The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-20

prayer, while others seized those
about them, shouting vainly for aid
in their delirium of fear. Others
rushed for the lifeboats, shelved high
on the hurricane deck of the steamer,
and the rush OF those attempting to
find q way to the upper deck was
frantic. Many were so hurt in the
struggle that they were unable to
help themselves and rolled off into
the water.
Some died in attempts to launch
the lifeboats. They were frozen to
death as they struggled Vainly on the
decks Of the flounderiEg steamer.
Others were drowned, pushed over
board in the mad panic 20 escape be-.
fore the steamer went down. Still
others, hopeless and unable to steel
themselves for the ordeal of waiting
for the steamer to sink. flung them
selves overheard into the water, in
sane with fear. Many were so injured
in the collision that they were unable
to even escape from their staterooms.
The great hurricane deck was
broken into fragments by the up
rush Of water as the Larchmont sank.
Happily for seven of the passengers
and crew, a large portion Of the after
deck foated free, and sixteen persons,
several of them women, found a pre-
carious foothold upon it. Almost
instantly three o. the party, two men
and a woman, were washed over
board.
First, the women were placed in
%lifeboats, the men passengers and
members Of the crew selecting the
unprotected RATS as their vehicle Of
escape. Captain McVey remained on
the upper deck, directing his officers
and crew, until every n on board
appeared to have been cared for. He
ordered all of the lifeboats and RATS
cut away, and before he stepped into
his own boat he stood on the upper
deck a moment to see that his order
was executed.
Then he ordered that his 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 sea rag
ing over the hurricane deck, and for
a moment it seemed as though the
lifeboat would be dragged down be-
fore she could be freed from the
doomed steamer. Every hand in the
boat was too cold to handle a knife
and cut the ropes, which, however,
slipped through the tackles and set
the lifeboat adrift just as the vessel
became submerged.
The pitiable condition of the pas
sengers and crew was increased a
hundred-fold the moment they had
launched their boats. Every wave
sent it's dash of spray i've the boats,
and soon a thin coating of ice envel-
oped every one. Those who were
| fully clothed suffered from frozen
faces and numbed feet, but there
we're many who had on only their
night clothes. +
One man in the captains boat, a
member of the crew, was suddenly
driven insane by his intense suffer
ing. He pulled a big clasp knife
from his pocket and gashed his
throat. No n stayed his hand, and
again he plunged his knife into his
! throat. The mans body fell to the
| bottom of the boat, where 1t re-
NAMED until Block Island was
reached. 1.,
Fishers Point is the nearest point
of land to the westward Of where the
steamer went down, and every boat
headed for that place. But the boats
were heavy and the men at the oars
were weak. A ffty-mile gale blew on
their backs as they strained at the
recovered oars in their hopeless en-
| deavor. The boats and RATS soon
became separated.
The wind was too strong to be
overcome, and there was nothing left
| for the seamen to do but turn about
and head for Block Island, fifteen
| miles away. 1t was just after II p.
M. when the captain cut away from
| the sinking steamer, and it was not
until $50 o'clock in the mornirg that
his boat arrived at Block Island.
! When Captain McVey's boat, which
had four passengers and six OF the
crew, came ashore, not a man on
board was able to walk. Their feet
were frozen so badly that the life
savers carried them to the life-savine
station. .
The fishing schooner Clara E. had
landed, just before at Block Island,
! after picking up a life raft. There
we're upon it seven persons, barely
| alive, and one man frozen stiff. All
the living ones were far gone from
exposure.
The hands of nearly every one
among the saved were frozen and
| their clothing was frozen stiff.
The northwest gale, in the midst
of which the disaster occurred, con:
| tinued during the morning, with zero
temperature.