The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-12
MANY LIVES LOST
BY SHIP SINKING
One Survivor Washed Ashore
Now RavingManiac Confined
to Hospital Ward.
TWO REPORTED SAVED
FROM ILL-FATED SHIP
Anguished Crowd Beseiges Office
Of Steamship Company Vainly
Hoping for News of Survivors.

MARSEILLES. Feb. 12.-An an
guish-smitten crowd besieged the Of
ficas OF the French Transatlantic
Steamship Company to-day. hoping
against hope that there might be news
OF other survivors than the two re-
LONDON, Feb. IA despatch 10
the Central News states that the sail
Ing Vessels Martial and Mathilde have
beeu wrecked near Majorca. The fate
of their crews In unku0wn.
ported saved from the steamer Gen.
erai chanzy. which foundered Thurs
day night in the channel between the
Minorca and Majorca Islands.
The latest news, however. showed
that the tragedy was as complete as
early reports indicated. General Sec
rotary Huard read a message from
the French consul at Palma, Majoreas
to the wildly excited crowd. stating
that there was but one survivor.
passenger named Bladdse. from Mar
settles.
1t is known that there was one
other man, marriott Morei, an Algerian
customs official, who was washed
ashore. clinging to piece of wreck
age. Morel Is now in a hospital at
Ciudadeia, Minorica, raving mad from
hts terrible experience.
grief that an attempt was made to
wreck the steamship company's Of
f.ces, but heavy police guard drove
the crowd back.
There were eighty-seven passengers
on the General Charxy and a crew
OF seventy. making the total death list
49,, Many OF the bodies have been
asned ashore on the Minorca and
Matorca Islands
Three Americans.
The register of the General Chanzy
shews that three American vaudeville
perforrners--Elsie Henry, Leon De-
renda and Thomas Breen-the latter
two being team of sugglers, sailed
on the ship last Wednesday.
The completeness of the wreck Of
the vessel was due to an explosion
OF it's boilers The boat WAS blown
To pieces befure SINKING. The pieces
of the wreckage picked up are all
small. indicating that the explosion
tore the vessel to bits. and 1t is prob
able that many of the victims were
killed by the explosion.
Some OF the General Chanxy mail
sacks, which were washed ashore to-
day. were badly burned. showing the
effects of the explosion. The three
Americans aboard the ship were ali
registered from San Francisco.
The scene Of the wreck is one of
the most dangerous I'M the Mediter-
ranean, and has claimed two other
nj the French cumpany's vessels, the
Willie de Rome and the Isaac Periere.
Most of the bodies so far washed
ashore were in their night clothes.
Despite the storm. 1T is believed that
most of the passengers were sleeping
when the vessel hit the rocks.
TIL Spanish authorities to-day or
dered the officials at Palma, Majorca,
to send boats to the scene at once
in the hope that there may be other
survivors.
Grave fears are entertained for the
health of the widow of Captain Bruno
Cayot, of the lost vessel
Baldez, the Marseilles survivor. Is in
a hospital in CSudadela He regained
consciousness to-day. and was able to
give feeble account of his terrible
experience.
"Ali day Thursday the sea was run
ming mountain high" he sa a. When
the boat struck the rocks the shock
/ was terrific. and we all knew instffse-
lively that the boat was lost. Then
followed Immediately explosion of the
boilers and the boat sank like rock,
Only such n miracle as saved my
life could have saved others. for there
was no time TO put off the life boats.
| 1t seemed that there was just one ter
rifytng scream from the passengers,
when the water closed over the ship.
II don't know how l managed to
reach land | regained consciousness
Friday morning and found myself
/ lying on the shore. The sun must
have revived me wandered almost
the entire day looking for some habi-
tation, and finally arrived here. where
y told the French consul of the dis.
aster. This was the first news of the
/ tragedy. / again lost consciousness
and awoke to find myself in the hos
pital."