Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-01
DCRNEH AT SEA.
Loss Of the Nteamship Maasdsm ana ""''"'
Of Tier Crew ard Passengers

ibv eRraph to the Dlspstch''
NTw YORK, October 3i.-Cap'ain van
derzcc. Of the steamer Maasdin, MAKES the
following statement: ave lett h'.ncI-
dam October 18th, with eight cabin ana 10"
stceragc passengers, and acrCW OF W. 'l-n'c
men. All went well until the -"u' ""tu
we encountered 4 violent gaze i'ou, wv
northwest. during which inc peuol'un
Tank began leaking slightly. ihe ueA1 any
at > l.. NJ. one Of the crew IN 'fV'hS W as
cover {. leak placed ll9h'cu lamp nel'
the tank, which exploded WIN loud re-
port, the contents takin2 IRE ano ,e'thS
lire 70 The ship. We mlde every chort u
get con,roI of thp dimos, hut II was useless.
AtlP. NJ. ordered al hands 10 the boats,
which were safely launched. We rcmtlnct
I'm fhe yIciniN Of the burning vessel until .
T.. ~. when I'll hands were rescued. Not
one Of the Messenger, OF crew wa, lost or
injured i'm the slightest manner. Nei'h'r
Passenger, on crew saved imy Of their re
fcCts.
NEW YORK. October 3i.-The German
steamer Rhcin, which arrived here TO-DAY
from Bremen. rcnor, that on October 81.
AT : o'cIoci, IN the evening. In latitude i9'.
49,. longitude 20, Al. she fell IN with the
Dutch steamer Maasdln. from Rotterdam
for New York. which was all ab.aze. TIE
Rheiu took from her boats the pa 'engcrs
and crew, numbering 1886 IN all, ana
brought them u ibis por'.
Tie nhcin arrived at her dock soon
after 3 O'Clock with all the pNs>rn gers and
crew Of the Maa>dam on hoard. Hun.
dreds Of Relatives and friends Oh the
wrecked awaited them.
pr. T.. Y. smith. surgeon OF the Mas.
dam. said that three Of the engineer, had
been burned b. the fire. but would conc
around all right. There we've thirty-i!vc
persons in each boat" sail Dr. smith.
:. We remained near the burning ship. hO-
ninC that some vessel would see the light and
come to our rc.cuc. The fumes appeared
aft first. The masts fell AZ j0'clock. The con-
1agraiion was grand sight. but | couldn't
save even my instruments. There was
something ludicrOus even in our dilemma.
We bad pair Of lovers in or boat. and
the man could not be induced to take hi,
arm from his swccthear's waist to stand
his turn at the oar. The couple were 30
unconccrned about everything but them
selves that their sciti>hness was really
lauGhnhlc."
Heinrich Wolf passenger said " The
officers and crew did all they could to save
the vessel and Us. The steam pumps
could not be gotten at on account OF the
heat. When Rhein picked Us up our
boats were being tossed about at lively
rate and were half filed with water
BruES Peiermon. the first officer OF the
Rhein. was the first man l0SpY The fire. He
saw a light in the distance on the evening
Of The 24tb. and climbed TO the torma,t-
head to make il out. II seemed TO he
steamship on fire about twelve miles 70 the
hannDI
and reached il in about an hour. The
flames lit up the sea for five miles around.
The sigral-lights in the boats were visible.
and the occupants were picked mp. Ropes
were let down and the survivors were
hauled on board. The women and chill
drcn had 10 be pulled up in baskets.
The sea was very rough said Mr.
Pctcrman, land a severe storm came up at
midnight. Had we been two hours later
i'm getting to the wrecked ones not Il soul
Of them would have been saved"