COLLISION AND LOSS OF TWENTYTWO LIVES.

Evening Post, Volume XIII, Issue 54, 4 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

COLLISION AND LOSS OF TWENTYTWO LIVES.

(From the correspondent of the Baily. Telegraph,) Liverpool, 31st January., Another great maritime disaster has occurred in Sfc. George's Channel, involving a loss of no fewer than 22 lives. The steamer Dante, owned by Messrs. Glover Brothers, of London, sailed from Liverpool on a voyage to Bombay on Wednesday last, with a crew of 28 hands, all told., and two other persons, who were either passengers or the doctor and purser. She was under the command of Captain Buchanan,' and her Liverpool agents were Messrs. Stoddart Brothers, of Water-street. About midnight she had passed the .Smalls, and was between that point and the Tuskar Light. The watches were being changed when the red light of an approaching vessel was seen to starboard, j The night was dark and cloudy, and ! there was a strong breeze from the ! south-west, wiCh a. good sea on. The hebn of the steamer was ported, but in a short time she was run into by a vessel, which proved to be the Norwegian barque Gronsvair, bound for Liverpool. • The Dante was struck amidships on the port side, and such was the force of the shock that she ' y sank. sexeiL minutes afterwards. The. chief officer and three men clambered on to the bows of the barque, and the others were either carried down by the steamer, or were left struggling in the water. The second engineer was picked up four hours afterwards floating on a spar. The captain, chief engineer, and a fireman were discovered clinging, to a life-boat of the Dante, after eight hours' immersion. All these men were taken on board the barqne, which put out boats to search for survivors, and brought to Liverpool, where they arrived this morning. The Gronsvair was but slightly injured, having her cutwater and bows partially stove in. Some of the survivors were taken to the Sailors' Home here, where their wants were attended to. The Dante was a vessel of 1743 tons and 1000 horsepower, and was built in 1874 by Messrs J. Softley <fc Co. As above stated, she was owned in London by Messrs. Glover Brothers ; she was valued at £35,000, and the value of her cargo was between £800,000 and £1,000,000.