New Britain herald., 1914-04-03
SOUTHERN CROSS IS
 CAUSE OF WORRY
Report That Scaling Steamer Was
 Safe Proves Erroneous.
MANY NEWFOUNDLAND VICTIMS

MANY NEWFOUNDLAND VICTIMS Bellaventure, Bearing 5s Bodies and
 35 Survivors of m-fated Vessel
 Nearing Port of St. Johns, N. F.
 Preparations Made for Survivors.
 St. Johns, N F., April 3.-There was growing apprehension today that the sealing steamer Southern Cross went down with all on board during the blizzard off Cape Race Tuesday. She carried a crew of ITO men and was heavily loaded with 17,OOO seal skins, trophies of hunt recently con- cluded in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
 Hope for the safety of the vessel, based on despatch from Sydney, N s.. which stated that a wireless message had been received there re- porting the arrival of the Southern Cross at Channel, a little harbor to the westward of Cape Race, was dis sipated before noon when the gov ernment, after several hours inquiry, declared the Sydney report absolute l untrue.
 Search Was Instituted.
 Confirmed in it's opinion, the gov ernment instituted an extended search for the missing vessel, and appealed to the United States for assistance. The Reid Newfoundland company's steamer Kyle, which has a good wire less equipment, was chartered for the purpose and will sail at midnight. The American revenue cutter Seneca, which is doing iceberg patrol duty several hundred miles off the south ern coast, was asked to assist. It was expected that the Seneca would respond as soon as she received the necessary orders from Washington.
 The sea1er Bellaventure, with her cargo of seal, is blocked in the ice 100 miles north of here and cannot arrive before Sunday. She went to the aid of her sister sealer, the New foundland. when 120 hunters. from the latter were caught by the storm while killing seals Tuesday and were unable to regain their ship. Many Bodies Recovered.
 The Bellaventure, the Stephano. and F1orixe1 picked up many bodies and number of survivors. It is known that fifty-eight lives were lost and some thirty men are not ac- counted for. It is believed that it is scarcely possible that the latter could have survived the long exposure on the ice foes.
 Bellaventure Nearing Port. ' The Bellaventure, one of the seal ing fleet. was nearing this port in the midst of another storm, bringing fifty eight bodies and thirty-five survivors of the men of the Newfoundland who were overwhelmed by the blizzard while hunting seals on the ice foes at some distance from their vessel. 5ixty-four men are known to have perished and 1t was understood that the steamer Stephano, which, with the Florizel recovered six bodies and two survivors, also was on her way to St. Johns. After getting out of range of the wireless station at Cape Fogo, on Togo Island, 8 third of the way down the east coast from the sealing grounds, the Bellaventure was unable to send further news of the disaster.
 Everything was in readiness here for the care of the bodies and the relief of the suffering men who had escaped death, but had been severely injured by forty-eight hours ex- posture to the bitter wind and driv- ing snow.
 It was arranged to take the sur- vivors to the Grenfell Seamen's In- stitute.
 Two Sealing Grounds.
 There are two distinct sealing grounds to which vessels of the New foundland fleet make their annual trips. The steamer Newfoundland was with fourteen others of the fleet off the east coast near the Strait of Belle Isle. The Southern Cross, with five other sealers, had been hunting the animals on the opposite side of the island, in the Gulf of St. Law renee.
 Heavily laden with 17,00O seals, the Southern Cross started homeward last Saturday. She passed safely down the west coast, through Cabot Strait and along the southern coast, and Tuesday morning was sighted off Cape Pine, nineteen miles west of Cape Race. Nothing further was heard from her until the brief wireless message early today announced her arrival at Channel, and it was feared she had been wrecked in Tuesdays storm, which ragged throughout the island and did much damage along every coast.
 Blocked in Ice.
 When ninety miles from port the Bellaventure became blocked in the ice off Cape Bonavista, and at noon her captain sent wireless message stating that it might be Sunday be- fore he could bring in the dead ana