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Rhode Island Disasters
Block Island, RI Steamer Larchmont Disaster, Feb.
1907

Big Steamer
Larchmont Sinks In Collision and 181 People Lose Their Lives Life Boats
Come Ashore Freighted With Corpses Men and Women Freeze to Death in
Desperate Struggle For Life Second Vessel in Collision Runs Ashore in
Sinking Condition.
CORPSES MANNED
THE LIFE BOATS. One hundred and eighty-one persons died
through the sinking of the steamer Larchmont off the coast of Rhode Island
last night. Men perished from the cold on the vessel's decks and in the
life boats. One life boat came ashore with fifteen frozen corpses in it
and eight others aboard were dying.
BLOCK ISLAND. R. I., Feb. 12. Only nineteen out of
about two hundred persons on board the steamer Larchmont survived the
wreck. Of the saved, eight are passengers, six of them women and two men,
the rest of the survivors belonging to the crew. Captain McVey of the
Larchmont estimates the dead at 181.
BLOCK ISLAND, R. I., Feb. 12 The Steamer Larchmont
of the Joy Line, , carrying many passengers, bound from Boston to New York
sank off the northwest side of Block Island early today after a collision
with the three masted schooner Harry Knowleton. The passengers and crew
from the steamer took to the boats, but some lost their lives either by
drowning or freezing, as the temperature was below zero.
The
schooner's bow was cut away and her captain ran her ashore west of
Quononchontaug to prevent her sinking. The crew of seven, including
Captain Haley, reached the shore in safety in their boats.
The
cause of the collision is unknown. The night was clear with a strong
northwest wind blowing and the sea was rough. It was intensely cold. When
the first boats came ashore from the steamer it was found that some of the
occupants were dead. It is not known whether they were pulled from the
water drowned or were frozen to death.
The Knowleton was bound from
South Amboy for Boston. The Larchmont left Providence last night in
command of Captain McVey. The vessel had a crew of about fifty, and some
passengers, besides a miscellaneous cargo of freight. The Larchmont was of
1,605 tons gross, 252 feet in length, 37 feet in breadth and was
fourteen feet in depth.
BLOCK ISLAND, R. I., Feb. 12.- Later reports of the
Larchmont wreck show that the passengers met death in various ways. Some
attempted to launch life boats and were frozen to death on the decks of
the foundering steamer. Others were drowned and still others, who were
successful in launching life boats were frozen to death before the small
craft reached shore.
Captain McVey said he could not estimate the
exact loss of life. He stated that the Larchmont carried about one hundred
and fifty passengers and a crew of thirty.
At 11:30 o'clock
eighteen bodies in all had been recovered and eight survivors on Block
Island are being cared for. The inhabitants of all parts of the Island
have turned out to succor the needy.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12. - Captain McVey, communicating
with the Joy Line officials by telephone from Block Island , said the
Larchmont Island sank in ten minutes after the collision. After cruising
about in a small boat from 11 p. m. to 8 a. m. he landed on Block Island.
Close behind his boat there landed another, bringing fifteen dead and
eight dying passengers.
Date:
February 12, 1907 Paper: Tucson Daily Citizen, Arizona Transcribed
by K. Torp
HUNDREDS PERISH IN SINKING
STEAMER Steamer Larchmont Collides With a Schooner. WAS ENROUTE TO
NEW YORK Captain Says that He Had on Board From 150 to 200 Passengers,
When the Collision Occurred, and Only Eight of These Escaped.
Block Island, R.I. Feb. 12.- Captain
George McVey, of the steamer Larchmont, said to the Associated Press that
he had on board from 150 to 200 passengers, when the collision occurred,
and only eight of these escaped with their lives.
At the time he
made the statement, fourteen bodies had been washed ashore, making only 22
out of the total passengers list accounted for.
At 11:30 o'clock
four more bodies were washed ashore, making a total of eighteen bodies
recovered, with eight survivors of the accident being cared for on the
island.
Providence, R. I., Feb. 12. - A private message reached
here from Block Island stated that 14 bodies had been washed ashore.
Block Island, R. I., Feb. 12. - The steamer Larchmont of the Joy
line, with many passengers on board, bound from Providence for New York,
sank off the west side of Block Island early Tuesday after having collided
with the three-masted schooner Harry Knowleton, of Quononchontaug. The
passengers and crew from the steamer took to the boats, but it is feared
that some may have lost their lives either by being drowned or by
freezing, as the temperature is below zero.
The schooner's bow was
cut away and her captain ran her ashore west of Quononchontaug to prevent
her sinking. The crew of seven men, including Captain Haley, reached the
shore in safety in their boats.
The cause of the collision is not
known. The night was clear, but there was a strong northwest wind, and the
sea was running high. It was an intensely cold and bitter
night.
"When the first boats came ashore from the steamer it was
found that some of their occupants were dead. In the first confusion it
was not known whether they had been pulled from the water after having
been drowned or whether they were frozen to death
The Knowleton,
which hails from Eastport, Me., was bound from Southhambry for Boston,
with 475 tons of coal.
The Larchmont left Providence at 6:30 Monday
night for New York, in command of Captain McVey of Providence. She carried
a crew of about 50 and had on board some passengers and a miscellaneous
cargo of freight.
The Larchmont registered 896 tons net, 1650
gross. She was built at Bath, Me., in 1885.
Boston, Feb.
12.-Eighteen persons are known to have purchased tickets in this city to
take passage to New York on the Larchmont. The names of only two of these
passengers are on record at the office of the Joy line here.
Block
Island, Feb. 12.-Captain Charles Mitchell, of the north end-life saving
station off which point the Larchmont is sunk, estimates that between 13
and 20 bodies already have come ashore from the steamer. Up to 10:30
o'clock several boats had landed and others were making slow progress from
the wreck toward shore.
Providence, R. I., Feb. 12.- The principal
Joyline office in this city at 10 o'clock Tuesday was without definite
information concerning the sinking of the steamer Larchmont. The officials
stated that their only knowledge of the disaster was a telegram sent by
Captain McVey to his wife stating that he was safe.
A private
messenger reached here from Block Island stated that 14 bodies have been
washed ashore. The Joy line officials estimate that there was about 150
passengers on board and the crew numbered about
thirty.
Date: 1907-02-13 Paper:
The Biloxi Daily Herald (Mississippi) Transcribed by K.
Torp

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