Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-14
A TERRIBLE NIGHT AT SEA.
Crazy Captain Sets Fire to His Ship
and Attempts to Shoot the Crew.

A Crazy Captain Sets Fire to His Ship
and Attempts to Shoot the Crew.
The crew of the German ship Marga-
rethe, Captain Hilmer, which sailed from
New York with cargo of crude oil on
June and arrived at Bremerhaven on
July II, says the New York Herald. had a
terrible experience on the voyage and a
narrow escape from fire. The crew con-
sisted of +. Wiggers. first mate: P.
Fischer, second mate; W. Meinitz and R.
Luschnat, sailors, and 7. Wertzen. a bov.
Inc following story is told by First Mate
W1ggers. According to the ships
journal, kept by Mr.. Wiggers, the
Captain was unwell from the
time of the departure of the
vessel. He complained OF pains in the
bowels, and was always in a very bad
temper. BE could not sleep and scarcely
took any nOurishment. On June he did
not come out of his cabin at all, but told
the first mate not to say anything about
his illness in the journal. On the 9th he
grew worse, but would not eat ANYTHING,
only drinking few cups of tea. On the
10th he was out of bed, walked about in
an excited state, and scOlded continually.
Toward evening he was better and ate
something. On June l l his state was very
bad. He suffered visibly the most terrible
pains IN the bowels, and after he was
treated with hot sandbags he got better. To-
ward evening he took 80 drops of lauda-
mum and couple Of cups Of tea. On the
18th hot plates and hot stones were APP
piled. but without effect. He took supper
with the men and again forbade the mate
to say anything about his illness in the
journal. On the 18th he went on deck,
talked much to himself, said aloud many
incoherent things, and was seeking after
some Of the sailors whom he believed to
be in hiding. He went early to bed and
slept all night. On June IA he felt much
better and spoke sanely.
THE CAPTAINS HALLUCINATIoN.
He said to the mates that his nerves
We're excited, that in hearing the least
noise he believed somebody was speaking
to him and he answered. In the course of
the day he ate and drank with the mates
made his observations and calculations
ON the chart and gave several orders.
Toward evening the wind blew harder
and the Captain ordered the taking in of
some sails in correct manner. When
Mr.. Wiggers stood on deck at about 6
O'Clock in the evening the Captain was on
the after deck and was surprisingly quiet
Suddenly he asked the first mate
what the crew wanted on the half
deck. The mate told him there
was nobody there, but he disputed
the fact and centended that he had heard
distinctly that they intended 10 throw
him overheard. To appease him the mate
called the men out, the Captain counted
them ana asked if any one of them had
anything against him. He heard them,
he said, very often grumble and talk of
throwing him overheard. He then dis
missed the men-who, of course, had all
denied his statement-and went to bed.
Mr.. Wiggers turned i'll at O'Clock, but
shortly after 8 O'Clock he was aroused by
the report of a shot and a cry.
Jumping out of his cabin, he met the
boy Wertjen, who told him that the Cap
tain had called him and then fired at him.
Mate Wiggers ran to the Captains cabin,
but when he opened the door the Captain
pointed revolver at him, saying that he
would fire at any one trying to come in.
Mr.. Wiggers closed the door, but reopened
1t at once carefully and saw broken glass
lying about. The Captain was in his bed
room, where the mate could see fire, and
out of which thick smoke was coming.
He returned quickly, alarmed the crew,
took couple Of mats as shields against
the revolver bullets and went again to
the cabin.
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.
1t was full of smoke and the Captain
was just coming out of the bedroom
where the flames were bursting from
sofa corner. The Captain did not see the
mate, but went to the lamp of the cabin,
and, with his revolver, smashed the glass
and the cylinder, and would have broken
the glass globe containing the petroleum
If MIR. Wiggers had not interfered, and.
after much wrestling, thrown him on the
bed. Here, however, he made use of his
weapon and pointed the revolver at him.
The mate ducked his head and
the bullet passed over it. He
FASTENED to his own cabin. the
Captain following and threatening him
with the revolver. The mate seized
chair and threw it into his face. At the
same time the Captain fired again. Mate
WIggers made for the second cabin, where
he and the second mate, covered with a
bed sheet, had scarcely reached the door
when the Captain fired at him. too. In the
meantime MIR. Wiggers took a mat and
went to the fire, followed by a sailor. He
never saw the Captain again, and, in fact.
did not think Of him in that moment, the
fire demanding his fullest attention. Sud-
denly somebody cried to him that
the Captain had tried to shoot
the man at the wheel. The first
mate hurried on deck, where sailor told
him that the Captain had snapped off the
revolver, WhereupOn the man at the
wheel ran away. Going for the wheel
MI lS9eIS COulU see mourning OF the
Captain. Surprising him, however, to be
in his cabin, he shut the Captains door
and posted man before it with orders
not to allow the Captain to come out
again. He went to the fire and found
that it was nearly extnguished. He then
searched for the Captain, who could no.
where be found. The Captain must have
gone overheard, and finger marks of blood
on the railing confirmed, in the morning,
oh =,
rate of eight miles an hour, the night
was dark and a rescue quite out of the
question. A minute inspection showed
that the Captain had put bundles of
American matches between the straw of
tue bottles and then ignited it. In one
drawer several packages were burning,
which were thrown overheard at once.
Later on they found piece of sail cloth
still burning.