The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-04-08
FIFTY MEN LOST N GALE.
DEATH OVERTAKES MEN IN
SEALING FLEETS.
Half Hundred Known Dead and
Many More Thought to Have Per-
ishcd or Been Maimcd by Expos
urc la blizzard.

ST. Johns. n. f.. April 2.-Deati
travelled In gale that overlook tn,
scaling fleets last Tuesday. Th,
steamer Newfoundland lost probabl,
so OF her crew. while as many more
Il Is feared. will be maimed as a re.
suit OF exposure.
Sixty-four members OF the crew OF
the Newfoundland are known to have
perished and 81 were rescued, accord.
Ing TO a statement by Colonial Secre-
tary Bennett. acting premier. late to-
night. The steamer Bellaventure ac-
counted for 5s dead and S5 living. the
stephano for one dead and two living
and tho Florizai for five dead.
Wireless messages received tonight
report the steamer Southern Cross
safe at Channel. n. f. Her loss with
a crew OF 10 men had been feared.
The men lost were far from their
ship killing seals when the storm,
with binding snow. swooped down.
They were exposed for as hours be-
fore assistance arrived ind in that
time many succumbed.
The Newfoundland was one OF a
fleet of Is ships carrying more than
1000 men. scattered among the ice
foes near Belle Isle strait. The crews
were on the foes hunting seals and
the hunt haa taken them from four
to six miles from their ships.
When the blizzard came the crews
OF other steamers managed 20 regain
their vessels. but the foes on which
the Newfoundland's men were hunt
Ing drifted away from the main body
OF Ice and when darkness fell that
right not one had returned. The
ships crew numbered $50 men, of
whom 120 were on the ice. Capt.
Wesley Kean. his officers. engineers,
stokers and cooks remained aboard.
The weather cleared today and
Capt Kean signaled the steamers
Belleaventure and Stephano of the loss
of his men. These two vessels, being
fast and powerful. smashed their way
into the foes In search Of the miss
ing men. Later today the captain
OF the Belleaventure sent wireless
messages here saying he had picked
up so survivors and a number of
bodies. tie estimated that 40 men
had pcrished and said that 80 were
unaCcounted for.
a message from the Stephano to-
night said 35 survivors had been found
and three bodies. but there is doubt
as to whether she referred only to
those picked mp by her. The wire
less OF the Belleaventure was work
ing poorly and her messages were
confused. The number OF fatalities
viii be i'm doubt at least until she
reaches here. probably tomorrow
noon.
At dusk another blizzard had
sprung up and there was little hope
for any Of the hunters who already
had not been saved.
Added to the known disaster was u
growing suspense regarding the South
ern Cross. First reports OF the loss
of the men OF the Newfoundland were
confused and generally were accepted
as referring to the Southern Cross and
10 was not until late in the day that
the identity OF the crew was determ-
ined. Early information that the New
foundland had been sunk by the ice
proved untrue. Wireless messages de-
scribing the loss of her hunters were
read as referring to the ship itself.
There still Is some doubt as to how
the vessel survived the storm. but as
the latest messages from the Bellea-
venture and the Stephano make no
mention To the contrary. 1t Is assumed
that the ship still floats.
Preparations are being made here
to care for the dead and suffering.
The Grenfell Seamen's institute has
been converted into an emergency
hospital. The whole contingent OF
naval rescrvists on the drill ship
Calypso has been ordered out for
ambulance duty and collins are being
hurriedly constructed.