The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-13

BLOCK ISLAND. r. T.. February II.
"A mar marine disaster, with an appalling
loss of life and entailing suffering
almost beyond the limit Of human
endurance, came to light to-day when
llfeboat Of the JOY Line Steamer
Larcllmont, bound from Providence to
New York, drifted into Block u island
Harbor. fSs5 VI
In the. boat We're several bodies OF
men who had died from the efrect OF
long hours of exposure to death
dealing tempera ture. In the boat also
were eleven men whose suffering was
so intense that they seemed obliy-@
ious to the fact that death was in their
midst and that they haG escaped only
by virtue OF their ability to Withstand
the rigor of zero weather In an opelts
boat at sea. .55 ii: En- y5s
The boat brought a tale Of disaster
that has rarely been oqualled In New
England waters, and tits believed thatS
when the final count Is made 1t will
bo found that not less than 150 lives
were lost Following closely In the
wake OF the solitary lifeboat came
bodies. cast upon the beac j by an gry
waves. Then came l!feboats and IA fts.s
Each fof them bore their hutden of
"
fering humanity, and each brou Eh t o.
tale of horror. 4ts
Owing to the condition of the sur
vivors Of the tragedy, y was in1pos-
sible to get fro III them an estimate of
tho loss OF life. Anywhere from $ to-
$50 persons went to their death, and
at a late hour tonight t was bel lieved9
that the later figure Is nearer cor
recN than the former. }5s H
Two Hundred on Board.
The steamship officials estimate that.
about $50 passengers and a crew OF
fifty were on board the steamer when
she left Providence last night. Forty
three bodies reached these shores tto-A
day, and nineteen We're alive When;
taken from the lifeboats. Taking tho I
officials as basis, there are still 13Sis
persons to be accounted for. The only
positive evidence OF the steamers s VIC
tins is lying at the bottom OF Block
Island Sound. The list of passengers and
crew, handed to the purser Just be fore
the steamer left Providonce, was lock-
cd In q safe and it was not recovered.
The cause OF the accident has not
been satisfactorily explained. It oc-
CURED just Off Watch Hill, about III &
o'clock last night, when the three
masted schooner Harry &KnoWlton.F
bound from South Alnboy for Boston,
with cargo OF coal, crashed INTO eCnos r
steamers portside, anidships.
Captain George McVey. OF tho Larch- 4
mont, declares that the Knowton sud-
denly swerved from her course, luffed
up in the wind and crashed into his n
vessel. 32S
Captain Haley, Of the Knowlton. as
scrts that the steamer did not give his
vessel sufficient sea-rOom, and that the
collision occurred before he could take
his schooner out of the path Of the
or-coming steamer
4 The steamer, with a huge hole in 4
her side. was so seriously damaged that
no attempt was made to run for shore.
and she sank to the bottom 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 anoat until she 4
reached point off Quonochontaug. where
they put out in the lfeboat and rowed "
ashore There We're no fatalities on tho
schooner, but the men suffered froIa the
extreme cold.