The New York Herald Newspaper, September 1, 1872, Page 3

E METIS. of Lives Lost Variously Es- ted from Twenty-two to Fifty. HER DETAILS OF THE DISASTER. Life-Preservers Hastened the Drowning. DENTS OF HEROISM. Lives Saved by the Reve- nue Cutter Moccasin. CONDUCT OF CAPTAIN RICHIE. owing Scenes at the Identifi- cation of the Dead. GENEROUS AID TO THE RESCUED. ding the Hungry @nd Clothing the Naked. pions of Pilots and Seafaring Men Generally. DICT AGAINST THE METIS. human beings by the sinking of the r Metis was caused by the wilful, neglect of duty of either the captain or. pilot, who wete both supposed to be &t duty at the time the collision Oéeurred, One old sailor had the temerity to say that “the captain of the steamer has an insane predilection for running down small vessels while at sea,” disregarding the law of hu- manity that the strong should protect the weak. It is obvious that a steamer in good order is more easily handled in a heavy sea than can be a sailing vessel, and therefore, say those who ought to be well posted on the subject, the Metis should have kept out of the way of the schooner, even at the risk of delaying her progress for a few moments. There is no question but that the vessel was properly equipped with lanterns, agreeably to the regula- tions in such cases made and provided. Nor is ita matter of dispute that the night was very black, circumstance which, by the way, should have made the lights more easily distinguishable if there were not @ very heavy sea. WHAT THE PILOTS SAY. The pilot, Mr. W. W. Palmer, who was in charge of the wheel house at the time, says that he saw the schooner from three to five minutes before the accident, and that she was then two points off the port bow. The helm of the Metis was put to port to pass to the right of the schooner, he says, but the steeraman of the schooner, a3 she came up, put his helm hard down, throwing the vessel into the wind and causing the collision. ends) migely over these facts, an old pilot told me to-day that he had arrived at one of two conclusions—either the pilot of the Metis did not desire to keep out of the way of the schooner of his own volition or because he wished to please the captain, or the man im _ charge of the wheel of the schooner was. anxious to commit suicide and drag the crew of the vessel with him. In plainer language, continued the old salt, “either one man Was a desperate and reckless villain or the other was a confounded fool, I don’t halt between the two opinions, do you ¥”” Proceeding with his comments on the published reports of the occurrence, he said that he could scarcely understand ‘how in the dickens” it was that the hurricane deck floated so easily from the hull of the vessel when she sank. He understood it to be a law of physics that when a heavy body sank slowly in a heavy sea it created a whirlpool, into whose vortex was swallowed all objects floating near. According to the conversation of the pas- sengers, however, there was no vortex, and tl hurricane deck siided as easily off the steamer asa book would slide froma table. “It couldn’t have done so! exclaimed the opinionated old man, waxing warm as he spoke of the matter. “It couldn’t have done so if it had been roperly secured.” “But then parties whom Pintow ‘to be reliable tell me that they have exam- ined the wood of the wreck, as it lays on Watch Hill beach, and that they have found it decayed, so that it must have been unfit for service.” “That's what was the matter, young fellow. The Metis was an old vessel. hardly used, and not strong enough for use other than as a ferryboat in smooth water. The captain, if he was not incompetent tional ~Accounts by Passengers Saved from the Wreck. Italian Wrecker Caught with Part of the Wreck. Remarkable Premonition and Escape. FROM MR. C. L. STONE. he Story of Mr. Adams as Told to the Coroner. Experiences of a Deck Hand. the Pilot Escaped on a Cork Mattress. em: Newrorr, R. I., August 31, 1872. he ter'hle steamboat disaster off Watch Hill day morning continues the subject of com- nt and sorrow all along the coast of Long nd Sound. No such gloom of sadness has been over the local community for a whole genera- and the numerous summer resorts which bound all along the shore, and which but a short € ago were the scenes of mirth and enjoyment, e now shrouded in mourning. Where rything all the season has been gay nd festive there is nothing now but n and sadness, and the only thoughts ppermost in the minds of the summer tourists e those of sympathy for the suffering passengers # the ill-fated Metis. Bellevue avenue, the fash- dtive of charming Newport, has for the it few days worn a solemn and sombre aspect pared with its wonted brilliancy, and in the els politics and kindred topics have been for- otten.in the midst of the terrible calamity which appalled the community. The same is true of esterly, Stonington, New London, Providence nd all the cities and towns where friends and rela- tives of the unfortunate victims reside. SCENES NEAR THE POINT OF DISASTER. The immediate scene of the disaster has to-day en visited by hundreds from distant sections of he country. Some came to gratify a morbid curi- osity, butthe majority were friends and relatives pi those on board, anxiously inquiring the fate of heir beloved ones. In a few cases the worst fears the alermed and the excited were realized, but enerally tidings were of a cheering character, for who were at first believed to have |= & watery grave have since been heard from ‘as saved in one way or another. HOW MANY WERE Lost ? Together with the bodies already recovered and ‘the passengers now missing the loss of life will not exceed filty. This isa sad record enough, but it is vonly about one-half the number first reported and ‘believed to have been lost. Twenty-three bodies ‘have been recovered, all told, and about as many more are missing and possibly may never be heard UPE PRESERVERS HASTENING DEATH. It is a singular fact that the majority of those swho were drowned were provided with life pre- servers, and it is believed that they acted, in many @ases, against rather than in favor of the terrified Passengers. Becoming excited and exhausted, ‘after plunging or being swept into the sea, the poor ‘victims probably gave up to the heavy breakers and the preservers worked from the head and shoulders down to the middle or lower part of the ‘ody, thus causing the head to fall under the water and produce instant drowning. Several bodies re- covered had the life preservers tangled about the feet and legs, and the corpses were floating per- pendicularly with the head downward, If among “those now missing there are any who had life pre- Servers securely attached to them the chances are that their. bodies may yet be found, but if they ‘were not provided with preservers, or if they nave become detached by the action of the heavy sea since the disaster, it is more than likely they will fever be seen again, HOW THE COLLISION OCCURRED. ‘There {s little to be told of the manner of the col- lision except what has already been disclosed in the Heratp's copious despatches. The schooner ‘that collided with the ill-fated steamer was the Nettie Cushing, of Thomaston, Me., and she is now tying off New London. In the whole course of my perambulations through the seashore towns which thickly dot the Connecticut and Rhode Isiand coasts have found but little difference of opinion in re. gard to the point as to whose shoulders shail bear the blame of the disaster; for somebody or some- bodies must be at fault somewhere. “There never ‘was an accident in the world,” said an old polemic on the cars to-day, “which wasn't caused by careless- ness, and that carelessness should always be placcd where it belongs.’ [ agreed with him of course, as indeed who would not under the circumstances’ Pursuing my interrogatories further, not only directed to him, but to others who have ‘‘salled the goas over,” aud are perfectly acquainted with all the circumstances which govern navigation on the briny deep, I have found an almost unanimous ex- pression of opinion that the death, or, as one man called it, “delberate murder,” of forty or fity was certainly reckless; and the pilot, if he wasn’t Meere was blind. In either case neither of them had any business to assume the care of 150 human lives, I don’t mean to judge hastily, though; perhaps the officers and men of the schooner might have been a pack of idiote—sometimes sailors are. 1’d like to hear the public judgment on this matter." This concluded the conversation. WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY GENERALLY. Its sentiments are the same in substance as those which I have heard expressed by dozens of seafaring men in Newport, New _ London, Stonington and everywhere else where I have had an opportunity to broach the subject and ask for an opinion, The verdict of the seafaring community is one of unqualified condemnation of the officers of the steamer Metia. ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTS FROM PASSENGERS. Among the accounts of the disaster additional to those which were telegraphed last evening is the story of the Rev. H. A. Lownsbury, a sedate orthodox clergyman from Shirley Village, Mass, He said this morning—“I was awakened yesterday by a alates collision, but laid quietly in my berth. After a little while I heard a tumult outside, and a colored waiter cried out for the passengers to put on their life preservers and go to the hurricane deck, They tried to do so, but there were no facilities to get there. I clasped on =f life prea yes and went out on the guards, whe! ere was @ crowd of ople, men an women. They seemed to behave themselves coolly. 1 jumped into the water and seizea a mattress, but, finding that was insufficient to sustain my ae I grasped a floating hatch, on which I remai ined four or five hours, until I was picked up by the lifeboat under command of Captain Larkin. The wind was very cold, and I was chilled so that I be- came deathly sick. There were so many boats and barrels float ing. about through the water that I ie rest of the Passengers, and the barrels swashed about so that I have no doubt they struck some of the weaker ones and caused them to drown. Iknow that after I was transferred trom the lifeboat to the cutter Moccasin nearly all we found were dead—at least all that we found after ten o’clock in the forenoon. A FORTUNATE ESCAPE. « The happiest in all the community of Watch Hill was Mr. David P. O’Brien, who occupies the - tion of Inspector in the Excise Board of New York. He was en route to Providence to spend a vacation, and was accompanied by his wife. At the time of the collision both O’Brien and his life partner were fast asleep, and were awakened by tne shock. They were not frightened, though—far from it. The husband, with the same coolness which he would exhibit in walking down Broadway, coolly intormed his wife that he thought there might be a little difficulty outside, and he guessed that he would see about it, Accordingly he went into the saloon, only to behold that the boat was sinking and that he had not @moment to lose. Even that statement failed to disturb the equanimity of Mr. O’Brien. He whistied Pi eeed ie the Green,” and returned to his room, informed his plucky little wife that they were compelled to change their quarters. Securing two life preservers, he tore a sheet into strips, and with their aid and that of a piece of curtain cord, which he had captured somewhere, he bound these said-to-be safeguards securely about her person. They then sallied forth arm in arm into the main saloon on the upper deck, but the floor was covered with water and they were afraid that they might catch cold. A COUPLE JUMPING OVERBOARD. So they jumped overboard, preferring a complete ducking to half of one, and O’Brien assisted his lady to @ reserved seat on the raft. She occupied her position for a moment, when becoming anxious to experience the delights of another salt water bath, she tumbled overboard, aud was not seen for many seconds. The phosphorescent light on the water soon revealed her presence to her husband, about her whereabouts, and he hand, #o that together joth were bruised, the seriously than the wife. took her the Ocean House, where she was cared for, and he returned to the beach. A short search revealed to him the pre- sence of his coat and vest, which had followed the drift of the raft on shore, and further exploration discovered the dress which his wife had left in her stateroom. He extracted a pocketbook containing $47 from the latter garment, cut a few preliminary capers of a jig and returned to his hotel a happy and contented man. So much for Mr. O’Brien. INCIDENTS OF HEROISM. There are many incidents of heroism reported in connection with this terrible disaster, but amon; all none stands more prominent and deserving ol recognition than the conduct of eetieo Burton, commander of the steamer. So far as his treatment of passengers was concerned, and of Captain Hull, the agent of the line, they were most attentive to their safety, and did not think of themselves until the very last moment. The same may also be said of the crew, except four or five, who, with one of the directors of the line, got into one of tue life- boats and made for Stonington. The director re- ferred to is Colonel A. S. Gallop, of New York, and on his safe arrival in Stonington he made the fol- | lowing statement :— ‘The Metis came in collision somewhere near the head of the Sound with a schooner, causing qute a shake to the steamer and awakening many of the assengers, including myself. I partially dressed, but all being quiet I turned in again. After quite a time had passed I was aroused by Captain Hull, who told me the vessel was sinking. This was, hapa, an hour, and possibly more, after the col- ston" { asked the captain if he was sure ot it. He replied that he was. I at once went on deck, where I found the crew and passengers, now sen: ble of their danger, in all hurry and confusion, Captain Hull shouting, “The boat’s bound to sink now; put on your life-preservers;" and also saying to everybody to hurry and avail themselves of the means of progection. I then went in the saloon and found the passengers, most of them, with life preservers, but some were | running about inquiring for them. I saw several who seemed dilatory about putting them on. I told Edwin Turner and Cyrus Butler and others whom I did not know to hurry up. [ then went forward, I saw Captain Burton, who was calling out to pas- | sengers to puton their life preservers as they would need them. I then went aft to my room, which was on the main deck, and found some person had ap- propriated my preserver. I af once hurried on gain’ lent ners neipl in lent her a helpin, they floated ashore. 5 nh nd_ = more He gether, but was unable to find them, IT then went on the promenade deck, just us some of the men were lowering a boat. A BOAT CASIZED—TURBE LOST. Into this I sprang, but before tt could be got clear of the vessel 1t capsized aud three of its crew were lost. With difficulty the boat was righted, and the | eight persons which it then contained pusned orf from the fast sinking vessel and headed their frail craft for the shore, five miles distant. R. F. Loper, Jr., of New York, who ts stopping temporarily at ivdite ded when he heard what had happened, Started out with his yacht Josie, but there was such a furious is and heavy sea thathe was obliged to put back, and ih bis vain effort of Mercy came near being wrecked himself. Captain 0: ood, of the Fleetwing, also rusticatin at Stonington, showed a commendable spirit o1 humanity. Finding that he could be of no service indi with his yacht, he songnt out Captain Ritchie, of the revenue cutter Moccasin, and gave him a roll of greenbacks with directions to apply the same for the benefit of the sufferers, and then call on him again if it was necessary, THE ACTION OF CAPTAIN 08G00D becoming known, his example was very generall and pene followed by many others. ie wife and daughter of John P. Bigelow, Chief of the Loan deck to find some chairs, which I meant to bind to- | Bureau of the Treasury Department, and Mr. Wil- liams, the well known harbor and wait pilot, of Stonington, were foremost in furnishing cloth- img tor the — ladie were rescued in an almosi ptain of the Watch Hill lightship, who lost his boat Porilied his life in no less than six in- stances, frantic with rage when a + stander undertook to express sympathy for him in the loss of his boat. “Confound it,” said he, “let the old thing go; she has saved fourteen lives to- bo a has well paid for herself.’ The most use- craft in saving life was probably the United States revenue cutter Moccasin, in command of Captain David Ritchie, She picked up forty-seven who were just sinking and recovered seventeen of the twenty-three bodies thus far found. Presence of the cutter at Stonington was as acci- dental as it was providential, and in her absence at the critical moment every one whom she rescued alive must have found a watery grave. DESTITUTE CONDITION OF THE RESCUED. Most of those taken on board were nearly naked. ‘The ladies were supplied with blankets and apart- ments by themselves and furnished with stimulants, which quickly restored them to conssiousness. The men were nearly ull supplied with clothing of one kind and another by the Captain, Lieutenants Irish and Littlefield ineer Whitaker and Joc Case, the veteran pilot, They gaye up all except what tney had on their backs, and one poor fellow when he went ashore at Stonington was rigged out in @ full revenue uniform, Even the crew parted with portions of their scanty raiment, and ‘one fellow, a Frenchman just from the land of ira who could utter scarcely a word of English, took the only shirt he owned, and, with tears in his eyes, gave it to one of the nude suf- ferers. Captain Ritchie, commander of the Moccasin, will be remembered as not only the revenue officer who distinguished himself so often uring the war, but also as the intrepid vigilant individual who took in Cuban privateer Pioneer a few weeks ago. All his former achievements, however, are lost tn insigniticance when compared with the works of mercy and humanity which he and his brave crew performed yesterday morning. Ifthe government do not recognize their services as it properly should the community ought certainly to take the matter in hand and exhibit their apprecia- ton and gratitude in a most unmistakable manner. THE RUSH TO THB RESCUR. When the news was first made known at the Larkin House an alarm was raised, spreading quickly to all the hotels on the hill, ‘The boarders appeared in dishabille and simultaneously rushed for the beach. There a line was formed, each hold- ing the other’s hand, and every effort was made to save those who else would have perished. The lighthouse keeper was asked to launch the tifeboat, but he refused to do 80, whereupom Captain Larkin called for volunteers, and flity men stepped forward as one. The boat was put into service. So fast as the sufferers were taken [rom the water they were carried to the hote!s, where the doors stood wide open, without money and without price, vhe utmost. endeavors of the little community being applied to the succor of the afiicted ones. Too much praise cannot be given those who thus acted with self-sacrifice. ROBBING DEAD BODIES. In the midst of such an exnibition, however, it is painfully necessary to mention the act of afew ghouls from the neighboring town of Westerly, who succeeded in two or three instances in robbing the bodies of the dead. Had they been discovered in the act, a short shrift and a long rope would have been their doom. Fortunately, they were few in number. The great majority of the people present, and it may be said i the guests at the hotels, applied their exertions to the work of dong dd. A mention of individuals Would be invidious where all worked together 80 well, Not only did they guarantee the payment of all the expenses, but many suffered themselves that their weaker brethren and sisters might en- Joy @ comfort of life. In one instance several lady guests gave up their rooms and slept on the floor ofa dining room last night so that this end might accomplished, and there are nuumberless in- stances of self-sacrifice of a similar nature. I cannot better eee the result of my observa- tions than by re-echoing the words of one of the sufferers, who said to-day :—“If Divine Providence has ordained that I am again to be cast away at sea, I fervently pray that my body may eventually reach the shores of Watch Hill, whether alive or dead, It will be received with Christian treatment, and I shall leave with a higher and better opinion of man and womankind than that which ished before.” THE DEAD IDENTIFIED. Many of the scenes and incidents attendant on the Sere and identification of the dead were painful and harrowing in the extreme. One case which was particularly heartrending was that of a Mrs. Martin, of Philadelphia, who with her husband and two children were on their way to visit a friend’s in Manchester, N. H. When the steamer went down the father took the oldest child, only three years, and the mother took her infant babe of eight Weeks, and both providedswith life-preservers, plunses into the roaring sea. They ail sank, but irs. Martin came to the surface and was rescued by the cutter, without her child. She was insensible, but soon revived, and with the devotion of @ true wife and mother inquired for the fate of her husband and children. Captain Ritchie en- deavored to console her, but all iu vain. She in- sisted upon seeing the dead who were strewn op the deck, and almost the first face she..met was that of her husband. Her cries and agonizing expressions of grief for the moment fairly deafened the roar of the heavy sea which had brought her such terrible and sudden grief, and when she recovered and learned that her two children were also lost, it was with difficulty that the officers of the cutter could prevent her throwing herself overboard. Bridget Hines, a poor old woman who had lost three children and was penniless, was kindly cared for by the benevolent, ladies of Stonington. Captain Ritchie headed a subscription for her behalf with $20. and she was returned to her home in Hampton, Conn., with as light a heart as she could possibly carry under the circumstances. There Were some amusing incidents in the general calam- ity. One man, hav! ths check No. 1,637, was in a peck of trouble about his trunk. He didn’t want brandy but he dia want a clean shirt, and nobody’s shirt but his own would sit well on his Person. Somebody suggested that he might swint out after it, but he indignantly spurned the idea. He was last seen by the sad sea waves head in hand, pewaiting the absence of that hair cloth trunk. One passenger in mortal fright fell on his knees in the saloon just before the Vessel sank and com- menced to pray. Adeck hand brought hima life preserver, but he refused to accept of it, where- upon he was seized by the collar and jerked vio- lently to his feet with the injunction, “Do some- thing for yourself, man, before you pray to God for help.” The ger fas- tened. his life preserver and jumpe overboard. Another passenger, whose fo gg of shipwrecks was somewhat limited, led two life preservers about his hips and hung his travelling bag to his neck over a full suit of clothes. He was saved, however, in Spite of himself, It is said that Mr. Frederick Garrad, of Providence, is prostrated with grief at the loss of his two children. Religious services are held daily at the Watch Hill Hotel, and they are of a peculiarly solemn character. cher- COTTON BALES were resorted to and proved effectualas a means of saving many lives. Mr. Young, of Attleboro—who, by the way, is severely bruised about the upper part of his body—clung to one by his teeth until he was picked up by the life boat. A Mr. Par- don had a_ little experience. He fastened his feet through a grated window on a Biers of the side of the steamer, which left 18 hands free to help others, and assisted two ladies on to his raft, one of whom had a babe of four months under one arm and a little girl of two years & other hand. He managed to keep himself from being washed off with his Ieet through the grates and held the two ladies on with his hands. ‘The babe was soon washed away trom its mother’s grasp and lost. The rest of them managed to keep on the raft, one of the ladies being washed off four times and recovered again by great exertions. A Mr. Howard, who was mar- ried at Sharon Springs, New York, on Wednes- day night, and was on his way to Provi- dence on his wedding trip, sent word to the clergyman of the Methodtst Episcopal church in Sharon Springs to make arrangements for the funeral services of his wife in his church to-mor- row. Her body was sent jorward by tire train this morning. A SAD SPECTACLE was presented on the shore yesterday. A man, wrapped in a blanket, sat all alone on a rock gaz- ing earnestly at the waves. He mourned the loss of his wife, who was with him till they were almost on shore on @& cotton bale, when a wave sent her ten feet away, and she was lost. He was saved unhurt, and there he sat watching the returning wave, in hope ana yetin fear of seeing her body washed ashore. He would not go away, but sat all day long, receiving sympathy and kind words of the hundreds who passed by. At daybreak this morn- ing, Captain Ritchie started from Stonington in further search of the remains of the unfortunate victims of the disaster. Besides the usual crew of the Moccasin his only ‘companions were Mr. Bigelow, of the Treasury Department; Captain Hull, agent of the steamship company, and the HERALD correspondent. The Moccasin steamed around during the forenoon at all points where THE WRECK AND BODIES would be likely to drift, but at noon there was such a high sea that a further search was not only useless Lut positively dangerous, and the only re- source was to put into this port for safety. No trails of the wreck were seen, and if there had been it would have been impossible to have recovered anything. The search will be resumed to-morrow if the weather is favorable. ‘The bodies of eight victims of the Metis disaster are at Watch Hill, and eighteen in the dead house at Stonington. ANOTHER SURVIVOR. The Story of Mrs. Marten—Her Husband and Two Children Drowned—She Clings to a Mattress for Six Hours Before Being Picked Up=—Scenes of the Wreck—A Mother’s LovemA Heartrending Narra- tive. On the boat of the Stonington line that arrived yesterday thorning from the scene of the disaster there arrived Mrs. Marten, one of the survivors of the wreck. Her story is indeed a sad one. Sho has lost her husband and her two littie children, the nearest and dearest treasures she had in the world. | go, She herself had a narrow escape, and was on the point of succumbing to cold and fatigue when she was picked up by the lfeboat. She is @ Scotchwoman by obirth, but has lived in this country since she was a child, and her accent and manners are those of an American, She is now about twenty-four years ofage, and her appearance shows that she pos- sesses an unusually robust and strong constitution. When the reporter of the HERALD visited her she was sitting in the ladies’ cabin waiting for the ar- rival of the Coroner, who was to hold the inquest on the dead body of her husband that lay on the wharf, It seemed at first cruel to allude to her great sorrow; but she willingly told the story of her loss. “I don’t know the time,” began she, “when the schooner struck us, but there wasa little light, so it must have been getting towards morning. My husband and myself were awakened by the noise of people rushing about and by their cries, and then we heard the steward telling us to put on life preservers, as the vessel was sinking. I snatched up my youngest child, which was only eight weeks old, and my busband took the other. We put on the life preservers, a8 the steward told us, and came out into the cabin. I was only dressed in a loose sleeping gown; I was too frightened to wait and take the reat of my clothes. People were rushing through the cabin, and I saw that some of them had taken the floating mattresses. I told my husband to do the same; but he said no; that we hadn't time to wait. was bewildered with the noise, the shrieks and prayers of the other passengers, but followed him as well a8 Tcould, He went at once to the side of the shi; and jumped into the water with my eldest child, turning round before he leaped to telt me to do the same. Just then a gentleman with three ladics came along. He had two of the floating mattresses, and I caught hold of one, the one to which the three ladies clung, and jumped overboard with them. How long we were in the water 1 have no idea, but it must have been six hours."’ “And what became of your husband “Alter he had jumped overboard I am not sure that I saw him again. As soon as 1 was in the water I looked ground and saw a man floating away with a child in his arms, and [ thought it was him, but the light was not strong enough and the waves were too high for me to be sure, The sea was dreadfully high; every moment the waves rolled over us, and I could scarcely breathe, and my eyes smarted and were blinded with the salt water. hen I lost my youngest child I don’t remember; it must have been washed away from me very soon. “But your husband had a life preserver?” “Yes, but he must have become insensible from fatigue and cold. When he was picked up it was plain that he died from drowning. There was froth around his mouth and nostrils.” “And the ladies who clung to the same mattress with you?” “They were all drowned, though the gentleman who was with them Lsawon the steamer after we were picked up He floated with his mattress away from us. Two of the ladies were mother and daughter; I could see that, and their strength soon succumbed. The daughter gave out first, and when she Grey ped, her head the mother let go the mattress, clasped the lifeless body of her daughter in her arms and floated away. 1 had not spoken to them, oecause it. was impossible, owing to the sea.~ A minute or so after they had gone and I was alone. ITremember seeing a hand which seemed like that of the mother lifted up for @ moment from the water, as though crying to snatch at something. After that I know very little. 1 was in the water six hours, and when I was Picked up by the lifeboat I was just giving up.” “You seem to have recovered a little from the fatigue already?” “Yes, I have been very kindly treated, but I scarcely know what I am doing or saying even now. I can’t realize what I have lost (sobbing). 1 teel stunned and almost dead. I can scarcely move, my limbs are so stiff and bruised.” “Was your husband an American {"’ “No, He came from Glasgow and I came from Dundee. He was only twenty-eight years of age, and we had been married but three years.”” “What was his business ?” “A blacksmith. We were coming from Philadel- phia, where we had been on a visit, and were going to live at Manchester, N. H., where some of my husband's folks live.’? “Have you heard whether the bodies of your children have yet been recovered ?”” “1 believe they have picked up some children, are mine; butI have come on and perhaps the; now with he body of my husband.” Such is the story of one who has been among the heaviest losers by this terrible catastrophe. It is told in simple uiguage, just as it fell from the of the poor widow, but it carries with it a veel pathetic meaning at which the coldest eart must thrill with sympathy. One sees the family as it was, happy in its modest prosperity, a prosperity gained by the es, Seto and patient in eit A of the poor fellow who gone so suddenly to his last account, with a bright future of coming co! even deepening affection, and then aye: tne family as it is—the breadwinner and the children cold in death, and the widow left alone to begin the world again by herself. Probably, too, though of course the question could not be asked, Mra, Marten is none too well provided for. And what is lll, this is but one of many other similarly Painful histories of loss and sorrow which grew out of that cruel storm of Thursday night. STORY OF A DECK HAND. Among the passengers on board the Narragan- sett, which arrived in this city yesterday morning, was James McCullough, one of the deck hands of the steamer Metis. McCullough, when he arrived here, was in an almost destitute condition. All he had on was an old blue flannel shirt and a pair of cotton pants, which were kindly given him by one of the residents at Watch Hill. Otherwise he was bare ofallearthly goods. The clothes he had of course went down with the Metis. The HERALD reporter saw McCullough yester- day shortly after he had arrived at the wharf from whence the Metis had sailed but two evenings be- fore. He was in the midst of a circle of interested listeners. His story was a very graphic and in- teresting one, and was told with all of the fervor of & man who had but just escaped from the jaws of death, and had, as yet, but an imperfect realization of the fact that he was safe alive while so many of his late companions were dead and gone. At about two in the morning McCullough had been relieved of his duty and had gone below to his bunk. He had undressed and was soundly asleep when he was wakened up suddenly by A TREMENDOUS CRASH and a loud cry overhead. This was immediateiy succeeded by an almost deathlike silence, which seemed to him to last an eternity, and then rose on the alr a universal wail, as if a thousand waves were joining in chorus, This was succeeded by an inflinite variety of shrieking and crying and & continuous movement of feet overhead. Untii this time he bad hardly realized an accident had occurred, and was like one half asleep. When, however, he heard the rushing of the waters he sprang from his bunk, felt round the cabin, which was pitch dark and which seemed to be uninhabited. On the moment the excitement was so great that he searched fruitlessly for his clothes, and the mental strain be- pega more and more intense, he rushed from the cabin In a state of wild excitement and with nothing on but a cotton undershirt. What he saw on deck necd hot be described. That has already been done sufficiently, He found the officers of the boat GIVING ORDERS QUIRTLY, and as soon as one of them saw him he was ordered to lower the boats. The calm tone in which the order was given restored him to his senses, and he proceeded, Leng to the order, to go to the davits and lower away. hile he was doing this three of the deck hands, whom, he says, he recognized as Norton, Dalton and Doran, jumped into the boat | and were lowered with her. The men who were lowering swore at them to get out, but they didn’t budge an inch, except to cower down in the bot- tom, At this moment the rope gave way and the boat hung stern downwards, and the men, in spite of their efforts to cling on, were thrown into the sea, That was the last seen of them, and no doubt they were drowned. The boat was righted and was soon filled with men, women and children, One or two deck hands also got into her, and she Was pushed off from the vessel. Some frantically endeavored to throw themselves into the bogt as she was making off, but fell short. At the moment no one could rescue them, McCullough then turned about and ran towards the bow of the steamer, where he observed a crowd had collected, ‘There seemed to be NO MEANS OF SAVING THEM by the boats, and he told them they had better get hold of gaping d throw themselves into the water. He got hold of a large spar which was lying near the bow and rigged a rope to it and low- ered it into the sea. He then told a woman who was standing near to catch hold of the rope and lower herself. She offered some resistance, but he made her doit. Then ne looked round for some- body else and saw a woman with a child in her arms which she was pressing to her bosom with all her might. She appeared to be half dead with fright, and did not make ® movement to save her- self, He caught hold of her and forced her towards the rope, and she instinctively obeyed him. When he wanted her to lower herself, and endea- vored to hold the child to help her, she protested that she would not without her child, McCul- lough succeeded finally in lowering her with the chila by his supporting them underneath. Then A MAN AND WOMAN JUMPED DOWN on it, and he pushed off from the ship. He got the two women he had lowered ther in the middie of the spar and held the baby himself, It was all he could do to keep himself on with it, as the spar would constantly turn round as YORE “HERALD, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1872—TRIPLE SHEET. and went down. Being a good swimmer he came to the surface and succeeded in getting hold of the spar once more. Thus they succeeded in keepin, afloat. Atone lurch the spar gave, the man an: wife who were on one end of it, let go, and we did not see them again. They were drowned. As day- light oecame more clear he saw the beach not far ol, and he saw that he was gradually getting near it, He still held the baby; but finally when the spar gave another lurch and he for the second me lost his hold he LAP GO THE BABY to save himself. He regained the spar without it. The mother saw he had lost her child and wanted to follow it, and he had the greatest Simousty in preventing her, It was only by holding tightly to her that he made her remain. Both women were getting exhausted as the spar neared the shore and could not have held on much longer, when he all at once touched ground. He says he never had such a feeling of joy in his life, He then told the women to keep hold of the spar and to wade their way in shore. Sometimes the violence of the waves would make them lose their feet, but they kept d hold and at last were res- cued by people on shore from their perilous posi- tion, jcCullough was taken on shore and kindly treated, furnished with clothes and forwarded 10 Stonington, where he took the Narragansett to come on here, WHAT AN ITALIAN WRECKER DID. Bi are YS data It is a singular fact that thieves, like carrion crows, flock most where disaster and death are most general. It would seem to even the most hardened that men could have found employment in some way during the morning of the Metis disaster at Watch Hill in saving human life instead of exer- cising their thieving propensity, Yet such is not the fact, and this appalling tragedy cannot pass without its accompaniment of sinister stories of robbery. Yesterday morning Superintendent Odell, of the New York and Providence Steamship Company, received a message from the captain of the Narragansett that he was immediately wanted at the boat. Mr. Odell hastened to the Narragansett to jearn the cause of this sudden summons, and found that the captain had charge of an Italian named Antonio Bacuciolo, whom he stated he suspected of having in his pos- session goods belonging to the Metis. It appears that Bacuclolo got on board the Narragansett at Stonington, having with bim A LARGE CASE, which he stated to be full of merchandise. belonging to himself, and which he was desirous of getting on to New York as soon as possible, The captain thought there was something strange in the con- duct of the man, and watched him. When in New York Mr. Bacuciolo ordered a carman on the pier to take his case of goods to 37 Crosby street, The case was taken up and put on a hand truck and wheeled of the boat. The captain watched it as it went off and noticed that water was dripping trom the case all the time. This struck him as so singular that he ordered the re- moval of the case to be stopped. At this the Itallan waxed very wroth and threatened the captain with dire vengeance if he interfered with his goods, The captain said, however, that he would not let the case go until! Mr. Odell was sent for. In this way matters stood when Mr. Odell arrived on the ground. He immediately ordered the case to be opened and examined. On the very top he found a number of napkins and towels marked Metis in the corner of each. There was also a sheet marked Metis wrapped round a quantity of goods. When THE SHEET WAS TAKEN OFF shea @ pile of silk velvets was found, the value of which was computed at about three thousand dol- lars. When all this was discovered the Italian grew very much frightened, and begged to be let off, At first Mr. Odell ordered him to be arrested, but when he found that in that case he would have to allow the goods to be placed in the property clerk’s hands at Headquarters he objected strenu- ously, saying he ence losing the prisoner to losing the goods. Finding that it was impossible to make the arrest otherwise, Mr. Odell said he would lake charge of the case of goods and let the enim go. Baccuciolo then had the impudence demand his share of the goods as “salvage.” Mr. Odell told him he could sue for it if he pleased, otherwise he should certainly not get any “sal- vage.”? Wie still a mayaeny: how these goods came into sseasion of the Italian. It is supposed he was at ‘atch Hill at the time of the disaster to the Metis, that the goods were washed ashore, and that he, picking = all he could, packed them in one case and lily carted them to Stonington. Mr. Odell the residence Bacuciolo gave as 37 Crosby ‘known den of thieves. Many of the vei- vets in the case were not at all damaged, and al- together it is & valuable little property to recover. THE PILOT'S STORY. The steamer Thetis, a freight boat belonging to the New York and Providence line, arrived in New York yesterday afternoon. She started for Boston on the same evening as the Metis, only about an hour after her, and took substantially the same course. Though she must have passed within a very short distance of the scene of the disaster she knew nothing of it, and the first intimation her officers had of the loss of the Metis was in Provi- dence. A reporter of the HERALD interviewed Captain Gale, the Commander of the Thetis, yesterday afternoon. Personally he knew nothing of the de- tails of the wreck except what he had seen in the papers. He, however, saw the pilot of the Metis, Abram Torrey, in Stonington, on Friday night. Torrey had given him some details of his own escape and the scene on board when the collision took place with the unfortunate schooner. Torrey was steering at the time, and found the vessel so dark that he by he could not see ten feet before him. ‘he steamer was going at full speed, when all at once he was thrown off his feet by the shock of the collision. He did not leave his wheel, but kept the boat’s head straight for a few moments until he found that she must be sinking. He could only guess at this, but he knew itas itively as if he had seen. He ran down the steps to the passengers’ deck and there found a scene of the most appalling and heart-rending con- fusion. Everybod: ut the officers of the ship seemed to have lost his head. All were rushing wildly about seeking some means of es- cape from the deck, which seemed about to overwheli them. The boats were lowered promptly, and the men helped the women down first into the boats. This took some time, and he stood at his post till it became apparent the vessel was about to sink for good. He then ran down tn his cabin and got two cork mattresses which were in the berths. He gave one o these to @ friend of his named Palmer and the other he kept for himeelf, and, with it inf his grasp, threw himself’ into’ the boiling surf, Fora time he thought it would be impossible for him to keep hold, but gradually he grew accus- tomed to the feeling. He had not been on the mat- tress two minutes when the Metis sank out of sight. He could not see if anybody sank with her. He remained on the cork mattress from five o'clock, when he jumped into the sea, until twelve the next day, when he was picked up, almost exhausted, by the cutter Moccasin. AT THE CORONERS’ OFFICE. Siirrseintone The Sound steamer Narragansett yesterday morn- ing brought to this city the bodies of Carl F. and Arthur H. Wierum, brothers, aged respectively six and a halfand eight years, who lived with their parents at 142 Clinton street, Brooklyn. The de- ceased had been placed by their parents in care of Mr. ©. ©, Adams, of 133 Clinton street, Brook- lyn, and doing business at No. 1 Bond street, who was taking them on a visit to his family, spending some time at Newburyport, Mass. Unfortunately they took voyage on the ill-fated steamer Metis, and the little brothers, s0 full of life and bright anticipations of a delightful visit with their playmates, the children of Mr. Adams, were drowned. Mr. Adams, who made a miraculous escape from deati, accompanied the remains to this city, preparatory to delivering them to their heart-broken parents. Mr. Adams yesterday morn- | ing called on Coroner Schirmer, at the City Hall, and asked permission to remove the remains of the | children to Brooklyn, and an inquest was accord- ingly held over the remains. Mr. Adams, who ap- pears to be aman of eet nerve and stability of character, made the following statement in regard to the wreck of the Metis :- 0. ©. Adams being sworn, says:—I reside at 138 Clinton street, Brooklyn; on the 20th inst. I took assage on the steamship Metis for Providence, R, re the deceased and his brother, children of Mr. Wierum, of 142 Clinton street, Brooklyn, accom: panied me; at three o'clock A. Mt. yesterday, when near Watch Hill, the Metis was rup into Py a schooner; the steamer was stopped for about half an hour and then pronounced all hi pulled and the engine atarted utes later it was found the at 3, L occupied room No, 3, and, as soon I heard the alarm, I strapped the children together, with life preservers under their arms, and, strapping @ life-preserver around myself, took them to the after part of the steamer, out by the guards, and remained there with the children less’ than ten minutes; finding the ‘amer was fast breaking up, I took the children under my left arm and dropped from @ chair to the rail, and jumped out into the water as far as I could; I clung to the children as long as either of them lived; the youngest died in about half an hour and the other ten or fifteen minutes later; 1 floated for about four and a haif hours on @ plank, and then was the waves broke against it. Once he let etl «having hold of the child, saved by Captain Larkin’s life boat; the chil- dren were found about one o'clock yesterday after- noon by one of the small boats of the revenue cutter Moc and taken into Stonington, where the Coroner, who bad been called, gave me charge of the two bodies, On the testimony of Mr. Adams a verdict of death by Sach was rendered in both cases, after which the bodies were carried to 142 Clinton street, Brooklyn, for inter: te At the time Mr. Adams leaped overboard from the sinking wreck he was but partially dressed, but he carried with him his wallet, containing about one hundred dojlars and some valuable Papers, which were saved. During his feartui four and a half hours’ drifting ona plank Mr, Adams fell in with both the dead mod are, ae pe boar unfortunate passengers le ook refuge on the p! ka a pA re e plank and was ANOTHER VICTIM. Sah aa eC) G, Martin, one of the victims of the steamer Metis, who was drowned in attempting to save his life after the collision, was brought to the city omeriay by the steamer Narragansett. Coroner chirmer held an inquest on the body. No testi- mony was taken except that of Captain Ray Allen, of the Narraganset. Deceased was twenty-eight years of age and born in Scotland. THE TWO BROTHERS. 2 Bean Last evening a visit was paid to the house of mourning at 142 Clinton street, Brooklyn, where the corpses of Mr, Wierum’s two handsome boys lay. In death they appeared to be reposing calmly and the features were notin the slightest disfigured after their combat with the stormy waves of the pitiless Atlantic. The funeral takes place to-morrow (Monday) at noon, from the house, and their last resting place will be Morristown, N.J., where they will be buried side by side as. they lived and died. Their father is fairly heart- broken and great sympathy is expressed for the andin tact by the whole City of Brooklyn. Mr. Charles C. Adams, who made such a noble attempt to save the poor lads’ lives, left this city for Boston last night, LETTER FROM A SURVIVOR. The following letter has been received by Mr. F. B. Stone from his brother, a passenger on board the ill-fated steamer Metis :— Lark Hovse, Watcu Hii, R. Tn} August 30, 1872, Dear BRornER—I have been through something Inever want to go through again. We struck the schooner at half-past three this morning and the steamer is a total loss, the hull sinking and leaving us nothing but the hurricane deck to stay onfor pans four hours in @ very rough sea off Point Judith, and when daylight dawned for nearly two hours afterwards not a@ sight of land to be seen. Finally we discovered land, which proved to be Watch Hill, and we drifted ashore on terribly rough breakers, three being killed and many boas 4 hurt, but L escaped without a scratch. Of course was drenched to the akin and chilled through. I had no clothes but those I had on my back. am drying them and shall go to Reading this afternoon. T have every reason to thank God my life is spared. I suppose Lr forty were lost, as nearly a8 we can get at it. I shall go home by cars. a y C. L, STONE. A WONDERFUL ESCAPE. reg ey Mr. Robert Brown, detective at the Sub-Treasury, stated yesterday to a HERALD reporter:—“Some acquaintances of mine, comprising a lady and gen- tleman and their two children, went on board the Metis, but the lady, apprehending a gale—seeing the lowering aspect of the weather—declined to proceed, and, although her husband tried to laugh away her fears, she remained firm, and the party returned to thelr home, ac 117th street and Second even: allowing their baggage, which was on roy to go forward, and which was, ol course, ost. SUPERINTENDENT ODELL’'S STATE- MENT. A HERALD reporter went down to pier 27 yester- day to see Mr, Odell, Superintendent of the line to which the Metis belonged. Everything on the pier was going on in its wonted manner and goods were being brought down and loaded and discharged as if nothing whatever of any consequence had hap- pened. The men were talking more or less of the disaster, but in an unspeakably indifferent tone, Superintendent Odell sat in the inner ofMce. He is a determined-looking man, whom nothing could apparently affect. He said he was willing to give any information whicn the HERALD could desire. knew nothing, he added, but what the HernaLp had n. « REPORTER—Does the company lose much, Mr. Odell? care about just now. It’s the lives that are lost biked we are looking at. Oh! our loss is very ry REPORTER—I saw the Metis going up that night and she looked to me like a fine boat. ODELI—She was @ fine boat. There's no mistake about that. Why, she had only just been fitted up and rigged out new everywhere. There wasn’t finer boat on the jine than the Metis. Oh, she’s Coa loss to the company, there’s no mistaking nS Mr. Odell leaned his head in his hand and looked at his desk thoughtfully. “Why, my dear sir,’ he broke out suddenly, ‘she had only made a few trips since she had been fixed up—seven, I think, from Boston to Martha’s Vine- yard, and one from New York. This was her sec- ond. She’s a very great loss to the company.”’ RePorTER—You will continue running just the same, I bes ose ? OpELI—Oh, yes. Why not? The Metis was only an extra boat and didn’t belong to the regular ones, REPORTER—Do you think the Thetis passed over the same ground Where the Metis sunk ODELL—No Iaon’t, She must have passed full, ten miles away. Some of the fellows that are save say they saw the Thetis pass, but that’s not so. I guess it must have been the Glaucus they saw, The reporter took his leave while Mr. Odell was still muttering, “That’s @ great loss to the com- pany.” A CORRECTION. iacanadilice NewaRk, N. J., August 31, 1872. The victim of the Metis disaster supposed to be Emil Stampe, a fresco painter, of this city, was not he, but a workman named Harberger, on his way to join his wife in Providence, and who had some of Stampe’s cards in his pockeis, Harberger had been secretly marnied. ADDITIONAL ESTIMATE OF THE LOST. A private despatch received in this city says the the present time, many persons previously re- rted Bis is probably the number that perished. The following statement is made by the oficers of the Neptune Steamship Company :— The full list of passengers, oMcials and crew of the steamer Metis shows 163 persons on board, 141 ot whom are alive. The bodics of the other twenty- two have been found. Many have been reported to- | day from various sources who were thought to be lost. BAGGAGE PICKED UP AFLOAT. VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass., Augt 31, 1872. The schooner Allie akes, of Rockland, Captain Pillsbury, from New York for Boston, has arrived here, with loss of jib, and reports that on the after. noon of the 29th inst., near Watch Hill, Long Island Sound, passed large quantities of baggage, cotton and other merchandise; Pag say up three tranks checked Galatea, Nos. 413, 421 and 481, and one trunk not checked. ° AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED. a Wasuincton, August 31, 1872. The Acting Secretary of the Treasury to-day or dered Supervising Inspector Low, of New York, to make an immediate examination into the cause of the accident to the steamer Metis. This disasterr like that of the Bristol, 1s attributed to the neglect of the Siee of the schooner to display the lights required by the steamboat law. TERRIFIO GALE ON THE LAKES, Severa! Vessels Wrecked and Their Care goes Lost. Osweao, N. Y., August 31, 1872, A gale of unusual severity for this season of the year has prevailed here since Thursday, The schooner Alpha, from Toronto for this port, went ashore five miles below the harbor and wilt probably be a total wreck. Her crew were taken om in a lifeboat last night. The schooner Orion, from Cleveland for Kingston, with building stone, sunk of Loug Point, Canada. Her crew drifted ashore in the yawl, nine miles de- low this port, yesterday afternoon. The schooner Richardson, from Toronto, with corn, is ashore at Presque Isle bereaved family by their neighbors and friends, ¢ Of the wreck he | ODELL—Of course it does, but that’s not what we ° number of lost has been reduced to twenty-two, at ‘ lost having been saved in various ways.