New-York tribune., 1918-02-26
Lifeboats Fight Their Way
Through Mountainous
Water to Hulk
Two Women Saved;
Death List Now 90
Captain of Lost Ship One
of Last To Be Taken
OFF Vessel

ST. JOHNS. n. f.. Feb 25-Boats
from the Newfoundland steamship
prospero. Drawing the breakers which
are battering the wreck of the Red
Cross liner Florizel to pieces on the
ledges north of Cape Race, TO day took
off "A survivors, all that were left alive
OF the ships company OF 1876. The
death list now stands at 90. Of the
rescued II are passengers. Only two
Of the twelve women on board and
none Of the four children were saved.
CAPTAIN William j. Martin OF the
Fiorizel and Major Michael Sullivan.
Of the Newfoundland Forestry Battal'
ION, who was on his way TO rejoin his
command in Scotland. were among
those rescued. Ralph Burnham. one
Of the six cadets of the Royal Flying
Corps, was among the survivors.
Rescue Was Difficult
The rescue was performed with great
esllantry. The Florizel was impaled on
q rock, surrounded oy alf-submerged
ledges, and lay three ship lengths. or
900 feet, from shore. Between her halt
jut from the waters edge to a height
Of 800 or 400 feet, with no beach to
speak Of at high tide, the water is
white with an almost unbroken swirl
OF breakers, making it impossible to
send cut lifeboat. A detachment OF
naval gunners from this city managed
20 shoot q line aboard the florzel last
night, but those on board were power
less to make it fast, as the fore part
Of the vessel was continually buffeted
by huge seas, the aftermath of yester-
days blizzard
in the forecastlc. into which the
breakers smashed their way, and in the
forerigging the forty-four survivors
We're huddied helpless. Outside the
ring Of surf lay a feet of rescue
steamships, including the Prospero,
which had been sent by the govern
ment with special life-saving APP
paratrs. Ey virtue Of this equipment
the Prospero's crew claimed the honor
Of running the breakers and picking
oil the survivors.
Although the sea had moderated
somewhat, il looked like a foolhardy
attempt at rescue.
Volunteers, however, went over the
side Of the Prospero in three surf
boats and four dories. Shooting the
breakers with great daring, the fotilla
worked under the lee of the Forizel
and helped the two women and the
forty-two men into the boats,
It was suicidal TO attempt to make
2 landing under the cliffs, and the re
turn trip, with crowded boats Of eX-
hausted survivors against the heavily
running seas, was accomplished with
difficulty. The surf boats, especially
constructed 1or this kind of rescue
work. weathered the seas safely. And
lot one Bit behind were the dories.
The latter were handled by specially
picked dorymcn, who knew every trick
Of their trade and had the sinews, skill
and sta amina necessary for the job
They placed their human freight
aboard the rescue feet without the loss
Of q man or q single mishap.
After making sure that no one was
left alive on the wrecked liner. the
fleet put about and headed for st.
Johns.
radio message from one of the
ships announced that John Shannon
Nunn. managing director of Bowring
Brothers, Limited, owners of the ship,
with his three year-old daughter Betty
and the child's nurse, were among the
first to be swept from the ships deck.
They were among the passengers who
rushed up from below as the FlorIzel
struck the rocks with terrific crash
Mr.. Mum was on his way to New York
to join his wife for a vacation trip to
Florida
Many Swept Overheard
Most of those lost were swept over
board within i few minutes after the
vessel struck. When the ship settled
until she was submerged aft from the
tunnel, those able to do so made then
way to the force lstie, which was held
above the leyel of TIE sea by the rock
which had pierced the armor- plated
hull
For while the forecastle afforded q
safe shelter. But as the ship settled
lower the seas battered down the doors
of the forecastlc, flooding the compart.
ment. Just before dusk group of five
men fled from the shattered deckhouse
and clambered to the rigging, signal
Nng for help. The naval gunners who
had reached the scene responded, and
after many attempts at shooting in the
teeth of the gale. placed line aboard
BY this time ;he ship was shroudet
in darkness. The line. to which was
attached the heavy cable for tn.
hreeches buoy apparatus, was no
hauled aboard. and this fact led to tn,
belief that all on board had succumbed
Later. fishermen on shore noted fain
flicker Of light on the nearly sub
merged wreck. This news was sig
nailed to the rescue fleet in the offing
and with the first streak of dawn, Will,
the sea was still running high, tn,
herolc boatmen went to the rescue.
Captain in State of Collapse
When Captain Martin reached this
port he was in such a state of collaps,
ne could make no statement Hi:
Dattic TO save those remaining aboart
ms snip was highly praised by tbs
survivors.
Members Of the crew said the mis-.
,ake IN reckoning which brought the
florzel head-on to the coast, twenty
miles north of Cape Race, when all
hands thought she was well out to sea
as she turned westward for Halifax
was due to running without the patent
log
The heavy snow, forming an ic,
crust, or what the natives term "slob,
az 1t struck the sea, made it Impossible
10 use the log to register the steamers
progress against the storm. The shin
therefore, was navigated by dead reck.
ening' and, as frequently happens ir
Of Oh,