The Washington herald., 1907-02-13

Providence, r. l., Feb. 2.-The steam
boat Larchmont, OF the JOY Line. which
left here at 6;50 last night for New York,
sank in the Sound three miles off Watch
Hill, r. J.. at 1880 last night, a few min
utes after she had been in collision with
the two-masted schooner Harry Knowl-
ton. bound for EastpOrt Me. from Perth
Amboy.
The Knowlton was beached on the
Rhode Island shore and all Of her crew
escaped
The Larchmont is believed to have car
Tied about $50 passengers, and had a crew
of fifty men. OF these 200 souls the only
survivors known so far number twenty
one. They landed at Block Island after
experiences such as the Sound has seldom
known.
Most Of them managed to reach the
island in two Of the Larchmont's boats
about daylight, and the others were
picked up of a life raft by fishing
schooner.
Suicide. i'm LifebOat.
Among these survivors is the captain.
George ". Mcyay. and SIX OF his crew.
LIS boat was the first 10 make the island.
reaching there shortly after O'Clock this
morning. So great were the sufferings of
those In this boat that one man. a sailor.
deliberately cut his throat unable TO en-
dure them any longer. His body was
thrown overheard.
Bodies are being washed ashore at
many points along the Sound. over thirty
have come ashore on Block Island. There
is nothing. 50 far beyond these bodies
constantly coming ashore to indicate what
has been the fate Of the 100 or more pas
sengers Yet unaccounted for. II is the
belief of the captain that a large number
got in the boats, but apparently he did
not wait to see whether they did or not
Every boat had officers and crews as
signed TO them in case of accident, but
even properly manned. If seems doubtful
whether they could have reached shore.
owing TO the gale which was blowing and
the intense cold.
Victims Freeze to Death in Craft.
From the stories Of the survivors il
would seem that it was the cold. more
than anything else which made their ex-
periences so narrowing, and which gives
rise to doubts that any more have been
saved. With the thermometer within a
degree Of ZerO-sO cold, in fact that il
made the water smoke" as the sailors
say-it was almost impossible TO work
the oars and 10 keep from freezing.
Women and little children We're in these
boats, The sea froze as It fell on them.
The sailors and men pulling at the oars
in many cases had 10 fail back benumbed
and it was only by the indomitable will
Of a few Of the men that the two boats
ever reached Block Island to tell the
story of this tragedy of the Sound.
The Block Island shore is about seven
miles from the scene Of the collision. The
mainland was only three miles away, but
it was impossible to pull the boats in
that direction on account Of the north
west wind that was blowing Those who
have reached the island say that all that
could be done was TO run before the
wind and try to keep the boats headed
toward the island. That some of the
boats, with crews benumbed and help
less, may have drifted out to sea is one
Of the possibilities.
Captains Blame Each Other.
Two different versions Of the cause Of
the collision which resulted in the sinking
of the steamer and also the schooner are
given by the masters Of th8 two vessels.
Capt McVay, of the Larchmont. says
that it was due TO the schooner suddenly
luffing, and that she appeared to be un-
manageable. Those on the schooner say
that the Larchmont tried to cross the
bow Of their ship. which had the right of
way. and that ii was clearly m error of
judgment on the part Of the men at the
LarchmOnt's wheel
There was hardly time TO give tho pas
sengers warning after the shock of the
collision, and in ten minutes she had sunk.
many, II is believed, going down with her
The LaTchmOnt was a comparatively old
steamboat. She had no water-tight com
partments. it is said. which accounted for
her settling so fast.
Salvation Army Members Lost.
When the Larchmont left here last night
she carried her normal load of passengers
for this time of the year. They came
from various New England points. and
many were returning to their homes in
New York
In this party were many Providence
people Among the passengers were
forty-seven salvation Army members be-
longing to the Swedish corps, seven being
from Providence. They were under orders
10 report at the headquarters in New
York FOrty-five members of this corps
IN all left tor New York but the others
took the boat from Fail River
The boat was Of the old type of steam
boat, with small cabins. She was built in
Bath, Me- in 1885. When the steamer left
here last night brisk northwest breeze
was blowing, and il was bitterly cold.
Nevertheless, the night was fairly clear,
and many are al a loss, for this reason, TO
account for the collision.
The breeze increased to a gale of Point
Judith, and nearly ali OF the passengers
CONTINUED on THIRD PAGE.