The Wreck of the Utopia.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 23 May 1891, Page 2

The Wreck of the Utopia.

♦ =— F"roni our English files we are now able, to give further particulars of the fearful collision at Gibralter in March last. — The Utopia was an k'on screw steamer of Clyde build, and owned in Glasgow, She was l:ound from Naples for New York, with over £700 Italian emigrants, and a crew numbering sixty all told. The vessel was seen early yesterday evening steaming towards the anchorage, when abrest of the British ironclad Anson, flagship of Rear- Admiral Jones, second in command of the Channel Squadron which was lying at anchor in the Bay off Ragged Staff, at the South end of the town, near the parade and public gardens, the Utopia was seen to stagger as if unable to to make headway against the strong current running out at the time. In a moment the fierce gale, combined with this current swept the ill-fated vessel across the bows of the Anson, which is a twinscrew first class armour clad with a formidable ram. This ram cut bodily into the steamer, and she then drifted before the wind and sea until the rapid inrush of water made her begin to settle down, which happened only five minutes after the first shock. Boats were at once lowered from the Anson and other vessels of the British squadron, as well as from the Swedish warship Freya, and the cable ship Amber, while the iron-clads turned their electric search lights towards the wreck to assist the rescuers in their difficult task, for by this time the daylight had almost completely faded. A FEARFUL SPECTACLE. The scene was one which could never be forgotton. Crowds of people collected at the South Port and along the parade in the greatest excitement but little could be seen from shore, save the dark forms of the ironclads looming through the twilight and the white rays of the search lights falling upon the foam crests and driven spindrift. The shrieking of the poor creatures on board the Utopia was heart rending, being only too distinctly audible above the noise of the gale and the quick sharp orders shouted now and then by the rescuers. The idea of 900 fellow creatures thus perishing within sight and sound of shore cast a gloom over the whole town. The sea was running so heavily that the boats could not approach the wreck with any hope of taking off those on board, and were compelled to lie to leewar d picking up the people as they were swept off the deck into ths sea. As the Utopia's bows began to sink, a terrible scene was indistinctly witnessed from the boats. Those on board the wreck rushed forward, struggling with each other for life, and fighting their way up the forerigging. Twenty minutes later the forecastle disappeared beneath the surface, carrying down the crowds of unfortunate beings who had not dared to jump off in the hope of being picked up by by the boats, and had failed in their efforts to take ref'tige in the rigging. THE LAST STRUGGLE. The wind and rain were so blinding that scarcely anything could be seen by the rescuers beyond a confused, struggling mass of living beings inextricably mixed up with wreckage. Those who had succeeded in taking refuge in the main rigging were rescued by a steam pinnace, but the work of taking them off was not finished until eleven o'clock at night. The last persons rescued were so exhausted that they could not get into the boats, and it was found necessary for the bluejackets to disembark and clamber up the shrouds in order to pass the poor benumbed creatures down into the boats. The crews, both Swedes and British, worked with such pluck and vigour that it impossible to say who did the more daring acts or showed the greater activity and courage. Unfortunately the work oi saving the shwrecked people was not unattended by fatalities to the rescuers themselves. A steam pinnace belonging to her Majesty's cruiser Immortalite touled her screw, and drifted on the rocks. Two seamen were drowned but the remainder of her crew were rescued. Twenty four members of the Utopia's crew were saved, including the captain, ship's doctor, two officers, one engineer, and one steward. This leaves thirty six to be accounted for all of whom it is feared were drowned. Of the passengers and emigrants only 292 were seved out of 830, leaving 538 drowned. The total loss of life, including the two British seamen amounts, therefore to 576 souls.