The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-13
DIE IN ICY SEA.


were lit, and she was plainly visible fully
an hour before the accident. The Knowl-
ton was headed up the Sound, and was
doing the hest she could to buck the head
wind she had. Every sea was running for
that part Of the Sound. At the time of
the collision, the schooner was on the
port tack
Whether or not there was an attempt
of the Larchmont helmsman to cross her
bows is d matter Of dispute At any
rate as the two vessels neared each other
there came a lot of sharp, short blasts
from the LarchmOnt as a signal of dan
ger Then the two vessels came together
with a crash that reused the passengers
and got them out of their berths to feel
the steamer beginning almost Immediate
ly TO settle.
Hole Below Steamers Water Line.
The schooner FIRST hit the Larchmont a
few feet from the bow, tearing a big hole
in her, then bounded back and again
plunged into the Larchmonts port side.
this time striking her a few feet for
ward of the port paddle box. The heavy
bowsprit tore into the upper works Of the
Larchmont and it would seem as if il
must have injured some OF the passen-
gers if IL did not cause actual loss of life.
In both cases the schOoneT's bow had
penetrated below the water line. As a
result Of the blows the Larchmont began
TO list badly to port, and the water
poured into the hold.
Capt McFay, who had been down below
just before the collision, hurried into the
pilot house when he heard the whistles
p l,rrfF f..4
crash. As a result Of the blow amid
ships the steampipe burst and the whole
lower part OF the LarchmOnt was filled
with steam, which made rescue work dff-
fcUlt. Passengers and crew tumbled out
of their berths 90 be blinded with this
steam, and the scene was an awful one
All Of the signals and means OF COM
munication between the pilot house and
the engine-r3Om had been smashed. Cant
McVay got few men 10 go 10 their sta
lions and attempt TO get passengers
into the boats. How well they succeeded
he does not know. He and twenty-four
OF the passengers and crew got into the
captains boat, which was on the hurri-
cane deck. not far from the wheel house
Captains Lifeboat Lands.
Block Island, Feb. I2-The boat with
Capt McVay and his crew was blown on
shore near the Ife-saying station shortly
after daylight They were seen at once
by Capt Dodge and his life-savers. The
boat, when it left the Larchmont, had
eleven men on board They battled for
seven hours with the storm and the seas
and biting cold -Four had died from ex
posture, and the others were in such a
helpless condition that If they had been
exposed much longer all would have sue
cumbed. They were got out OF the surf
with much difficulty and taken 10 the life
saving station BY the beach patrol
Physicians were summoned at once. and
although several were badly frostbftten.
all were revived and later in the day were
not much the worse for their experience.
Capt McFay and his men soon told of
the loss Of the Larchmont, and probable
great loss OF lie, and the fishermen Of
the island, as soon as they heard the
news, started out I'm their vessels 20 hunt
for those who might be drifting about on
the Sound.
seven Dcnd on Raft
The wind WAS still blowing a gale and
the seas running high. and it was no
easy task TO handle the small fishing
boats under such conditions. but the
fishermen with no thought Of their own
discomfort or Of danger. had lives to save
IL possible. and all hands worked with a
will and while these vessels were sailing
about near the scene Of the wreck and
over possible courses that boats or RATS
might have drifted. the life-savers were
scanning the waters from the bluff. try
ing to sight anything that might have
some of the passengers Of the Larch-
mont on and were patrnlling the beach.
looking for bodies that would be washed
ashore.
Early in the afternoon the schooner
Clara r. arrived in harbor. They had
found raft on which seven had taken
passage In an effort 10 reach safety. The
raft was an imprOviSed one. made UP of
wreckage of the steamer, and seven
bodies We're dashed to IT, One OF these
was that of woman. The waves had
washed over them. and each was in
cased thickIy in ice and all were dead.
IT was with the utmost difficulty that the
bodies were removed from the ice to the
schooner Clara Z, as the sea was still
running high.
Three Live Men I'm Deck House.
An improvised morgue was arranged
on the island. and the bodies laid out
and searched in order that some iden-
tihcation might be found. The coroner
took charge of the bodies.
Another schooner while searching found
"a deckhouse Of the Larchmont floating
wreckage. and with great difficulty the
schooner was placed alongside. and three
man still alive were found clinging to the
floating mass.
These three We're taken ashore The
crew Of the schooner did what little they
could 20 relieve their sufferings- They
We're barely alive, and even after reach
ing shore were in such critical condition
that the doctors doubted If they would
survive. They. too were coated with ice.
The wreCkage broke up almost as soon
as they were rescued. and if the schooner
had been a few minutes later these three
would have been among the missing.
Twenty-Five Bodies on WFecknge.
The captain OF this schooner estimated
that there must have been twenty-five
bodies on that floating piece Of wreckage.
Several of the bodies drifted ashore
and were taken 70 the morgue. Many
OF them were dashed to pieces of
the wreck, but in the cold and storm
never had any chance Of reaching the
shore safely 1t is believed by those who
found them that they died almost as
soon as they touched the water.
One body was that of Harry Eccles.
young man about twenty-five years of
= 90 who lived ON VIoclr TsFay1 L. te.
mere early yesterday morning on the mail
boat. intending to take a trip to New
York He had evidently got to Provi-
lence and by in luck taken passage on
the LarchmOnt. The life-SaYers found
him lying face downward on the beach
his afternoon dead, so thickly incaSed in
% H. u ms snrna.. Inn. hofnr-. L.. ...--