New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-15
IDENTIFIED DEAD 81.
.LARCHHONT VICTIM DIES.
T7centy-f0ur Bodies Taken to Prori-
dence from Block Island.

! UEHCC from DLOCh ISLuHu.
Providence. Feb. 1.-THE work Of returning to
their relatives and friends the bodies of the vic
tins of the Larchmont disaster continued to-
day, many Of those brought to the city last
night having been claimed during the day. An
other boatload Of twenty-four corpses came
up the river from Block Island late tonight, and
the bodies were transferred to the morgue.
The authorities here number the identified
dead fifty-four. including Samuel La Combe,
of Manchester n. H. who reached Block Island
alive Tuesday morning. and survived his ter
rbe experience and sufferings long enough to
reach the Rhode Island hospital here, where he
died early this evening The only body recov-
cred hich not brought to the city was that
of Harry Eckles, of Block Island, whose funeral
will take place tomorrow. within a few miles
of the beach on which it thrown up by the
sea.
The death of La Combe tonight reduces the
number of survivors to eighteen, and one or that
number Miss Sadie Goub of Boston, still re-
mains at Block Island, recovering from her ter
rbe experiences
OF the bodies which were brought to this city
by the tug Roger Williams. which made a spe-
cial trip to Block Island to-day. a number had
already been identified and at the morgue late
Tonight 80 remained unclaimed. This number
is included in those known TO be missing, when,
tonight totalled 81. making total number, &C
cording to all accounts, of 159 who sailed on the
Larchmont on Monday night. These figures in
clude IS survivors "a identified dead and 81
missing or unidentified dead.
While the identifcations were in progress to-
day at the local morgue. the tug Roger Williams
was on her way to Block Island to bring back
those bodies which the island fishermen had
hauled from the turbulent waters yesterday and
he
bered % bodies. and these were taken to the
wharf at New Harbor to await transfers TO
the mainland. During to-day two bodies were
brought in one of which arrived early enough
to be sent to the New Harbor wharf. The tug
arrived at the island at o'clock this afternoon
and two hours were occupied in transferring the
bodies to her decks. She left there at O'Clock,
but on getting around Sandy Point. she was
signalled to return, and the last body recovered
by the Block Island fishermen, that Of a Negro
was sent on board. When this body was brought
ashore at Block Island about dark this after
noon before it was sent to the tug. 1t was dis
covered that the unfortunate man probably com
mitted suicide by stabbing himself in the throat
The tug on account of returning for the last
body, was delayed considerably, and did not
reach the pier here until II o'clock tonight.
The bodies. like those brought in last night
were in charge OF Medical Examiner Champlin.
Of Block Island, who certified that death in each
case was by freezing
The bodies were at once removed in tempo
rary collins to the morgue and arranged beside
the others No effort made to obtain addi-
tional identifcations tonight. but tomorrow
another long stream Of relatives and friends or
the missing VIII be admitted.
The weather changed to-day from cold
northwestern which had prevailed since the
wreck. to a mild blow from the southwark. and
under these conditions it Is expected that no
more victims will be found IN the vicinity of
Block Island. It IS thought that II other bodies
stiu remain afoat they viii be cast up on tho
southern shores OF Rhode Island and perhaps 70
the westward Of Buzzard's Bay. on the Messa-
chusetts coast.
Captain McVay OF the steamer to-day ad-
United that his nfeboat was zone Of the first.
II not the first. TO leave the sinking ship"
This statement was made IN reply TO charges
by Fred HiergselI. eighteen years old, of Brook
Ign, one of the survivors.
the passengers were left 10 shift for themselves
that the ships crew crowded the boats without
attempting to provide for the passengers. and
that Captain McVay the first TO desert the
ship. The statement Of Hiergsell created SEN
sation in view Of the fact that while approx
mately 20 per cent OF the vessels crew was
saved. only per cent OF the passengers sur
vived.
Captain McVay explained that. while his boat
may have been the first in the water. Il was be-
cause he had a good crew, and, despite the fact
that he was among the first off tho deck, he
manned by his ship until she went down. He
said that he had made move TO get into his
boat until he had given orders to his TO
lower all boats and clear away the RATS. While
his boat was in the water II was fastened TO the
ship by rope in the running gear that had be-
come caught. and this was cut by Boatswaln
Andrew Tobeson, who saw that, with the ship
settling rapidly. the boat and its occupants
would be caught In the whirlpool and sucked be-
meath the surface. 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-five people in ALL but the
electric lights had been extinguished in the COL
lision 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 declares, but the gale
baked this plan, and the boat was driven
away from the stricken steamer his men had to
give up their task and crouch down I'm the bot
tom Of the boat out Of the way OF the piercing
wind.
WOM1N 1TTTTCFC 1F,H ~