The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-25
RED CROSS SHIP
WRECKED IN GALE:
MANY LIVES LOST
Seven Bodies From the FIOriZal
Washed Up on NeWfound-
land Coast.
CARRIED IS PASSENGERS
Some of the Persons Aboard Stranded
Ship May Be Saved by Rescue
Vessels Which Have Arrived
on the Scene.


st. Johns, n F. Feb, 25.-The Red
Cross liner Florizel, from st. Johns
for New York, by way of Halifax, with
40 persons aboard, including IS pas
sengers, piled up on the Lodges some
20 miles from Cape Race during a biz
zard, and it is believed that all on
board were lost.
Naval gunnerS sent on special
train from this city shot a line across
the bow of the partly submerged ship,
but waited in vain for it to be hauled
aboard
Just before darkness blotted the
wreck from view five men, driven
from the forecastle by the giant seas,
were seen TO climb the forward rig
ging, signaling feebly for help. But
when they failed to make fast the
line it was feared that they had sue
cumbed to the cold and exposure
Those five were the only ones visible
on board several hours after the ship
struck
Rescue Ships Nearby.
Somewhere beyond the white mael
strom of breakers two rescue steam
ers, the Terra Nova and the Home,
manned by Newfoundland sailors, lay
in waiting for a favorable moment to
send a boat through the surf
Included among the passengers were
twelve women and four children.
Among the first cabin passengers were
John Shannon Mum, a managing di-
rector of the firm of Bowring Brothers,
Limited, agents of the liner, and his
three-year-old daughter, Betty They
were going to New York to meet Mrs.
Mum and Sir Edward Bowring, one Of
the owners of the line, for a visit of
two months in Florida.
Flying Cadets Aboard.
Six cadets Of the Royal flying corps,
on their way from Newfoundland to
join their commands, were aboard.
The body of one member OF the de-
tachment, Fred Snow, was included
among the seven washed shore.
Another Newfoundland officer who
it is feared was lost was Maj. Michael
Su~sVan, commanding the Newfound-
land forestry battalion, returning to
his battalion. which now is cutting
timber in Scotland.
Capt. Joseph Kean, one of the best
commanders of the Newfoundland
sealing fleet, also sailed on the Florizel
for Halifax, where he was to take over
his ship, the Sable, in readiness for the
seal fisheries next month. Thomas Nc
Neil, head of the McMurdo Drug COM
pany, and Fred Smythe, manager Of
the Newfoundland Woolen mills, were
others in the passenger list.
All but three of the passengers were
natives of Newfoundland. Three COM
mercial travelers-a Mr.. Stevens Of
New York. w. w. Dauphinee of Mon
treal and O. 2. Belleveau of Toronto
were on their way home.
The FloriZel, which had carried
Canadian troops overseas, was built
especially to withstand northern gales.
Capt. w. ]. Martin, son of the fore
most shippers in the Newfoundland
trade, took the Florizel out of St.
Johns last night and almost immedi-
ately ran into a terrific blizzard. with
all the accomplishments of binding
snow and heavy gale, reaching at
times to hurricane force.
There is only conjecture as to how
the Florizel got out of her course. AS
this is the worst of the North Atlantic
winter. the generally accepted theory
Is that the ships engines became dis
abIed and that she was driven on the
hidden rocks.
Seven Bodies Ashore.
The Florizel piled up on a ledge two
miles from Broad Cove, north of Cape
Race, at q point sparsely populated
and with no life-saving apparatus
available, even If it had been possible
to use It,
When the darkness shut in the ship
was a battered hulk. She was sub
merged from her funnel aft. Heavy
where her bow was held up by jagged
rock
Some of these aboard had taken
refuge in the fOrecastle, but this was
battered in during the afternoon. leay-
ing the rigging the only place where a
human being could cling for his life
SO far as could be seen from shore no
more than FIVE men were able to climb
the rigging.
Watchers at Broad Cove reported
seven bodies washed ashore.
Those identified were:
Mrs Fred Butler, frst-class passen-
ger for New York.
Edward Froude, flrst-class passenge.
foL~ New York~ -