THE SCHILLER'S DOOM.

NZ Truth, Issue 151, 9 May 1908, Page 7

THE SCHILLER'S DOOM.

For loss of -life, the wreck of the Schiller, which took place on the Scilly Isles on May 7, 1875, must rank with some of the most deplorable catastrophies of the sea. The Scilly Isles he about 30' miles from the Land's End. .Cornwall 1 , and consist of about 40 islands, of which but six are inhabited, and numerous rocky islets, freiiuentoij only by ocean birds. The principal islands are St. sMiary's. with an area of about 1600 acres ; Tresco, about 700 ; St. Martin's, 5:30 ; St. Apines's, 350 ; Bryher, 300 ; and Samson, 80. The , Bishop's Rock lighthouse, erefeted .m 1858. about seven miles from Hughtown,. St. Mary's, was built of granite, ancl its vane rises to an elevation of 147 ft. above high water! Its light is supposed to be visible m clear weather, a distance of 14 miles. The Schiller was an iron screw steamier, built at Glasgow m 1873. She was of 3600 tons register, a big lump of a vessel 30 years ago, was rigged as a brig, and belonged to THE EAGLE COMPANY,, of Hamburg, between which port and New York she regularly plied. She left. New York on April 27, 1875, having on board a crew of 120, 246 passengers, and a valuable general cargo. .Her easterly run across the Atlantic was made with a fair Avind and m favorable weather, until about May 4, when a thick haze came on. with drivin© storms of rain, . preventing 'the captain from taking those observations ,' which would have revealed his exact position. On the evening of the 7th, the haze deepened into a fog. It was known that" the vessel 'must now be near the entrance of the Channel, and, accordingly, at about half-past 9 o'clock, the engines were slowed, and the ship's course altered so as to keep her (as it was hoped) m miidchannel,' and far away from land. But it was too late. The Schiller had been driven blindly ahead AT DANGEROUS SPEED. She was far out of her course,' and m half an-^pur she' drove full upon i the Retarrier Ledge, near the Dishop's Rock lighthouse, on St. Mary's. I It was soon apparent that no hu- ! man effort could , dislodge the strand- ' ed vessel, and the captain and officers addressed themselves to the task of saving life. Rockets were fired, .and rains discharged at frequent intervals ; but, unfortunately, these signals were unseen or unheeded. Efforts wer« next made to lower the : boats ; but two were crushed by the fall of the funnel, and the others were carried away by the violence of the billows, which shook the Jschiller FROM STEM TO STERN. Meantime the usual scene of distress were passing on board m tho= darkness of that wild spring night. Mothers clasped their children, wives clung to their .husbands, while others into the gloom as if m moite . converse with the Avorld of disemI bodied spirits, whom they were sooh [to join. Some were struck with. an instantaneous attack of piety, and knelt m prayer ; others showed a /calm indifference to the horror of their position. Some shed silent tears, and not a few exhibited THE WILDEST TERROR : mit the bravest and readiest provid- •■'» themselves with safety belts or ars, so that when the ship went to k-ees they might have a-; battle for ift». Human nature is always, the me, and m all ages, and the wreck A the SchiWer was somewhat simi■r\r to all such disasters, when the rash on the rocks heralds the end of life to so many. The masts were scattered and planks torn by the pounding of the iron hull on the rocks, and ever and anon a swoop of waters rushed over the decks, carrying away the passengers and seamen m clusters. And for them there was no help. Hope ■revived loi a while WHEN LIFEBOATS ARRIVED I com St. Mjary's and, at no small hazard, got alongside. Working desperately, and lifter much difficulty ..i id with no HHlc danger, the rescuers' jook off 41 persons. These were chiefly women and ohildren. The boats • were too few to be of much use, and •nst after the last one had pub off. laden to the. gunwale, the miassive Schiller broke up, and the sea was strewn with fragments of wreck. It was computed that no fewer than "00 m«n, w-omen, and children perished on that. fatal nighti

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