The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-02-21
OVER A HUNDRED
DIE IN THE DEEP
LarChmOnt Disaster Marked by an
Appalling Loss Of Life.
coLLIDEo WITH A SCHOONER
Great Hole Torn In the Steamers Side
and She Soon Founders With Many
Persons In the 5unks--others Take
to Lifeboats and Perish In the
cold-Story Of the Accident.

TO Lifeboats and Perish In the
Cold-story Of the Accident.
Block Island, r. l., Feb. 13.-Appal-
ling loss OF life attended the collision
| In Block Island sound between the
three-masted schooner Harry Knowl-
| ton and the Joy line steamer Larch-
mont, bound from Providence to
New York city. It is reliably esti-
mated that, including the crew, there
were nearly 200 persons on board the
steamer when she sailed from Provi-
dence. OF these only 19 appear to
have survived the disaster, 10 mem
bers of the crew and nine passengers.
Over so bodies have been recovered.
Awakened from their Slumbers In
their staterooms. the unfortunate pas
sengers were at the mercy of the
fates. Many, 1t is believed, went down
with the ship Others, temporarily
thank full that they had escaped drown
ing, prayed that they might be reliev-
ed of the terrible pain caused by their
frozen bodies, and one man, passen-
ger, whose name could not be learned,
plunged knife into his throat and
ended his sufferings.
Owing to the condition of the sur
vivors 1t was impossible to get from
them an estimate of the loss of life.
From rs to $50 persons went to their
death, and it is believed that the lat
ter figures are nearer correct. The
steamship officials estimate that about
$50 passengers and crew of so were
on board the steamer when she left
Providence Fifty bodies reached these
shores and 10 were alive when taken
from the lifeboats. Taking the esti-
mated figures Of the steamship Off
cials as basis, there are still over
1870 persons to be accounted for. The
only positive evidence of the steam
er's victims is lying at the bottom of
Block Island sound. The list of pas
sengers and crew. handed to the pur-
ser just before the steamer left Prov
idence, was locked in a safe, and it
was not recovered
The cause of the accident has not
been satisfactorily explained. 1t &C.
Cured just off Watch Hill, about IL
o'clock Monday night, when the three
masted schooner Harry knowlton.
bound from South Amboy for Boston
with cargo OF coal, crashed into the
steamers port side amidships. Cap
tain George McVey of the Larchmont
declares that the Knowlton suddenly
swerved from her course, luffed up
vessel. Captain Haley OF the Knowl
ton declares the steamer did not give
his vessel sufficient sea room.
The steamer, with u huge hole torn
in her side, was so seriously damaged
that no attempt was made to run for
less than half an hour. The Knowl-
ton, 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 point of
Quonochontaug, where they put out in
the lifeboat and rowed ashore There
were no fatalities ON the schooner
A majority of those on the Larch-
mont had retired for the night, and
when the collision occurred there
were few, with the exception OF the
crew, prepared for the weather which
prevailed. They hurried from the
warm staterOoms to the deck of the
steamer and into zero atmosphere.
Chilled to the bone, many rushed
headlong below to secure more cloth
ing, while others. barefooted, bare
headed and clad only In night gowns,
stood on the decks, fearing that to 60
below would mean certain death.
Fishers Point, the nearest point OF
land, was not quite five miles to the
westward of the point where the
steamer went down, and every boat
headed for that place. A
50-mile gale blew on their backs as
the men strained at the ice-covered
oars in hopeless endeavor to over
come the handicap against which they
were struggling. The boats and rats
soon became separated. Captain Nc
Vey said that had his crew been able
TO make progress against the north i,
west gale, they would have landed at
Fishers island between 12 and
o'clock. The wind. however was too
strong to be overcome, and there was
nothing left for the suffering seamen
but turn around and head for Block
Island 3 miles away
Right Of Appeal In Criminal Cases.
Washington, Feb. 13. The senate
occupied the session In argument on
The bill granting the government the
right to take an appeal on points of
aw In criminal cases, The opposition
came mainly from Senators Rayner
and Whyte of Maryland and Hepburn
u Idaho While elaborate defenses of