Los Angeles daily herald., 1884-11-01
BURNED.
Destruction of a Steamer
at Sea.
ALL ON BOARD RESCUED,
The Fortunate Arrival of German
Steamship--The Devotion of
Loving COuple-The Ship
n Total Loss.

Especial TO The Herald By Associated Press.
Rheine, which arrived here to-day from Bre
men, reports that on Oct oath, at P. NJ, in
| in latitude 1888, longitude 2741, she fell in
with the Dutch steamer Mossdam, from Rot
terdam for New York, which was all ablaze
The Rheine took from the boats the passen
gers and crew, numbering 1856 in all, and
brought them to this port.
The Maasdam carried a miscellaneous
cargo, consigned to New York. The vessel
was valued at two hundred thousand dol
lars. II was about 9 r. NJ. when the Maasdan,
was first seen on fire. The boats OF the
steamship were picked W, one by one as the
agent Of. the steamship company, says that
the Rheine, with Captain Van Derzee, OF the
Haasdam and the passengers and crew, will
| arrive at Hoboken this afternoon. Captain
Van Derzee, OF the steamship Maasdam,
ment: 1--WE left Rotterdam, October 18th,
| with eight cabin and one hundred
ana ana thirty,ihree steerasge passengers,
snq went c,e% sI ,n,, OF for fSSrtyaysa Aye men men
we encountered violent gale. during
which the petroleum tank commenced leak,
Ing: Next day at 2,P. NJ, one of the crew. in
looking for the leak, placed lighted lamp
IL
report, the contents taking fire and putting
the ship into a blaze, Every effort to control
the fire was useless. About P. NJ, ordered
all hands into the boats. At9P. NJ. we were
picked up by the steamer "Rheine." No
| one was lost or injured in the slightest
degree.
New YORK, Oct. 3l.-The steamship Rheine
arrived at her dock soon after O'Clock with
Al the passengers and crew Of the steamer
friends OF those saved from the lost ship
awaited them.
Capt. II. G. vanderzee of the Inflated YES
sci said to reporter: We had eight cabin
and 1873 steerage passengers and crew OF 45
men. For several days prior to Oct. 2ith
complaints had been made to me that the
oil tank, situated under the bridge on the
upper deck, was leaking. On that day DEN
yer, one OF my seamen. went with light in
the oilr00m to make an examination.
moment afterward an explosion was heard,
and the sailor, with burned face and beard,
rushed on deck crying fire, freH We put
Into use all of our appliances for putting out
took to the boats. We could save nothing of
the cargo or OF our private property. Only
the clothes we stood In could we take away
with u.s. There was heavy sea running all
the time. The passengers created little or
no confusion. i think they were too much
frightened, and justly SO, to do anything but
obey orders. The Rhein picked us up soon
after O'Clock.
'Ihere were thirty-fiye persons in each
boat" said DR.. Smith, I'VE remained near
the burning ship, hoping that some vessel
would see the light and come to the rescue.
The flames burst from the ship aft first. The
masts fell at five O'Clock. The eonfagration
was grand sight, but not appreciated at the
time. couldn't save evenmy instruments.
There was something ludicrous even in our
dilemma. We had a pair of lovers in our
boat and the man could not be induced, nor
would the girl permit him, to take his arm
from her waist to stand his turn at an oar. -
Heinrich Wolff, a passenger, said Officers
and crew did all they could to save the yes
sci, but the steam pumps could not be gotten
at, on account of the heat. When the
Rheine picked us up, our boats were being
tossed about at a lively rate and were half
filed with water"
Bruins Peterman, First Officer of the
Rheine, was the man to spy what he
thought to be fire away in the dis
tance, and climbed to the top-mast head to
make 1t out 1t seemed to be a ship on fire.
about twelve miles to the southwest. The
Rheine was promptly headed for the light.
She took about an hour to get to it. The
flames lit up the sea for five miles around.
The signal fights in the boats were soon seen
and the boats were got alongside, ropes were
lowered and the people hauled on board.
The women and children had to be taken up
in baskets. The sea was very rough" said
Mr.. Peterman, land a severe storm came up
at midnight. Had we been two hours later
In getting to the burning ship, not soul OF
the Maasdam's passengers or crew would
a hna gox nd