The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-11-01
CASUALTIES.
THE BURNING OF THE MAAsDAM.
story of the Survivors A Leaky Oil
Tank Exploded while Being Ex-
amined and Caused the Dis
aster-Other Mishaps.
They Saved tho passene er..

New York, Oct. 3l.-Tho German
Rhein, which arrived hore to-
day from Bremen, reports that on Octo
Der q, at 7 O'clock in the evening, lati-
tude 1898, longitude 21;il, she fell in
with the Dutch steamer, Maasdam, from
Rotterdam for New York, which was all
ablaze. The Rhein took from her boats,
passengers and crew, numbering 1856 in
all, and brought them to this port.
The Maasdam carried miscellaneous
cargo consigned to New York. The
vessel was valued at $2O0,0O0. 1t was
about 9 p. m. when the Maasdam was
first seen. The fire boats OF the ship
wore picked up one by one as the Rhoin
approached.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
Capt. Vandersee, of the steamship
Maasdam, burned at sea, makes the fol-
lowing statement: | left Rotterdam on
October 18th, with s cabin and 1873 steer
age passengers, and Il crew of 40 men.
All went well until the 23d, when we en-
countered violent gale, during which
the petroleum tank commenced leaking.
Next day, at2 p. m, one Ct tho crew, in
looking for the leak, placed lighted
lamp near the tank, which exploded with
loud report, the contents taking fire
and putting the ship in blaze. Every
effort to control the fire was useless, go
at p. M, | ordered all hands into the
boats. At 9 p. m. we wera picked by the
steamer Rhein. No one was lost or in
jured in the slightest degree.
FULLER DETAILS.
NEW YORK, Oct. 3l.--The steamship
lthein arrived at her dock soon after 3
O'Clock with all the passengers and
crow of the Maasdam. Hundreds of rel
atives and friends of tho lost ship
| awaited them. Capt, IL. G. Nandersee,
of the ill-fated vessel, said to reporter
"We had cabin and 1873 storage pas
sengers and a crew of 45 men.
| For several days prior to Oct. "a, 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 light into the
oil room to make an examination.
A moment aiterward an explosion was
heard and the sailor, with his burned
face and beard, rushed back on deck,
crying fire. We put into use all our APP
| pliances 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 at the time. The passengers
| created little or no confusion. | think
they were too much frightened, and
Justly so, to do anything but obey or
dors. The Rhein picked us up soon af-
ter 0 O'Clock.
DR.. II. II. Smith, the surgeon of the
steamer Maasdam, was graduated from
Ann Arbor, Michigan, University in
l6S2. His first voyage was in the steam
ship Reliance, which was wrecked a
few months ago. He and all others on
board agree with tho captains story.
DIR. Smith said 3 of the engineers
were severely burned by the fire, but
would come around all right. There
were 80 persons in each boat,
said DR.. 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 contlagration was grand
sight not appreciated at the time. |
couldn't save even my Instruments.
| There was something ludicrous, even in
our dilemma We had pair of lovers
on our boat, and tho man could not be
| induced, or the girl would not permit
| him, TO take his arm from her waist tC
stand his turn at tho oar.
llehiech NOltl passenger, said that
officers and crew did all they could tc
save tho vessel and us. The steam
pumps could not be gotten at on account
of tre heat. When tho Rhein picked us
up our boats were being tossed about
at a lively rate, aud were half filled with
water.
Bruins Peterson, first officer of the
Rhein, was the first man to spy what he
thought to be fire in the distance, and
| climbed to the top mast head to make il
out. 1t seemed to be a steamship on
| fire about twelve miles to the southwest
| Tho Rhein was promptly headed for the
light. The Rhcin took about an hour &c
| get to it, The flames lit up the sea foi
five milos around. The signal lights Of
| the boats were soon seen, and as tn,
boats got alongside, ropes were let dowr
and the people hauled on board. The
women and children had to ho taken M
in baskets. Tho sea was very rough,
said Mr.. Petersen, and severe storm
came up at midnight. Had we beer
two hours later in getting to the burn
ing ship, nota soul OF the Maasdam',
passengers or crew would have beer
| saved.