STEAMER WRECKED. One Hundred and Twenty-four Lives Lost.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 49, 10 May 1884, Page 3

STEAMER WRECKED. One Hundred and Twenty-four Lives Lost.

Halifax, April 4th.— The steamer Daniel Steinmann, bound from Antwerp for this port, haa been sunk oil Sambro, about twenty miles from this port. She struck during last night, and only nine men are so far reported to have reached land, out of 133 on board. Captain Shoonhoven and fivo of the crow were the only persons saved. Twenty passengers were to land

'here, all Germans, and seventy were for New York, She is supposed to have struck on The Sisters. The total loss of life is 124. The Daniel Steinmann was built at Antwerp in 1870. She was 177 feet long, 34 feet beam, and 25 feet dopth of hold. Her gross tonnage was 1,755 tons. Her namo was formerly the Khedive. She had been running in the White Cross lino since 1878. At one time she was considered a very lucky vessel, but during the last two or three years she had met with various mishaps. She had five bulk-heads, and her engines were of 1,830-horse power.

STATEMENTS OF THE CAPTAIN ANU A LIGHTHOUSE KEKJ'EU. The following is tho captain's statement : —-"On April 3rd, after a voyage of thirteen and a half days from Antwerp, at G p.m., the bearing of Chebucto, by dead reckoning and soundings, was west half-south by compass, distant twenty-five miles ; there was a heavy fog and vain ; steamed dead low, steering west one-quarter sou f h and sounding every hour. About 9.15 o'clock saw through tho mi&t a faint light about two points on the starboard bow, disappearing out of sight at times four or five minutes. Taking it for Chebucto I steered for it, sounding thirty fathoms, and in twenty minutes after I saw that it was tho fixed light of Sambro, appearing clear, and at the same time seeing a faint show of what I took to be the Chebucto light about four points on the starboard bow ; I sounded 2(i fathoms. I then put the helm hard apovt, but it was too late, and just before the ship struck on the rocks. There- was no time- that I heard tho fog whistle of Sambro. The first shock was light, tho second heavy, carrying away the steering-gear. After this avc could not get tho engines to work, but we drifted over the rocks and anchored, the ship lying-to pretty quiet. There was little sea. 1 ordered the chief and second mates to lower boats and get tho children and female passengers in the first.

TUX IWSSEXCJEHS WASIIKU OVERJJOATUJ. " While I saw this going on, having already one boat in the water and the cvew working with a will, I saw the ship coming into the breakers again. 1 ran forward to sue if the chain cable wasn't broken, but before getting there a mon&trous sea broke over the poop, a\ ashing overboard every passenger, children and women, who .stood on the deck. This was immediately followed by an awful ciash and the ship went down as quick a.s lightning, stern first, carrying everyone dov. n who was on the deck and those who wore below. I ran up the forcrigging, but was washed out before getting half way. I afterward succeeded in catching the topsail yard, which stood just abovo the water. A moment after a passenger \v&= able to join me.

THE LOST AND .SAVED. " The night waft foggy and rainy and we saw nothing more. Tho next morning we were rescued by three men on Sambro island, about 5 a.m., in one of our own boats, there being no life-boat or rocket apparatus on tho island. Some of tho crew had already succeeded in reaching land through the .surf. The number of passengers drowned was 90 ; of the crew 33 ; saved— passengers, 3 ; crew, 6. We had a lino voyage until we reached the banks, which we crossed in latitude 4 Idcg. 33min., and where c haw some patches of Held ice. There had almost been a continual rain until reaching the Novia Scotia coast. Our last observations were taken on the morning of the 2nd."

TIIK CU'TAIN's IIKXOUK. "We had a full general cargo of about 1,400 tons— the vessel drawing twenty feet six inches aft and nineteen lect forward. The fehip is uom evidently broken, with the rocks through her bottom. The storm was from the eastward when we struck, with a dense fog and rain. It Mas impossible to save any of the passengers whatever. I staid in the foretopsail yards, but had to go higher up to clear the break of the pea. I maintained my position in the ratlines for eight hours, in company with the solitary surviving passenger. We were afraid to lash ourselves for fear t^e mast would break away, so we just held on, all ready to jump, from 10 p.m. to 5.30 a.m., when a heavy line was thrown to us and we jumped into the water and wove pulled through the surt into the boat."

s'l'OllY 01-' A LKMITIIOUSi: KKEI'JIR. Alexander Gilnies, one of the lighthouse keepers, residing on the island, said : "I was in charge of the fog whistle from G to 9.30 o'clock. I kept the whistle sounding a warning until it cleared sufficiently to enable me to see distinctly Devil's Island and Chebuclo Head. I then stopped the whistle, the engineer deeming it unnecessary to keep it going. Just before the engineer relieved meat U. 30 o'clock, the lookout man sighted a steamer about a mile south by cast of the light. She ran about a mile, stopped, then started ahead. She went about five hundred yards, stopped again, and 1 think she then struck on the Broad Bever shoal, for she began to back. It was very dark. The fog m histlo started again, though it was still clear of fog About twenty minutes after she began to back she struck again on the Maddock shoal, drifted across it and sunk between 300 and 400 feet from the island shore. My brother and I attempted to put out, but the boat was too small, and wo were forced to turn back. 1 then went up and lit bonfires along shore to warn the boats against the dangerous coast. In the course of an hour a boat came in sight, which proved to bo one of the boats from the steamer, containing seven men. We succeeded in landing them. I kept lights burning along the shore all night, but saw nothing more until daybreak, when I discovered persons clinging to the forward rigging — the steward and three others. We put out to the wreck and rescued the captain and one passenger. Throughout the day the fog continued too thick for us to signal, and the sea too boisterous to permit of our landing on the main land."