The Florida Disaster.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 161, 5 June 1884, Page 2

The Florida Disaster.

Sad Tale ol the &ea. [Per Mail Steamer.] The steamship State of Florida, which left New Yorp, for Glasgow, on 12th April, with about 167 passengers and crew, foundered on ihe 18th April, after a collision with the barque Pomona, of Chatham, New Brunswick. Both ships went down almost iustantly, and out of the steamer's passengers and crew only forty-fonr, including the stewardess, escaped m boats, and out of the barque's crew of fifteen, only the captain and two seamen were saved. The collision occurred at 11.30 p.m., about 120 miles off the Irish coast, and the night, though moonless, was clear, with sej, smooth as glas*. Next morning the barque was obseived floating bottom up. The survivors, after being thirty -(ire hours m the boats without food or water, weie rescued by the Norwegian barque, Theresa, of Christiana, from that port bound to Quebec. On the 22nd twenty-four of them were transferred to the ship Louisa from Cardiff, bound for Quebec. It is believed that 130 lives were lost. A passenger Mr James Bennett, says the panic on. board the doomed steamship was frightful. Only four lady passengers were willing to go into the boats, and only one woman, the stewardess, was saved by the exertions of the chief engineer, who lost hii wife m doing so. The captain and crew seemed paralysed. Most of the crew were shipped «ar. Glasgow, the scene outside the steamship office there when the news was received is described as heartrending.