Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-13
FOUGHT FOR LIFE
AMID ICY WAVES
Larchmont Survivors Tell of
FrightfuI Experiences.
DEATH LIST STILL GROWS
Only Nineteen Persons Known. to
Have Been Saved.
SEA GIVING UP ITS DEAD
Two Women Among Those Who
Lived Through Night of Horror
Suffering Causes Suicide.
GIVING UP ITS DEAD

The recovery of the bodies of the
victims of the Larchmont disaster in
Block Island sound proceeded slow
ly and with difficulty along the icy
shores of the island last night and
today. Up to 1 O'Clock today the
names OF 1913 persons who we're on
board the steamer were known. Oh
these, nineteen are known to have
survived, eleven are among the dead,
their bodies having been identified,
and ninety-eight are missing. OF the
identified dead seven were members
OF the crew and four passengers; of
the survivors, ten are members OF
the crew and nine passengers OF the
missing, twelve are members of the
crew and eighty-six passengers.
BLOCK ISLAND. r.. l., February ID
Block Islands two life saving stations, one
at Sandy Point and the other at New
Shoreham, were turned into morgues and
hospitals during the night, and the Larch-
mont disaster dead crowded the living.
The boat room oors were lined with the
dead, each one frozen as stiff as the boards
on which it rested. In the living and sleep
ing rooms the suffering survivors rested on
cots and beds, racked with the pain of
frozen limbs and shuddering with the recol-
lection of the horror of their experiences.
Many were denied the merciful uncon-
seriousness of sleep, and throughout the long
dreary night they tossed and cried and Sob
bed, and the bowling wind outside only
served TO keep fresh in their minds the ter
rors of the storm through which they had
fought their way ito the island. 1t is feared
that none of these survivors will escape I'M
scathed.
May Lose Their Limbs.
The frost penetrated 100 deeply to be
overcome by medical treatment. and the
surgeons knife will be the only salvation
Of some OF the unfortunates. Some will
lose fingers. some hands, and it is feared
some will be obliged TO have limbs ampu-
tated. Purser Youngs feet We're in a bad
state. and it was doubted if he could be
removed TO Providence today. Capt. McVey
Jared somewhat better than his subordi-
nate officer but he seemed to be overcome
by the disaster which has befallen his
steamer and by the appalling loss of life
among his passengers. Several times dur
ing the night he was overcome by emotion.
So serious was his condition that repre-
sentative of the Joy line. who came here to
secure a statement, was obliged TO leave
the island without securing it.
The life savers, although wearied by their
day Of toll yesterday. patrolled the beach
throughout tSie night, and their efforts We're
rewarded by finding four bodies three of
them shortly after midnight and one after
sunrise. Every body that came ashore was
encased in a coating of ice so heavy that
In some instances the bodies were mistaken
for flOating cakes of ice.
Upon recovering these bodies the life
savers dragged them upon the beach and
chopped sway the ice until the human form
was brought to view. The bodies were
then loaded into carts and sent 10 the
nearest station TO await the arrival of the
steamer to carry them TO Providence.
One OF the men who spent the night
the beach expressed the opinion that few
more bodies would he washed ashore. He
said that they would be washed to the
eastward OF the island
Early in the day n small fleet OF fishing
schooners and tug went out To search
the waters for bodies
The steamer Kentucky will leave Block
Island Tor Providence today, having on
board the bottles of ffty-one victims of the
accident. well carrying the survivors
@ the collision.
Corpses for Companions.
oliver Janvier. twenty-one years old. of
Providence told OF one of the most trying
of all the horrible experiences of the sur
yivors. lie came ashore In a boat at
O'Clock yesterday morning with nine dead
Nearly dead himself from cold and exhaus-
ticn. he waded ashore in water waist-deep
at Sandy Point. his boat, with its grim
cargo. floating in on the rising tide.
lie said he had occupied a s;ateroom with
Henry Rock OF Jersey City connected with
wild west show Rock was on his way
from Providence to New Jersey to join his
wife Both men had turned in shortly be-
fore the collision. When the shock came
Janvier rushed up on deck TO meet scene
of great confusion Passengers were rush
ing wildly about In contrast. however, the
crew sprang 10 quarters. each at his spe-
cial lifeboat. at the call of the officers, and
kept back the passengers by main force
from springing overheard or swapping the
boats and RATS they were lowered.
Janvier rushed back to his stateroom to
get some el9yhes and to see what had be-
come of 36ck. Rock seemed to be in
stupor. and when Janvier tried TO make
him realize their danger the latter, accord
ing to Janviers story. attacked him. jan
vier managed to drag his companion, strug-
Cling and protesting. out into the passage
way of the steamer and there had to leave
f,s~
seven other men and they pushed off.
Two men were struggling in the wafer