One of the worst maritime disasters of our time occurred
on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The British steamer 'Utopia,' with 750 Italian emigrants for New York on board, was steaming into the harbour of Gibraltar, when, either through mis- management or the force of the gale raging at the time, she fouled the ram of her Majesty's ironclad Anson,' and in ten minutes sank. The ram had torn a hole in her side 30 ft. long. The panic among the wretched Italians, half of whom were women and children, was in- describable, even the strongest completely losing their heads. .A few rushed up the rigging, shrieking, and as the top- masts remained above water, were saved, as were also a few more who were rescued by the splendid exertions of the 'squadron, and of the. Swedish man-of-war Freya ;' but the majority, 691 in. all, were drowned, and the remainder, having lost everything, are being maintained by subscrip- tion in Gibraltar until another steamer can continue the voyage. The Captain of the 'Utopia' has been arrested, and will be tried for manslaughter ; but the incident illustrates strongly the impossibility of providing against all calamities at sea. The boats were useless, for they could not have lived in the gale, and would have been swamped by the rushes of the maddened Italians ; the life-preservers saved only a few, and there were no broken pieces of timber for such numbers to float on.
Previous page
