The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-11-06
They saved the PASSENGERS.

NEW York, Oct. Gl.-The Germa
steamer Rhein, which arrived here to-
day from Bremen, reports that on Octo
| Der ~, at I o'clock in the evening, lati-
tudo 1888, longitude 27;tl, she fell in
with the Dutch steamer, Maasdan, from
! Rotterdam for New York, which was all
ablaze. The Rhein TOOK from her boats,
passengers and crew, mum bering ls6 in
al, and brought them 60 this port.
yhe Maasdam carried miscellaneous
cargo consigned to New York. The
vess 81 was valued at 100000. 1t was
about9 p. IN. when the Maasdam W IS
first seen. The fire boats OF the snip
were picked up one by one as the Rhein
approached.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
Capt. NandGrsee, of the steamship
MaaSdam, burned at sea, makes the fol-
lowing statement: left Rotterdam on
October 18th, with cabin and 1873 steer
age passengers, and a crew of 45 men.
All went well until the 23d, when we en-
countered a violent gale, during which
the petroleum tank commenced leaking.
Next day, at p. M, one of the crew, in
looking for the leak, placed a lighted
lamp near the tank, which exploded with
a loud report, the contents taking fire
and putting the ship in a blaze. Every
effort to control the fire was useless, 50
III L
boats. At OPP. m. we wera picked by the
steamer Rhein. No one was lost or in
jured in the slightest degree.
FULLER DETAILS.
New YoRK, Oct. 3,.-The steamship
Rhein arrived at her dock soon after
o'clock with all the passengers and
crew of the MaasCam. Hundreds of rel
atives and friends of the lost ship
awaited them. Capt. II. c. Vandelsee,
Of a l. "a n
ave had cabin and 1873 steerage pas
sengers and crew of 40 men.
For several days prior to Oct. q, COM
plants had been made to me that the
oil tank, situated under the bridge on
the upper deck, was leaking.
That day one Of my seamen
went with a light into the
A moment afLerward au explosion was
heard and the sailor, with his burned
face and beard, rushed back on deck,
crying fire. We put into use all our ap-
planes for the extinction of the flames,
but they gained Roadway. Then we
took to the boats. We could save moth
ing of the cargo or private property; only
the very clothes we stood in could we
take away with us. There was a heavy
sea running ut the time. The passengers
created little or no confusion. | think
they were too much frightened, and
Justly so, to do anything but obey or
ders. The Rhein picked us up soon af-
ter 9 o'clock.
DIR. r. Il. Smith, the surgeon of the
steamer Maasdam, was graduated from
Ann Arbor, Michigan, University in
1882. His first voyage was i'll the steam
ship Reliance, which was wrecked
few months ago. He and all others on
board agree with the captains story.
DR.. Smith said 5 of the engineers
were severely burned by the fire, but
would come around all right. There
were 80 persons in each boat,
said DIR. Smith. We remained near the
burning ship hoping some vessel would
see the light and come to our rescue.
The flames burst from the ship aft first
The masts all fell at 5 o'clock.
The con1agration was grand
sight not appreciated at the time. L
couldn't save even my instruments
There was something ludicrous, even in
our dilemma. We had pair of lovers
on our boat, and the man could not be