Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-13
PASSENGER LIST Is
ESTIMATED FROM 15O
TO 200 PERSONS
By Associated Press.


BLOCK ISLAND, r. l., Feb. 1.-THE
Larchmont left her dock in Providence
last night with a heavy cargo of
freight and passenger list estimated
at from 150 to 200. A strong northwest
wind was blowing as the steamer
plowed her way down through the
eastern passage of Narragansett bay,
but the full effect of the gale which
was blowing out in the sound was not
felt until the Larchmont rounded Point
Judith.
Captain George McVey vas preparing
to retire after a turn around his ship
when he was startled by several blasts
of the steamers whistles. He rushed
into the pilot house, where the pilot
and quartermaster pointed out a three
masted schooner sailing eastward be-
fore strong wind.
The schooner, which proved to be the
Harry Knowlton, coal laden from South
Amboy for Boston, had been blowing
along on her course, when she seemed
suddenly to luff up and head straight
for the steamer.
Again several blasts were sounded
on the steamers whistle, the pilot and
the quartermaster at the same moment
whiring the wheel hard aport in mad
endeavor to aver a collision.
Boats Collide
AS the steamer was slowly veering
around the schooner came on with a
speed that almost seemed to equal the
gale that had been pushing her toward
Boston.
Before another warning could be
sounded the schooner crashed into the
port side of the Larchmont and the i'm
pact OF the big vesse, was so terrific
that the big clumsy bow of the sailing
craft forced it's way more than half
the breadth of he Larchmont. When
the force of the impact had been spent
the schooner temporarily remained fast
in the steamers size, holding in check
for a moment the brushing water. The
pounding sea soon separated the ves-
sells, however, and the water rushed
into the gaping hole in the steamer
with tremendous velocity. AS t. , water
struck the boiler room great clouds of
steam arose and the passengers were
at first under the impression that a
fire had broken out on board.
Captain McVey could not communi-
cate with his subordinate officers below
deck. the signal apparatus being
wrecked.
The passengers meanwhile rushed to
the deck. Few of them had waited to
clothe themselves. The Cold was in
tense, but they found 1t impossible to
return below and obtain their clothing
Their rooms were flooded soon after
they had been deserted, and the steam
er fioundering around in the high seas,
that 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 We're preparing to low
er 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.
Cold Intense
1t was a physical impossibility for
any except the most hardened to with
stand the cold which turned ears And
noses white with the frost and whichsso
benumbed feet that both the passengers
and members of the crew stumbled
rather than walked to the small RATS
in which they were to leave the sinking
ship.
shrleks of pain drowned the roar OF