The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-02-14

that no attempt was made to run
for shore and she sank to the bot
tom in less than half an hour. The
Knowlton, after she had backed away
from the wreck, began to fill rapidly
but her crew manned the pumps and
kept her afioat until she reached a
point off Quonochontaug where they
put out the life boats and rowed to
shore. There were no fatalities on
the schooner.
A majority of those on board the
Larchmont had retired for the night,
and when the collision occurred
there were few, with the exception
of the crew. prepared for the wealth
er which prevailed. They hurried
from the warm state rooms to the
deck of the steamer and into a zero
atmosphere.
Chilled to the bone, many rushed
headlong below to secure more cloth
ing, while others borefooted, bare
headed and clad only in night gowns,
stood on the decks fearing that to go
below would mean certain DEATH
Their rooms were flooded soon af-
atr they had been deserted and the
steamer, floundering around in the
high seas which are feared by all
Sound navigators, was sinking with
rapidity that sent terror to the
hearts of the officers and crew. While
some of the seamen held back the
frantic passengers by brute strength
others were preparing to lower the
lifeboats and RATS. There was no
time to think of the comfort of any
one. Even before the boats were
cut away, Captain Mcvey knew that
the list of victims would be greater
than those who survived.
Benumbed With Cold.
1t was physical impossibility for
any except the most hardened to
withstand the cold which turned
ears and noses white with the frost
which so benumbed feet that both
the passengers and members Of -the,
crew stumbld rather than walked to
the small craft in which they were
to leave the sinking ship.
Shrieks of pain drowned the rear
OF inrushing waters. Despite the
pandemonium the woman
were placed in life boats,
the male. passengers and the crew
selecting the unprotected RATS as
their places of refuge.
Capt. McVey ordered ali life boats
cut away and before stepping into his
own boat he stood on the upper deck
a moment to see that his order was
Then he ordered that his
boat, the largest on board, be cleared
away.
Every hand in the boat was too
cold to handle knife and cut the
ropes, which, however, slipped
the tackles and set the boat
adrift just as the vessel became sub
The passengers discomfort
was increased greatly the moment
they had launched the boats. Every
wave sent it's dash of spray over
them, and soon a thin coating of ice
enveloped everyone
Many Only in Night Clothes.
Those who were fully clothed suf-
fered from frozen faces and numbed
feet, but there were many who had
only their night clothes. One man
was driven insane by the intense suf-
fering. He pulled a big clasp knife
from his pocket and gashed his
throat. Those who sat Lear him
were too daZed to interfere. The
mans body fell to the bot
tom of the boat, where it remained
Fishers point, the nearest land,
was not quite five miles to the west
ward of the point where the steamer
went down and every boat Immediate
ly headed for that place But the
boats We're heavy with ice and the
men at, the oars were weak. The
boats and RATS soon became separ-