The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-04-26
A LUR1D GLARE UPON THE SEA

A LURID GLARE UPON THE SEA.
Burning of the Steamship Leo and Two
Lady Observation-Disclosures Others
Supposed to be Lost.
The Savannah Morning Ners, publishes
the following details of the appalling dis
aster to the Leo, brief account Of
which has appeared in our telegraphic
columns:
Mr.. G. G. Wildman, the purser of the
Leo, reached the city on Saturday night.
about half past 10 o'clock, with some Of
the survivors of the ill-fated vessel, on
the pilot boat Neca, from Tybee, to which
they had been transferred by the bark
| that rescued them.
The steamship Leo left Savannah on
Thursday, the 18th, at 8 o'clock p: M,
for Nassau. On Friday morning, about
3 o'clock, whilst a terrific sea was rolling,
it was discovered that some of the freight
between decks had got loose and was
pitching about. The matches were
opened for the purpose of securing the
freight, when to the horror Of the crew
angry forked tongues of fire shot out, en-
circled with volumes of smoke. The
hose was at once brought into requisition,
but the ferceness of the gale, tanning the
flames, which had already obtained con-
siderable headway, rendered unavailing
their most strenuous efforts, and Capt.
James Daniels, who, with his officers,
was active, ordered the lifeboats to be
lowered. 1t was apparent that the fire
was not only in the hold, but had forced
itself amidships and between decks, and
the ship was doomed.
The captain, with several of the Off
GERS, hurried to the forward deck for the
purpose of securing the life-raft, which
was on the captains cabin, and dis
patched aft another gang under the COM
mand of the chief engineer, to assist in
lowering the boats. The fire had in
creased fearfully, and breaking out fierce
| ly amidships, entirely cut off communi-
cation between the two gangs. It was
now apparent to all that only the inter
position of Providence could save them
from the terrible fate of being burned to
death, or being drowned.
In the cabin were two middle aged la.
dies, the Misses Harrington, natives OF
| Nassau, and members of a wealthy and
prominent family in that province, who
were on their way home after a visit to
the North and Savannah. They were
both in feeble health, and efforts were
made to get them out, but owing to the
fearful rolling of the ship and the rapid
ity with which the flames spread, the
efforts were unavailing, and it is almost
certain that they perished in the flames.
The only other passenger was Mr.. Pa
pendick, of New York, who, it is sup
posed, aroused by the commotion on
deck, came up, and thus got into one OF
the life boats; but whether he was saved
or not, is matter of doubt.
Capt. Daniels with his party, who were
forward, managed to lower the life raft,
| when thirteen succeeded in getting on
| board of it. The stewardess who was on
| deck was called to jump to the raft, and
| in attempting to do this fell into the sea,
| and despite every effort to secure her, was
| drowned. She disappeared beneath the
waves, and was seen no more. The par
ties on the raft were huddled together in
a cramped position, nearly naked, cold
and shivering, and their situation was
| extremely perilous, the unpleasant con-
viction being that their tenure of life was
very uncertain. For time they were
bufetted about in a terrible manner.
One heavy sea completely capsized the
fragile raft, throwing the hapless occu-
pants into the sea; they frantically
scrambled upon it again, but one unfor-
tunate man, Martin McQuade, belonging
to the crew was washed overheard and
lost, it being utterly impossible for the
crouching, trembling, shivering men on
the raft to do anything to save him:
After a most horrible time, drifting
hither and thither at the mercy of the
waves, the despairing men were cheered
by the sight of a vessel bearing down
upon them, which in short time reached
their craft and rescued them. This YES
sci proved to be the Russian bark Hop.
petit, Capt. Fredrickssen, bound from
London to Bull River South Carolina
| The captain discovered the smoke from
the burning steamship Leo, bore towards
her to ascertain the cause and thus ran
fortunately upon the hapless party
They were taken on board in an ex'
hausted condition, but the lively sympa'
thies of Capt. Fredrickssen and his mer
we're elected, and in a short time the
rescued men were made as comfortable as
possible. -,
Owing to the darkness and the terrible
surroundings the rescued party saw
nothing Of those who got into the life
boats, but the supposition is that they
must have been driven off in another di'
rection, and it is feared were all lost, as
they were not seen the next day. There
is possibility, however, that they may
all have been rescued, or at least po,r!'
tion of them, as the disaster occurred di'
rectly in the course of vessels coming to
Savannah or Doboy from foreign ports
being about eighty miles south of Tybee
| A bark which was sighted in the wake Of
the Hoppett, Immediately after the rescue
of the parties from the little raft, arrived
at Tybee yesterday afternoon, and re-
ported that she had seen nothing OF the
missing boats.
The following is list Of those who
were picked up by the Russian.Finn bark
Hoppett, Capt. Frederick Olo Fredricks'
SEN: Capt. James Daniels, Purser Q. G.
Wildman, G.. W. Olsen, first officer, Leg
badly burned; N. Lindman, second OH
GER; w. J. Gray, seaman, face and hands
very badly burned; Robert Rankin, sea
man John II. Leonard, first assistant
engineer; John Walsh, oiler; Pierce
| Rower fireman. Felix Shalyey, fireman