The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-12-23
STEAMER FLORENCE GOES
DOWN OFF SAINT SHOTTS
Inaccessible Cliffs of II. Shotti
Pre-, ented The Escape Of y
Captain and Crew.
Five Men in a Boat Reach Land ID
Safety After Battle With
a Heavy Sea. -

81. JOHNS. y. p. Dec. ee.-Twen-
iy-twu uf th. twcuty-scvcu membersl
of tho crew OF tho Furness line steam 4
or florence. from Halifax. y. s.. for|
-. Johns. lost their lives IN the wreck
of Tho vessel ON the lodges west oil
- Shotts during northwest gale
last Friday. Five exhausted surviv{
or who reached land I'm boatI
brought the news to- Trepazzey TOD
nicht Tn" steamer carried no pas-
scucers
Captain Barr. Of the steamer. and
all oi his men reached shore after theI
vessel struck hut the lofty. inaccessi{
Die cliffs o. 81 Shots prevented their|
escape. The big tide. hacked up by'
The northwest gale. made II impossi{
Bile 10 remain there. and all handsI
""r" obliged 20 rut back To the shipl
which WIS pounding heavily
Captain Htrr felt coriidont that thd
wind would ro down. hut second ma,e
y H"dley volunteered to take fou1I
mon iu one of the ships boats and
seek more favorable landing PLACID
further along tho coast In the heavy
seas then running the captain was un
willing 10 risk moro lives. and gave
his consent 10 the second mates exy
pcdition with reluctance.
Reach Land.
With Great difficulty Hedley piloted|
his small boat along the coast until
h" saw q break IN the rugged line %
cliffs Pointing tho nose Of the boat
directly into the surf. no avoided the
outlying rocks and on the crest of III
great breaker ran his craft in without
being upset.
Tumhliur ont hastily In order ii
avoid being sucked back bv the uni
d"rtow. the mate and his four merE
dragged their boat up the beach ouG
OF re"ch Of the sea. and made theid
way back along the Cl.n to vhere
their steamer lay
The wind and sca in the meantimd
had increased. The combers broke
continually over tho decks OF the YES
sol. which Was grinding heavily on
tho Jagged rocks Hcdley aud nj
mrn searched ia vain for some patti
10y which th" clin might be scaled cd
the crew Of the Florence helped. Thd
coast in that vicinity is uninhabitecI |
The few hshermcu's huts we're de I
serted for Tho winter. and Hedley had
10 take refuge for the night IL oneI
of these abandoned ehacks.
At da-hroik Saturday Hcdley found
that the wind had been steadily inI
cr"asing ilurryiuE back 10 the point
OF which the Florence Law. he could
s"" no sirn Of tho steamer. ConsidI
c~ahie of her cargo of lumber waS
floating alone the shore. but no small
boats We're visible
Tho Eve survivors made n long and
thorough search aong the shore foi
their shipm1fcs. but no trace OF thenN
was 20 ho found. They then started
for 81 shots. tho nearest Inhabited
place, several miles distant Two o1
them were so exhausted from cold
and eNpo sure thar they had 10 be as
sisted These two were loft at 81
Sr1-fs 20 rcruper1tc. while The other-
pu bed ON 10 Tr"passy. whence the1y
sent word ~ Tho disaster 10 this city
They 1ro not expected 20 arrive herd
before Tho r1iddl" of the week.
Eosid"s f1d-e j Ilodiov. the surviI
vor- aro Soimcn W WIGHT. q Malnn
Iuis'. y. TlLor and = Smeding
Tho steamer Florence was of I sod
tons burden and WAS fgr-- In SunderI
land Eu-. in 1850 She was 2g3. Il
frri lonr to2 beam. with a depth Of
2fl feet.