The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-12-23
Crew of Foundering New
foundlal1d Steamer Make
Land, But Inaccessible
Bluffs Compel Them to
Turn Back to Doomed
Ship, Hammered by Seas
? MATE AND FOUR MEN
WIN WAY TO SAFETY
When Morning Dawns Five
Survivors on the Heights
Overlooking the Ocean
Can Find No Trace of Ill
Fated Vessel Save Scatter
ing Bits Of the Deck Load

ST. JOHNS. n. r, Dec e2.-Twenty-
two of the 27 members of the crew Of
the Furness line steamer Florence. from
Halifax. n. s. for St John. lost their
lives IN the wreck of the vessel on
the lodges west Of st. shotts during
q northwest gale last Friday. Five ex-
hausted survivors. who reached land in
a boat. brought the news to Trepassey
tonight The steamer carried no pas
senEers
Captain Barr OF the steamer and all
his men reached shore after the vessel
struck. but the lofty. inaccessible curs
or ST. shotts prevented their escape.
The big tide. backed up by the north
vest gale. made it impossible TO re-
main there. and all hands were obliged
to put back to the ship. which was
rounding heavily.
MATE TAKES DARING CHANCE
Captain Barr felt confident that the
wind would go down. but Second Mate
J. Hedley volunteered to take four men
in one OF the ships boats and seek
more favorable landing place further
along the coast. In the heavy seas then
running the captain was unwilling to
risk more lives and gave his consent to
the second mates expedition with re-
luctance
With great difficulty Hedley piloted
hno
he saw break in the rugged line of
cliffs Pointing the nose of the boat
directly into the surf. he avoided the
outlying rocks and on the crest of
great breaker ran his craft in without
being upset. Tumbling out hastily to
avoid being sucked back by the under
tow. the mate and his four men dragged
their boat up the beach out OF reach
Of the sea and made their way back
along the cliff to where the steamer
lay
CONIBERS BREAK OVER SHIP
The wind and sea in the meantime
had increased. The combers broke con-
tinually over the decks of the vessel.
which was grinding heavily on the
Jagged rocks Hedley and his men
searched in vain Tor some path By
which the cliff might be scaled or the
crew Of the Florence helped. The coast
in that vicinity was uninhabited. The
few fshermen's huts were deserted for
the winter and Hedley had to take
refuge for the night in one of these
abandoned shacks..
At daylight Saturday HedIey found
that the wind had been steadily in
creasing. Hurrying back to the point
of which the Florence lay he could
see no sign Of the steamer. Consider
able Of its cargo of lumber was float
ing along the shore. but no small boats
were visible
NO TRACE OF sHIPMATEs
The five survivors made thorough
search along the shore for their ship
mates. but no trace of them was to be
found. They then started for St shotts.
the nearest inhabited place. several
miles distant Two of them were so
exhausted from cold and exposure that
they had TO be assisted. These two were
left at st. shotts to recuperate while
the others passed to Trepassey, whence
they sent word OF the disaster TO this
city. They are not expected to arrive
here before the middle of the week
ne steamer Florence was of 1909
tons burden and was built in Sunder-
land. England. in 1889