The Colorado statesman., 1907-02-16
AWFUL DISASTER
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PEo.
PIE PERISH AT SEA.
BY STEAMSHIP COLLISION
Many of Them Are Frozen to Death
-Forty-eIaht Bodies Drifted Ashore


Block Island, R. About $50 per-
sons went to their death in Block
Island sound Monday night as a re-
suit OF collision of the three-masted
schooner Harry Knowlton and the Joy
line steamer Larchrr mt, bound from
Providence to New York
1t is estimated that, including the
crew, there were nearly 200 persons on
board the steamer when she sailed
from Providence. OF these, only
nineteen appear to have survived the
disaster, ten members of the crew and
nine passengers. Forty-eight bodies
have been recovered.
Awakened from their slumbers in
their staterooms, the unfortunate pas
sengers were at the mercy of the
fates. Many, it is believed, went down
with the ship. Others, temporarily
thankful that they had escaped drown
ing, prayed that they might be relieved
of the terrible pain caused by their
frozen bodies, and one unknown pas
senger plunged a knife into his throat
and ended his sufferings. The few
who survived were in pitiful condition.
In almost every case their arms and
legs hung helplessly as they were
lifted out of the boats in which they
reached shore. During the day forty
eight bodies came ashore, either in
boats or thrown up by the sea. Only
six of the forty-eight bodies were
identified.
Both captains were saved, and each
declares the other is responsible for
the fatal collision.
The Larchmont left her dock in
Providence last night with heavy
cargo of freight and a passenger list
estimated from $50 to 200.
Captain George McVey was prepar-
ing 10 retire after turn around his
ship. when he was startled by several
blasts of the steamers whistle. He
rushed into the pilot house, where the
pilot and uuartermaster pointed out a
three-masted schooner sailing east
ward before a strong wind. The
schooner, which proved to be the
Harry Knowlton, coal laden from
South Amboy for Boston, had been
bowling along on her course, when she
seemed suddenly to luff up and head
straight for the steamer. Again sew
eral blasts were sounded on the steam
er's whistle, the pilot and the quarter
master at the same time whirling their
wheel hard aport in a mad endeavor to
avert a collision.
Before another warning could be
sounded, the schooner crashed into the
port side of the Larchmont, and the
impact of the big vessel was SO ter
rife that the big, clumsy bow of the
sailing craft forced it's way more than
half the breadth of the Larchmont.
When the force of the impact had been
spent the schooner temporarily re-
manned fast in the steamers side, hold
ing in check for moment the inrush-
Ing waters.
The pounding sea soon separated
the vessels, however, and the water
rushed into the gaping hole in the
steamer with tremendous velocity.
Captain McVey ordered all lifeboats
and Iafts cut away, and before STEP
ping into his own boat he stood on the
upper deck a moment to see that his
order was executed. Then he ordered
that his own boat, the largest on board,
be cleared away.
Before the men had an opportunity
to loosen the tackles, the bottom OF
the boat rested on top of the surging
sea which was raging over the hurri-
cane deck, and for moment it
seemed as though the lifeboat would
be dragged down before she could be
freed from the doomed steamer.
Every hand in the boat was too cold
to handle knife and cut the ropes,
which, however, slipped through the
tackles and set the boat adrift just as
the vessel became submerged.
The passengers discomfort was in
creased greatly the moment they had
launched their boats. Every wave sent
Its dash of spray over them. Soon a
thin coating of ice enveloped everyone
Those who were fully clothed suffered
from frozen faces and numbed feet, but
there were many who had on only their
night clothing.
One man in the captains boat was
driven insane by the intense suffering.
He pulled a big clasp knife from his
pocket and gashed his throat. Those
who sat near him were too dazed to In
terfere. The unknown mans body fell
to the bottom of the boat, where it re-
mained unheeded.
Fishers Point, the nearest land, was
not quite five miles to the westward of
the point where the steamer went
down and every boat Immediately
headed for that place. But the boats
were heavy and the men at the oars
were weak.
The boats and RATS soon became
separated, and the only details of the
disaster which could be learned here
were given when Captain McVey's boat
came ashore.
Not a man on board was able to
walk. Their feet were frozen so badly
that the life savers carried the survi-
vors bodily to the life-saving station.
Captain McVey, shortly after his ar
rival, said he had or board mis- ship be-
tween $50 and 200 passengers and a
crew of fifty. Later he said there were
between fifty and seventy-five passen-
gers on board the steamer when the
vessel went down.