Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1884 — APPALLING DISASTER. [ARTICLE]

APPALLING DISASTER.

The Stanoh Steamer City of Columbus Wrecked on the Bay State Coast. A Terrible Hurricane and Pitiless Seas Drive Her on to Destruction. Over One Hundred Persons Supposed to Have Gone to the Bottom. Tae steamship City of Columbus, bouud from Boston to Savantiah, with fifty-nine first-class and twenty-two steerage passengers and a crew of forty-five, struck 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 [U-fatcd 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 and keeled over, the water breaking, in and flooding the part-side saloon. All the passengers, excepting a few women and children, came on deck, nearly all wearing life-preservers. All the boats were cleared away, but were Immediately swamped. A majority of the passengers were washed . overboard and drowned. Seven left the vessel on a liferaft and about forty more took to the rigging. At 10:30 a. in. the Gay head lifeboat putoffi and took setfen persons. Another lifeboat put off between 12 and 1 o'clock. The revenue cutter Dexter came along about 12:30 p. m., and sent off two boats. Twenty-one persons, one of whom is dead, were 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 de&d bodies were recovered and 119 souls are unaccounted for. Capt. Wright, the commander of the lost steamer, says he passed Cross Rip lightship at 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 below 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 sound. 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. I ordered the engine reversed, and she backed about twice her length. The steamer immediately stopped, and I ordered the jib hoisted and endeavored to head her to the 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 cool and get life-preservers. I next told the otllcers on the deck to get the boats ready. The steamer 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, which immediately capsized. The sea was breaking over the steamer’s deck, and her stern being entirely under the water, we were forced to go upon the taphouse. 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. I think the steamer struck on a lone rock. The Captain is positive he struck outside the buoy, and in backing drifted inside,” Officers of the cutter Dexter furnished the following 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. The cutter’s boat was at once lowered and manned with five men in charge of Lieut Rhodes, who brought off seven men. A return trip was made and one man brought to the 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 to pieces. The men in the rigging were forced to jump into the sea, and we caught them as they arose to the surface and pulled them into the boats. Some of tho men could not swim, but nearly every one in the 1 rigging was saved. Eugene McGarry jumped from the rigging, Lieut. Rhodes jumped for him, but the boat was lifted fifteen feet on the crest of a wave, and it was necessary to go to the starboard 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 the last to leave the ship. 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 steamer 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 sxvim a stroke, he was rescued by Lieut. Kennedy. Lieut. Rho£tes. l > c perforined ft., heroic act*, which elicits hearty commendation. Two men hung in the rigging, unable to move from exhaustion. The officer determined to save them at the peril of his life. Returning to the cutter, he asked Capt. Gabrielsen to give him a man to steer, that hp might swim to the wreck and rescue the unfortqnate men. The Captain granted the request, and Lieut. Rhodes was placed on the boat. But on nearing the steamer it was found it would be folly to attempt to go alongside. LieutRhodes refused to abandon the attempt, and sang out to the men in the life-boat to take him to the wreck. Lieut. Rhodes boarded the life-boat, and, tying a rope about him, waited until within about thirty feet of the vessel, when he sprang into the sea. Rhodes had nearly reached the wreck when he was struck 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 ejo’hing, as the sea was smoother, he determined to make a last attempt. He again set out for the wreck, and this time the men were reached. One was hanging by the feet and arms through the ratlins, head .down. Lieut. Rhodes put a bcw-line about him, when he murmured: “For God's sake, don't touch me.” The man, who was found to be Mr. Richard-on, was placed in a boat, but died before reaching the cutter. About S4OO was found in a wallet in his pocket. The second man, the last person removed from the wreck, was in the ratlins in the weather-rigging, and, although breathing when placed in the boat, also expired befoie 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 $300,000, and insured for $250,000.