Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-15
A SURVIVOR DEAD,
Captain McVay Admits Dc.
 sorting His Ship.
CALL CHIEF AND CREW COWARDs.

III Fated Larchmont's Commander
 Tells His Story of Disaster, Saying
 Passengers Would Not Jump
 Into His Lifeboat.
 PROVIDENCE, R. l., Feb 15.-Sam. uel La Combe of Manchester, N. H.. one of the survivors of the wreck of the steamer Larchmont, died from the effects of exposure following the dis aster at the Rhode Island hospital last night. This reduces the number of sur. vivors to eighteen.
 With every new story of the wreck ing of the Joy line steamer Larchmont comes fresh indictment of Captain Mcyay and the officers and crew un- der him. Every one of the terrible events that followed in the wake of the boats collision with the schooner Harry Knowlton is eloquent of the cowardice with which the commander and his men are charged.
 Captain McVay himself admits that his lifeboat was one of the first, if not the very first to leave the sinking ship. Purser Young adds to this awful con- fession the statement that they de serted the ship while scores of frenzied passengers were struggling on the decks for chance to reach the boats. He says he could hear the cries of those who were left behind, but no ef- fort was mafe to return to the ship and attempt to bring of any of them.
 McVay, who is but twenty-six years old, was summoned before the United States steamboat inspectors. He is the youngest captain on the sound.
 Captain Mcvay explained that, while his boat may have been the first in the water, 1t was because he had a good crew and despite the fact that he was among the first of the deck he re- mained by his ship until she went down. He said that he had made no move to get into his boat until he had given orders to his men to lower all boats and clear away the rafts. While his boat was in the water it was fas- tened to the ship by rope in the run ning gear that had become caught, and thls was cut by Boatswain An drew Tobeson, who saw that with the ship settling rapidly the boat and it's occupants would be caught in the whirlpool and sucked beneath the sur face. The captains boat was on the windward side, and he said he called to the passengers to jump into his boat, which would hold about twenty two people in all, but the electric lights had been extinguished in the collision, and in the darkness and confusion no one needed his summons. Everybody was on the leeward side of the ship, and he ordered his men to row around there, he claims, but the gale baked this plan, and as the boat was driven away from the stricken steamer his men had to give up their task and crouch down in the bottom of the boat out of the way of the piercing wind.
 The statement made by Fred Hierg- sell, an eighteen-year-old lad of Brook lyn. one of the survivors, has been cor roborated. Hiergsell alleged that the passengers were left to shift for them selves, that the ships crew crowded the boats without attempting to pro- vide for the passengers and that Cap tain Mcvay was the first to desert the foundering vessel.
 The statement of young Hiergsell created sensation in view of the fact that ten of the nineteen survivors were employees on the ship.
 The boys story is corroborated by Louis McFarlane, a negro member of the crew, who says he found Captain Mcvay already in the first lifeboat, to which his regular emergency duty as- signed him as oarsman in case of mis- hap. The negro declares that his com mander appeared frantic. ordering the crew to make haste to get away. After being launched the lifeboat remained dangling from the davit tackle, he says, the captain shouting excitedly to those on the sinking steamer until Boatswain Tobeson cut the ropes with an ax.
 Taking into reckoning the further fact that only two women of all those on the boat are among the living today, additional color is lent to the accounts of the horror given by the few surviv' ing passengers and the implied charges of cowardice on the part of the crew Add to this the significant fact that moi . single child got on the sinking ship, and the case against Captain Mcvay and his men is declared to be even more convincing.
 One survivor, Miss Sadie Galub of 53 Leverett street. Boston. still re mains on Block island. where she is being cared for at the home of George Afilliken. She has stated that wher she begged either Captain Mcyay or Purser Young to take her in theil boat they pushed her back. and the lifeboat left the Larchmont with only six in it. although it would have held twenty more When the steamer went down she found herself on a piece oi rreckage and remained on 1t until picked up ten hours later by the crew .sf the fishing schooner Elsie. Miss Galub was very emphatic in hel charge against Captain Mcyay and the officers of the Larchmont.
 Miss Galub remained unconscious for a long time after being brought ashore.
 Twenty-three more bodies were re ceived here today. The little schooner