lighthouse.
He gave signals which were not seen
by harbor employees and then the
steamer slowly proceeded toward the
light.
When the Hilda struck the rocks the
steamers boilers exploded and she
was cut in two, giving the passengers
no time to save their lives. Seven bod
les wearing life belts were stranded off
the village of st. Cast. yesterday even
ing. The coast near st. MalO is covered
with Wreckage and some cattle.
Two-thirds Of the Hilda's passengers
were French farmers returning to
France with heavy sums in gold from
the sale of their yearly harvest of
onions and potatoes. The others were
English families who were going to
pass the winter at Dinard. The wreck
lies on the beach three miles off St. Ma
10 showing only her mainmast and
torecastle.
A representative of the Matin went to
the scene of the wreck on government
steamer with the local officials. They
picked up five bodies which were en-
tangled in the rigging Of the Hilda. The
bodies presented a dreadful spectacle
with arms and legs twisted in all di-
rections and hands torn with desperate