The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-02-15

er temporarily remained fast in the
steamers side, holding check for a
moment the in rushing water. But
vesses and as they backed away, the
water rush into the gaping hole in the
Steamer with a velocity thai couIu
only mean the swift doom OF the pas
senger vessel. AS the importing
water struck the boiler room cluods
OF steam o and the panic stricken
passengers all Of whom had been
thrown from their hunks when the Coz
lision occurred We're al first under the
impression that a fire had broken out
on board The passengers rushed To
the decks. Few of them had waited
to clOthe themselves. Their fear vas
so great that the first penetrating blast
OF the zero Temperature was disregard
ed but the suffering from the cold and
water soon became so intense that pr
sonal safety was forgotten in a genera!
effort TO keep the blood in circulation.
Those who had not stopped to clothe
themselves now found il impossible TO
go below. Their rooms were 500,
flooded after they had been deserted
and the teamer was sinking with 4
rapidity that sent terror TO the hearts
Of the officers and crew. While some o.,
the seamen held back the frantic pas
sengerS by brute strength, others were
preparing to lower the life boats anG
RATS. The women suffering more in
tensely than the mon, were placed IN
life boats and the male passengers and
members Of the crew selecting the un-
protected RATS as their vehicle OF eo-
cape.
Captain McVey remained on the up
per deck directing his officers anu
crew until every one on board appear
ed to have been cared for. He ordered
all boats and RATS cut away and be-
fore he stepped into his own boa ne
stood on the upper deck a m to
see that his order was executed. Then
he ordered that his boat the largest
aboard, cleared away.
Every hand in the boat was too cold
to handle a knife and cut the ropes,
which however, slipped through thu
tackles and set the BOA adrift just as
the vessel became submerged. The!
and crew was increased a hundred
fold the moment they had launched
their boats. Every wav sent its dash
of spray over boats and their contents.
Soon a thin coating Of ice enveloped
every one One man IN the captains
boat, although dressed warmer than |
others, was driven insane by his
clasp knife from his pocket and gashed
his threat. Those who sat near him
either were too dazed to interfere or
looked upon the act of self-deStruction,
as jutified. The unknown mans BODY |
fell to the bottom Of the boat. /,
Fishers Point, the nearest pOin+ On
landing, was not quite five miles to
went down, an ever: boat
Immediately headed for that p ace. 4 |
so mile gale blew ON their backs as the |
men strained at the ice covered oars
in a hopeless endeavOr to overcome the
handicap against which they were
The boats and RATS soon
separated and the only details
of the terrible disaster which could be
here were given when Captain
McVeys boat came ashore. Not Z man
board wa able to walk. Their
feet were frozen so badly that the life
carried the survivors bodily to
life saving station.
Shortly after his arrival here the
said that he had on board his
ship between $50 and 200 passengers
and a crew of so.
Later he said there were between
and rs passengers on board the
steamer when the vessel went down.
The latter figure, however, is far be-
the estimate madt ny the officers
of the Joy LINE at Providence, who
that the number of passen-
e were not less than $50. The exact
number of passengers was given in Il
list which was handed the purser just
before the Larchnlont started on neI
journey, but it is believed that
it was lost when the ship went down.
New York, February 12.-At 10
tonight the officers Of the Joy
Line here received a telephone mes
sage from Captain Grey, who was
sent to Block Island with a small YES
sci late today. Captain Grey tele-
phoned from Block Island that he had
found and plhced on board his vesse
10 survivors of the Larchmont wreck.
These he said he would care for and
wherever they wished to go. The
number included both passengers an
members of the crew of the Larchmon
their names were not available. At
10 o'clock the following statement was
prepared:
Saved Is; bodies recovered IS; miss
ing So.
SOCIAL AT UNION HALL.
will be Held on Friday Evening and