THE LOSS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON.
The following particulars of this catastrophe, we
(Derry Guardian) copy from the Montreal Herald of
May 2:-
TO EDMONSTONE, ALLAN, &CO.
Cape Race, April 27.
The Anglo-Saxon, during a dense fog at noon to-day,
struck four miles East of Cape Race, and got broadside
to the rocks. During the time she was afloat we landed
seventy people. Heeled to port in an hour, and sunk
below her rails. Three boats on the port side got away.
Captain Crawford, with No.2 boat and twenty-three people
have arrived here.
Hon. John Young and family are supposed to be in the
missing boats. Captain Burgess is drowned. Some
officers are missing.
Her decks were broken up at four o'clock. Left the
wreck when all disappeared. The people are all here.
(Signed) William Jenkins, Purser.
SECOND REPORT.
The steamer Dauntless, at nine a.m., to-day (Tuesday),
picked up two of the Anglo-Saxon's boats containing
ninety people.
The following is a copy of the telegram received by
the Postmaster-General at Quebec yesterday. It will be
seen from it that a frightful loss of life has occurred:
(COPY)
"St. John's, N.F., [Newfoundland?]
April 29.
"TO THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL AT QUEBEC.
" The Anglo-Saxon was lost on Cape Race at 11.10 a.m.,
on the 27th. The mails have gone down. Two hundred and
thirty-seven lives were lost out of a total of 445.
(Signed) Samuel T. Greene, Officer in charge of Mails."
With respect to the arrangements for forwarding the
passengers, we learn from Messrs. Edmonstone, Allan, &
Co., that the steamer Bloodhound will bring as many as
she can accommodate from St. John's. The steamer Merlin
will be despatched from Halifax to-day, for St. John's,
to bring up the remainder.
FIRST OFFICER'S STATEMENT.
The Anglo-Saxon experienced strong Westerly gales
until Saturday, 25th, 8 p.m., when she fell in with ice
and a thick fog. The engines were immediately slowed.
At 10 p.m., the ice being so thick and heavy, the
engines were stopped altogether. There was a light
breeze from the South, forcing the ship ahead about one
knot an hour. At 5 a.m., on the 26th, the fog lifted,
and the ice having slacked, we set foretopsails and
headsails, moving the engines occasionally at a dead
slow. At half-past 10 a.m. the fog cleared away, and
we saw clear water to West-North-West from mast head.
We continued our course toward clear water. At 2 p.m.
we got the ship clear of ice, and steered her by West
with full speed and with all possible sail. A moderate
breeze was blowing from South at this time. At noon,
lat.46.47, long.57.24, by chronometer, at ten p.m., the
breeze freshened, and blew strongly from South-South-East,
and a dense fog set in. We took in all sail at eight a.m.
on the 27th. The fog still continued to be dense; and
supposing the ship to be forty miles off Cape Race, we
altered her course to the West-half-North, and slowed
engines to half-speed, which we supposed would have taken
us seventeen miles to the South of Cape Race. At ten
minutes past eleven a.m., breakers were reported on the
starboard beam. Captain Burgess immediately ordered the
engines to be reversed at full speed; but, before her
headway could be stopped, she struck flat on the rocks
off Clam Cove, about four miles North of Cape Race.
A heavy sea rolling in, drove her quarter on the rocks,
carrying away her rudder, stern-post, and propeller.
Finding that there was no possibility of the ship coming
off, the order was given to let go both anchors to hold
the ship on the rocks. The carpenter was forthwith sent
to examine the fore peak, and found it filling fast with
water. He also examined the fore head, but found no water
there. The Chief Engineer coming up directly afterwards,
reported the forward stoke-hold filling fast. He opened
the valves and blew the steam out of her boilers. The
boats were all lowered successfully, except Nos. 1 and 3.
the ship was close on the rocks; these could not be got
out. Boat No.2, with some of the crew and passengers,
commanded by Captain Crawford, was sent to find a place
to land the passengers. Some of the crew being landed on
the rocks by means of studding sail boom, with the help of
some of the passengers got a hawser secured to a rock to
keep the vessel from going out. We then commenced to land
female passengers on the rocks by means of the fore-yard
arm. The first-class passengers were put into a boat. At
about noon the ship's stern swung off from the rocks and
she settled down very fast, listing to port at the same
time and sunk in deep water. The captain and a great many
passengers were on deck at the time, with part of the crew,
and all were lost.
We take the following from the Newfoundland Express of
May 5:-
STATEMENT OF MR. R. A. ALLEN, THIRD OFFICER.
Up to Saturday, April 25, we had experienced fair
Westerly weather. At eight o'clock that evening we
encountered ice about the outward edge of the banks,
and the speed was reduced. At ten p.m. we fell in with
heavier ice; the engines were stopped altogether, only
a light breeze forcing the ship gently through. The fog
was thick. About ten a.m., on Sunday, the fog cleared
up, and we set the fore-topsail and head sails in order
to force through faster. At twelve we could see clear
water ahead. The ice not being so thick, we now let
the engines go a-head slow, occasionally stopping as
the ice grew thicker. At two p.m. we were clear of
the ice altogether, the engine was turned a-head full
speed, and all plain sail set, the weather being fine
and clear. At daybreak on Monday morning it again
became very foggy. We took in all sail and slowed
the engines. We got an observation the day before
(Sunday) the position of the ship being then 46.54
North latitude, and 47.24 West longitude. At 11.10
on Monday morning we saw the breakers, and in a few
minutes the ship struck. According to our calculation,
and judging from the course steered since taking
observations yesterday, we believed the ship to be
seventeen miles South of Cape Race. I was on deck
when she struck, and was a good deal with the captain,
assisting him and taking orders. [Mr. Allen here
confirms the account given by Mr. Little, as regards
the landing of passengers in the basket, and continues.]
The captain went upon the saloon deck, and I followed
him. The ship was lying over very much, and the captain
was putting on a life-buoy. I tried to get into the
main rigging, but the ship went over so fast that the
captain and myself were precipitated into the water,
and went down together. While under the water I got
hold of the captain's coat, thinking it was one of the
sails, and commenced hauling myself up by it, and
presently I got hold of his whiskers. We came to the
surface together, and when I saw it was the captain I
let go of him and got hold of a piece of wreck. The
captain said to me, "Now, Mr. Allen, let's strike out
clear of the wreck as soon as we can." A sea washed
me against the main rigging, and I got into it up
under the main-top. The chief steward was there,
Captain Hyler, the ship's cook, and two passengers,
one a boy. When I got into the rigging I looked to
see where the captain was. I saw him in the water,
surrounded by small pieces of floating wreck, and so
hemmed in that he could make no exertions to save
himself. When I looked again he was gone. He must
have slipped through the buoy, for that was floating.
He was not seen afterwards. We hailed a boat not far
out, but they didn't care to come to us. Soon after
that the maintopmast was carried away, just above the
topsailyard. A portion of the saloon deck was floating
near the mizen mast, and sometimes came near us.
Captain Hyler succeeded in getting on it, and it then
floated away, so that the rest of us could not. In
a few minutes the mainmast was carried away, and I fell
with it. When I got into the water I struck out for
the raft, and I got on it, but the chief steward was
drowned before he could reach it. Captain Hyler and
myself hauled the ship's cook and the boy on the raft.
Three or four others were on the raft before. We now
cut the raft clear of the wreck, and it floated away.
Towards evening the fog cleared, and we saw a man
floating on the after part of the saloon deck. We soon
got near him, and, thinking our own raft might not hold
out, we took the other in tow, trying to row with a
couple of oars we had picked up, but we could not make
any headway. We drifted about all night, and soon after
sunrise saw the steamer, but thought she was standing
away from us, and despaired of being seen; I got a staff,
and hoisted a woman's dress upon it. They saw the signal,
and came down and picked us up. During the night the boy
died from wet and exposure.
STATEMENT OF WILLIAM McMASTER, CHIEF ENGINEER.
The Anglo-Saxon left Liverpool with 445 souls on
board (comprising 48 cabin and 312 steerage passengers,
with a ship's company of 85 souls), on the 10th April
at 6 p.m. Reached Moville, near Londonderry, on the 17th.
We had strong Westerly winds up to the 22nd, and on the
25th made field ice, got through it safely on the 27th,
expecting to make Cape Race about noon on Monday - engines
going at slow speed, very thick, dense fog. At 11 a.m.,
discovered breakers a-head. Orders were received to
reverse the engines full speed, and reversed them full
speed. The ship then struck heavily aft. Then ordered
to stop and turn a-head full speed. Did so. Gave orders
to the second engineer to stand by the bilge injections,
and every man to stand to his duty, which was done.
Shortly after this the water came rushing into the forward
stoke hole, putting out fires and filling the engine room.
By this time the engines were stopped, and I eased the
safety-valve levers, and told the men that nothing more
remained to be done, and that they had better be cool and
save themselves. I then came on deck, and assisted to rig
out a studding-sail boom from the ship's rail to an
adjacent rock. Over this we succeeded in getting ashore;
and then, by means of a basket, slung from a chair, we
succeeded in getting ashore the women and children. About
this time the ship began to break up. Numbers of the
passengers and crew climbed into the rigging, leaving a
large number on deck, all of whom were drowned. The
scene at this time was a dreadful one. We could give
them no further assistance, and many of them attempted to
save their lives by dropping into the water, but were swept
away by the surf. The ship fell over to her port side,
and broke completely up, leaving those on board to the
mercy of the waves.
We then despatched four of our number to find the Cape
Lighthouse station. They returned with Mr. John Murphy,
captain of the Associated Press News-boat; we went with
him to the telegraph station, and were there made
comfortable. During our stay near the wreck, we gathered
sufficient wood to light a fire, and succeeded in getting
about two ounces of bread for the children. But the
arrival of Mr. Murphy provided us with sufficient shelter
and food.
NUMBER OF PASSENGERS LOST AND SAVED.
Lost Saved Total
Cabin 15 33 48
Steerage 209 103 312
Crew ........ 14 71 85
---- ---- ----
238 207 445
The list of the names of those who perished in this
awful catastrophe has not yet been published, owing,
doubtless, to the loss of the ship's papers.
As some misapprehension exists relative to the
reasons which induced the captain of the steam-ship
Anglo-Saxon to sail so close to Cape Race - it
having been stated that his doing so "was for the
purpose of communicating European news" - we believe
the following facts will be found correct:- The steamer
would, of course, have landed her news had she called
off the Cape; but her immediate purpose was to receive
instructions (which were to be telegraphed to the Cape
for her) as to whether the St. Lawrence was sufficiently
free from ice to admit her going to Quebec, or whether
it would be necessary for her to go to Portland instead.
Her orders were to touch at the Cape for the above purpose,
weather permitting, otherwise to call at Halifax, to
which place the instructions were to be duplicated. It
is to be presumed that the captain thought the circumstances
favourable for making the Cape, and that the fog must
have come upon him suddenly, as it frequently does in
those latitudes.
