St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-01
THE BURNED MAASDAM.
Description Of the Burning Of the
Steamship Maasdam and the Res
cue Of Passengers and Crew.
Elijah Henderson Points Supposed Empty
Revolver at His Wife With Fatal Re-
sults-0ther Casualties.
THE MAAsDAM's PASSENGERS SAVED.


New YORK, Oct. 31.-The German steamer
Rhein, which arrived here to-day from Bre-
men, reports on Oct. "a, at p. m, latitude
40, 80; longitude 81, Al she fell in with the
Dutch steamer Maasdam, from Rotterdam
10 New York, which was all ablaZe. The
Rhein took from her boats the passengers
and crew, numbering 1S6 in all, and
brought them to this port. The
Maasdam carried a miscellaneous cargo con-
signed to New York. The vessel was valued
at 5000, 600. II was about p. IN. when the
Maasdam was first seen on fire. The boats
of the steamer were picked up one by one as
the Rhein approached. W. II. Van DENTON,
agent Of the Steamship company, says that
the Rhein with Captain Van Dersell, of the
Maasdam, and passengers and crew, will
arrive at Hoboken at 3 O'Clock this after
noon.
Capt Van Dersell, of the Maasdam, burned
at sea, makes the following statement: We
left Rotterdam October Is with eight cabin
and 1873 steerage passengers and crew Of
forty-hve men. All went well until the 23d,
when we encountered a violent gale,
during which the petroleum tank
commenced leaking. The next day at 2 p.
m. one of the crew, in looking for the leak,
placed lighted lamp near the tank, which
exploded with a loud report, its contents
taking fire and putting the ship in blaze.
| Every effort to control the fire was useless,
so at p. m, ordered ell hands into the
boats. At p m. we were picked up by the
steamer Rhein. No one was lost or injured
iu the slightest degree. No effects were
saved.
The steamship Rhein arrived at her dock
soon after with sill the passengers and crew
| of the steamer Maasdam. Hundreds of rela-
tives and friends OF the passengers and crew
of the lost ship awaited them. DIR. T. T..
Smith, surgeon of the steamer Maasdam, was
q graduate from the Ann Arbor, Mich, Uni
versity in 1882. His first voyage was in the
steamer Reliance, which was wrecked a few
months ago DR.. Smith says three of the
engineers were severely burned by the fire,
but would come around all right.
There were thirty-fve persons in each
boat" said DR.. Smith, sand 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, and the first masts fell al
5. The confagration was a grand sight,
not appreciated at the time. / couldn't even
save my instruments. There was something
ludicrous even in our dilemma. We had 8
pair Of lovers on our. boat, and the man
7 could not be induced, or the girl would moi
} permit him to take his arm from her waist Il
stand his turn at the oar"
Heinrich Wolf, passenger, said: 'ThS
/ passengers and crew did all they could L
save the vessel, and a steam pump could not
! be gotten at, on account OF the heat. Wher
: the Rhein picked us up our boats were being
tossed about at lively rate, and were hal
z filed with water"
, Bruno Peterman, first officer of the Rhein
was the man to spy what he thought 10 b.
a fire away in the distance, and climbed L
the topmast head to make it out. II seeme.
to be a steamship on fire about seventeen
miles to the southwest The Rhein wa
promptly headed for the light, and if tool
: about an hour TO get to It. The flames lit NJ
the sea for miles around. The signal light
: on the boats were soon seen. AS the boat
! got alongside ropes were let down and Tia
!. people hauled on board The women an,
' children had to be taken up in baskets. Tn
. sea was very rough and a severe storm CAM
: up at midnight. Had the Rhein been tw'
hours latter in getting TO the burning shi
= not soul of the Maasdam's passengers o
\ crew would have been saved.
!. IT WAS LOADED.
FORT SMITH, Ark, Oct. 31.-While Eliza
Henderson, tenant on the Arnold plants
ton, Choctaw Nation, was playfully present
: ing pistol, supposed to be unloaded, at seN
i eral friends assembled in his house, la:
Y evening, it accidently went of, killing b
e wife. Henderson went almost crazy an
= begged TO be killed. To-day he surrendere
It to United States marshal and plead guilt.
= he dAsirHs TO be hanged.