Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1885 — SUNK WITHOUT WARNING. [ARTICLE]

SUNK WITHOUT WARNING.

A Bark Bun Into and Sunk by an Ocean Steamer Nearly the Entire Crew Drowned. [New York telegram.] The City of Rome, of the Anchor Line, reached here to-day, having on board, besides her regular passengers, two French fishermen, the only survivors of the crew of the French fishing bark George Jeanne, which was sunk by the City of Rome in a collision on the banks of Newfoundland on May 25. The names of the rescued men are Hubert Albert and Frank Alphonse Marie. The City of Rome left Liverpool on May 20, and sailed from Queenstown the following day. There were on board 821 passengers. The weather was fine until Monday, when, after a bright morning, a dense fog came on. At 4:30, when the fog was thickest, the men forward saw the spars and masts of a ba r k appear in the west, barely twenty feet away. It was too late to stop the City of Rome. The signals to reverse the engines were given,but she struck the little bark and her iron bow cut the George Jeanne with as little resistance as if she had been a cheese. A few spars floated on the sea and four men could be seen struggling in the water. Life-buoys were thrown to them, and as soon as possible the steamer was stopped and backed to where the bark had been, and two boats were lowered. By this time one of the four fishermen had sunk, two were clinging to buoys, and a third floated alongside the steamer, supporting himself by a spar. A saloon passenger cried out, “I will give £IOO to anyone who will save that life. ” The man on the spar was doubled up, as though chilled by the icy water. He had to be rescued quickly or not at all. .Several sailors prepared to jump over the side, but they were prevented by Fourth Officer Turner, who rigged a rope around his body and, taking another rope, had himself lowered to the man. Turner succeeded in getting the rope about the Frenchman’s arm and neck. Strong arms pulled him half way up the side of the boat, when the loop slipped over his head and he fell back into the water and sank out of sight. This was the captain of the George Jeanne, Joseph Riondin. Meantime Albert and Marie were picked up by the boats.