Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-12
From Wrecked French
Steame Gen. Chanzy.
.Eighty-sk Of 81 Passengers
And Grew Of 10 Perish.
Vessel a Total Loss on North Coast
OF Island Of Minorca.

Palma, Island of Majorca, Feb. IL
Swept helplessly from her course In
one Of the widest storms that has
visited the Mediterranean sea In 40
years, the staunch French Transact
lantic Steamer Cos. steamer Gen.
Chanzy dashed at full speed in the
dead of night on the treacherous reefs
near the island of Minorca and all but
one of the 157 souls on board persisted.
The one survivor is an Algerian GUS
toms official, Marcel Rodel, who was
rescued by a fisherman and lies to-
night in the hospital at Ciudadela raw.
ing as a result of the tortures through
which he passed and unable to give an
account of the disaster.
OF the ships company, there were
81 passengers. of whom 80 were in
the first cabin. The crew numbered
TO- 1t is believed no Americans were
aboard the liner The ship was in
command of Capt. Coyol, one of the
most careful officers Of the line. IN his
long experience he never before had
met with an accident. He was soon
to have retired from the service.
The passengers of the Chanzy were
mostly French officers and officials re-
turning to their posts in Algeria, ac-
companied by their wives and chill
dren; a few soldiers, some Italians
and Turks and one priest. The only
Anglo Saxon names on the passenger
list We're Green and Stakely. They
were members of an opera troupe Of
H., which had been engaged to sing
at the casino at Algiers
The Gen. Chanzy sailed from Marseilles
Wednesday at noon and was due at AL
giras Thursday afternoon The Chanzy
is total wreck. Steamers have been
dispatched from Spain to the scene Of
the wreck. The Gen. Chanzy struck at
| o'clock Thursday night after Capt Coyol
with all his experience and efficiency In
steering had peen unable to cope with
a tempest Of almost unprecedented vio-
lence. Other ships in the neighborhood
had safely ridden out the storm, but the
ChanZy fell prey to the elements. was
lifted off her course through the Balearic
archipelago and brought up on the coast
Of Minorca, in the vicinity Of Ciudadela.
Fishermen at daybreak picked up Rodel
clinging to piece Of wreckaoe.
The French Line authorities say that
they have hopes that some of the pas
sengers have escaped and landed on
other parts Of the island Of Minorca.
When the Chanzy sailed from this
port, according to the details reaching
here tonight, instead of heading d.
! rect for Algiers, she Rugged the coast
as far as Barcelona to avoid the storm
and finally ran under the shelter OF
the Islands Minorca and Majorca. The
engines broke down, however and she
was rendered helpless. The storm
hurled her against the rocks on the
north coast Of Minorca in the vicinity
of Ciudadela and she went down almost
Immediately. The sole survivor, Marcel
Rodel, brought the news to Palmas.
According to the company's sailing
list, the steamer Marechael Buegeaud
should have sailed Wednesday but was
replaced by the Chanzy. Many passen-
gers booked for Algiers had waited to
60 nv the Chanzy, because Of their
great confidence in her captain.
The French consul at Ciudadela re-
ports that large numbers of bodies are
floating at sea, but that the storm con-
tinues, making impossible their recov.
cry.
The hull Of the steamer is said to
bear evidence that an explosion prob
ably Of the boilers occurred. It ID NOW
CONTINUED on Page Twelve.l
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