Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-02-14
THE LARCHMoNT HORROR.


tality on the part of the members Of the
crew of the steamer Llrchmont arc fol
lowing close on the heels of the shock
occasioned by The disaster last Monday
night.
Captain Haley is accused of thinking
more of saving his vessel, which he
beached, than OF lending aid TO the
sinking steamer, while Captain McVey
SAYS he was the last man to leave his
vessel. Seafaring men point signif-
cantly to the fact that he lett in the
largest boat at--lhe captains boat which
was only partly filed, while many ether
boats and the life RATS we're 30 crowded
that the first wave swamped them or
washed half their luckless occupants into
the icy sea.
A statement made by Fred Hiergesell,
an lS-years- old boy who WAS returning
to his home, sfter having been run
away for nearly year, contained the
frs. direct charges against Captain
! McVey and his crew. Hiergesell asserts
that Captain McVey's boat was the first
one which left the sinking steamer. DE
said that be saw many women on the
hurricane deck rushing about helplessly
and begging for lIte-preservers. Many
of these women pleaded with panic
stricken passengers and crew to direct
, them to the lifeboals, but their prayers
were unheeded
Young Hiergesell said; ''hy state
room was almost at the point OF collision
on the port side of the steamer | WAS
in bed with my clothes 90 and when l
rushed on deck ! found the officers re-
assuring the passengers and telling them
that they were in no immediate danger.
The captain left his steamer In the very
| first boat lcaDnot be mistaken rs 10
his identity, for saw him on the Ken
tucky as We came over to Providence
this afternoon, and be is the same man
who stepped into the first boat launched
from the sinking vessel. The second
boat was taken possession of by a
gang of negro waiters. The men
seemed to have lost their heads and 80
many of them crowded into the boat that
it cspsized as soon as it struck the water
and | believe that all of them we're lost.
III got into the third boat with FIVE
other men. There we're no oars in the
boat, and we were obliged to drift with
the wind and the waves. -Four OF the
men we're seated on the side of the boat
and another man ard myself were seated
| on the opposite side, throwing the boat
off its balance. We drifted for several
hours, and when we were near land q
big wave struck the boat and capsized
her. The five men who were with me
we're drowned, but as sOon as ! sInck
the water began TO swim, and, al
/ though my hands we're terribly frozen
| and my feet felt ike lead, succeeded
in reaching the beach, where someone
dragged me out of the water. 1t was so
| awful sight on the hurricane deck Of
| that steamer. saw a lot OF women
| running around helplessly, calling fOE
llfe.pre servers and begging that they be
directed to liieboats, but no one paid
an, attention to them, and they were
absolutely neglected. | did not see
many life -preseryers around. As left
the ship many people were jumping over
board Just as the steamer began TO slip
beneath the waves"
Block Islands two lifesaying stations
--one at Sandy Point and the other al
| New Shoreham-were turned into NOR
cues and hospitals during the night, and
the dead crowded the living. The boat.
room Aoors were lined with the dead,
each one frozen as stiff ss the boards on
| which it rested. Iu the living and sleep
ing rooms the suffering survivors rested
on cots and beds, racked with the pain'
of frozen limbs and shuddering at thu
ecolection of the horror Of their exper
fences Many we're denied the mercifu
uneonsciousness ofsleep, and Throughout
the long, deary night they tossed snt
cried and sobbed, and the bowling winc
outside only served to keep fresh in thell
minds the terrors of the storm through
which they had fought their way to thu
island. II is feared that none Of these
survivors will escape unscathed. The
frcst penetrated too deeply to be over
come by medical treatment, sud thu
surgeons knife will be the only salvation
OF some of the uniortnpstes. Some vii
lose fngers, some hands; and, it is feared
some OF them will be obliged to hsv'
links ampuiated.
The Alaska Packers Association hav
liberated from their Hateheries in Alaska