Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-01
PICKED UP In MID-OCEAN.
PROVIDENTIAL RESCUE OF ALI,
THE MAASDANIS PEOPLE.

The Grand Spectacle of the Burning
Steamer Graphically Described by
Eye e-Witnesses-NOthingS Saved by the
Survivors-A Furious Storm Arises
Soon After Their Rescue.
New YORK, Oct. 31.-The German
steamer Rhein which arrived here to-
day from Bremen reports that on Oct. "a,
at O'Clock in the evening, in latitude 40
degrees 3S minutes and longitude 81 de-
grees Al minutes, she fell in with the
Dutch steamer Maasdam from Rotterdam
lOr New York, which was all ablaze.
The Rhein took from her boats the aassen-
gers and crew, numbering 1S6 in an. and
brought them to this port.
THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT.
Capt. Vanderzee, of the steamer Mas
dam, makes the following Statement.
Nv left Rotterdam Oct. IS, with cabin.
loo steera@e passengers, and crew of
% men. All went well till Oct. %, when
we encountered violent gale from the
northwest during which the petroleum
tanks began leaking slightly. The next
day at O'Clock in the afternoon one of
Inc crew In trying to discover a leak put
near the tank lighted lamp which ex-
pioded, the contents taking fire and SET
ting fire to the ship. We made every ef-
fort to get control of the flames. but il
was useless. At O'Clock that afternoon
ordered all hands to the boats, which
were safely launched. We remained in
the vicinity of the burning vessel until 8
O'Clock that evening. when all hands
were rescued by the Rhein. Not one of
the passengers or crew was lost or in
jured in the slightest manner. None of
lne passengers nor crew saved any of
their effects"
STORY OF THE SURGEON.
The Rhein arrived at her docks soon
after O'clock with all the passengers and
crew of the Maasdam on board. Hum
Greds OF relatives and friends of those
wrecked awaited them. DR.. T. T. Smith.
Surgeon OF the Maasdam, said that three
of the engineers had been burned by the
fire, but would come around all right.
There were thirty-tYe persons in each
boat, said DR.. Smith. We remained near
the burning ship, hoping that some vessel
would see the light and come to our res
cue. The flames appeared aft first. The
masts fell at 8 O'Clock. The conflagratiOn
was grand sight, but l could not save
even my instruments. There was some-
thing ludlcrous even in our dilemma.
We had pair of lovers in our boat,
and the man could not be induced
to take his arm from his sweeheart's
waist to stand his turn at the oar. The
couple were so uncOncerned about every
thing but themselves that their selfish
ness was laughable.
Heinrich Wolf, passenger, said: s'The
officers and crew did all they could to
save the vessel and us. The steam pumps
could not be gotten on account of the
heat. When the Rhein picked us up our
boats were being tossed about at a lively
rate and were half filled with water"
Bruins Peterman, the first officer of the
Rhein, was the man who spied the fire.
He saw a light in the distance on the
evening of Oct. "a, and climbed into the
topmast to make out what it was. 1t
seemed to be steamship on fire about u
miles to the southwest. The ship was
headed for it, and reached it in about an
hour. The flames lit up the sea for five
miles around. The signal light in the
boats were visible, and the occupants
were picked up. Ropes were let down and
the survivors were hauled on board. The
women and children had to be pulled up
in baskets. 'The sea was very rough.'
said Mr.. Peterman, Hand a severe storm
came up at midnight. Had we been two
hours later in getting to the wrecked ones,
not soul Of them would have been
saved.'