Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1884 — APPALLING DISASTER. [ARTICLE]

APPALLING DISASTER.

The Stanch Steamer City of Colambus Wrecked on the Bay State Coast. A Terrible Hurricane and Pitiless Seas Drive Her or to Destruction. Over One Hundred Persons Supposed! to Have Gone to the Bottom. Tho steamship City of Columbus, bouufii from Boston to Savannah, with fifty-nine-first-class and twenty-two steerage passengers and a crew of forty-five, struek a rock and sunk off the coast of Martha's Vineyard,. Mass. One hundred and four lives were lost. Only twenty-two persons were saved. The ill-fated vessel struck on the outside of Devil’s Bridge buoy at 3:30 in the morning, the wind at the time blowing a gale. The vessel immediately filled an<L keeled over, the water breaking in and flooding the port-side saloon. All the excepting a few women and children, came on deck, nearly all wearing life-preservers. All the boats were cleared away, but wereImmediately swamped. A majority of thepassengers were washed overboard and drowned. Seven left the vessel on a liferaft and about forty more took to the rigging. At 10:30 a. m. the Gayhead lifeboat put off and took seven persons. Another lifeboat put off between 12 aud 1 o'clock. The revenue cutter Dexter came along about 12:30 p. m., and sent off two buats. Twenty-one persons, oneof whom is dead, wore placed aboard the Dexter, and, after all persons had been taken from the vessel, the Dexter proceeded to New Bedford. Three persons died after going aboard the revenue cutter. The total number saved was twenty-three. Five dead bodies were recovered and 119 souls are unaccounted for. Capt. Wright, the commander of the lost steamer, says he passed Cross Rip lightshipat 12 o’clock, and continued by east and west, With a strong breeze west by southwest. “After passing Nobska, the course being west southwest,” he says, "I stepped into my room to warm myself, as it was very cold. Everything was working well. After being belov a short time I heard the second mate,, who was In the pilot-house with the mate, sing out to the quartermaster to port helm. I jumped out of my room, thinking we had? come across some vessel bound down, the souud. I then cried out ‘hard aport,’ not knowing but it was a vessel, and in the moonlight I saw the buoy on Devil's bridge on the port, about two points forward of the beam and about 300 yards distant. The vessel .immediately struck. 1 ordered the enginereversed, and she backed about twice her length. The steamer immediately stopped, and 1 ordered the jib hoisted and endeavored to head her to tho north, but she filled forward and listed over to port, so that her planks were about four feet under water. I went aft and told the passengers to keep coot and get life-preservers. 1 next told the officers on the deck to get the boats ready. Thesteamer settled down aft and righted. It ■ was blowing very hard, and a heavy sea was running. We launched on the port side. No. 6 boat, xvhioh immediately cap sized. The sea was breaking over the--6tearaer’B deck, and her stern being entirely under the water, we were forced to go upon the top house. I staid there awhile, but we were finally obliged to take to the rigging. The mate, second mate, the chief engineer, and fourth engineer took to a raft. 1 think the steamer struck on a lone roek. The Captain is positive he struck outside the buoy, and inbacking drifted inside.” Officers of tho cutter Dexter furnished thefollowing statement: About 12:30 o’clock we sighted a vessel ashore on a reef near Gayhead. The wind was blowing a gale, and a terrible sea was running. As we approached, we saw the vessel was a steamer, and that the waves were breaking over her. We anchored on her starboard quarter, two or three hundred yards away. Tho cutter’sboat was at once lowered and mannedwith five men in charge of Lieut. Rhodes, who brought oil seven men. A return trip was made and one man brought tothe vessel. Lieut. Kennedy was then dispatched in the gig, with four men, and took off four or five men. Meanwhile the lifeboat transferred several men to the cutter, and at length the rigging was cleared of survivors. The vessel sank in about four fathoms of water, and the railing of her bow was the only portion of her hull visible. We found men in the fore and main tops and rigging. It was impossible to row over to the rigging, as the boats would have been pounded tt> pieces. The men in the rigging were forced to jump into the sea, and we caught them a& they arose to the surface and pulled them into the boats. Some of the men could not swim, but nearly every one in the rigging wassaved. Eugene McGarry jumped from the rigging, Lieut. Rhodes jumped for him, but tho boat was lifted fifteen feet on the crest of a wave, and it was necessary to go to the 6tarboard to avoid being crushed. McGarry was not seen afterward. At nearly the same instant McGarry’s brother was pulled into the boat. Capt. Wright was among tho last to leave theship. Two men were frozen so stiff that they were unable to relinquish their hold on the rigging. They were at length the only persons remaining on the 6tenmer except the Captain. Lieut. Rhodes asked him to jump, but he shouted, “Save those men first.” “They are frozen,” was the Lieutenant’s answer. The Captain then .jumped, and, although he could not swim a stroke, he was roscued by Lieut. Kennedy. Lieut. Rhodes performed a heroic act, which elicits hearty commendation. Twomen hung in the rigging, unable to move from exhaustion. The officer determined to 6ave them at the peril of his life. Returning to the cutter, he usked Capt. Gabriclsen to give him, a man to steer, that he might swim to the wreck and rescuo the unfortunate men. The Captain granted the request, and Lieut. Rhodes was placed on the boat. But on nearing the steamer it was found k. would be folly,to attempt to go alongside. Lieut. Rhodes refused to -abandon the attempt, and sang out to the men in the life-boat to take him to the wreok. Lieut. Rhodes boarded the life-boat, and, tying a rope about him, waited until within about thirty feot of the vessel, when he sprang into the sea. Rhodes had nearly readied the wreck when he was struek by a piece Of timber, and sank. He was pulled aboard the boat and taken to the cutter. His leg was found to be cut, but after changing his clothing, as the sea was smoother, he determined to make a last attempt. He again set out tor tho wreck, and this time the men were reached. One was hanging by the feet and arms through the ratlins, bead down. Lieut. Rhodes put -a bcw-line about him, when he murmured: “For God’s sake, don’t touch me.” ,Thc man, who was found to be Mr. Richardson, was placed in a boat, but died before reaching the cutter. About S4OO was found in a wallet in hid pocket. The second tnan, the last person removed from the wreck, was in the ratlins in the weathor-rigging, and, although breathing when placed in the boat, also expired before reaching the cutter. All the rescued give the highest praise to the officers of the revenue cutter for the bravery manifested in saving them from the wreck. The City of Columbus was one of the finest vessels on the coast. She was valued at $300,600, and insured for $250,000.