New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-01
FIGHTING FLAMES AT SEA
EXPERIENCE ON THE BURNED MAAsDAM.
ARRIVAL OF ALL THE PASSENGERS AND CREW
THE CAPTAINS BRAVERY.
rrLo ..oox,.b;x, M,asJo,, of tho Ncfhprlandss


The steamship Maasdam, of the Netherlands
! American Steam Navigation Company, plying between
NewYork and Rotterdam burned ut sea last Friday,
In latitude 40 40 north longitude 80 west The pas
sengcrs and mum herring 1sG persons were all saved
and arrived this port yesterday on the North German
Lloyd steamship Rhein which picked them up 1T sea
The entire cargo lost Tie ship sailed from Rotter
dam on October Il, having board eight frst-class
passengers, hundred and thirtythrer steer1ge
crew OF forty-dye men. and cargo Of steel
and iron wire. dry goods gin and spirits. On
the OF October 2t at o'clock, there was cry
OF fire. and flames and smoke were discovered break
ing out ia the engine rOOm caused by the explosion OF
kerosene oil tank The alarm spread instantly through
the ship and the sleeping passengers awoke to tho
horrors OF fire al
Captain Van den ice ordered the men 70 the hand
pumps the steam pumps act to work and
streams OF water flowed into the engine
ROOM Every hatch batteDed down
10 prevent draught The engines slowed down. but
il was impossible 10 bring the ship before the wind on
account Of the suTocating smoke and firedsmp. Tie
flames gained with terrible rapidly and smoke burst
through every crevice from aud the deck
hcavod about burst from the p'nt mp forces be-
meath IL. Second Engineer c. hickman stopped his en-.
gines and opened the safety valves before 10
left his post The flames licked his face and
-inged his hair Third and fourth engineers
W. LeGland and W. vermaat were also burned
doing their duty barely escaped with their lives BY
this the fire had caught IN the bDerrooni. Tho
flames reached feed pipes Of the stesp pump and
melted them Fresh men were put 10 the hand pumps
hut the stiff wind blew across the slip and smoke aud
fame covered the boats the port side. threatening
them with destruction. Captain Van den Zee ordered
them be lowered aud equipped with food and water
The terrified passengers seeing this action rushed TOT
the heats the captain threw himself before them and
ordered them back Horror stricken, helpless aud des
pairing they oboyed Mothers held their babes fraut
caiy their breasts, husbands and wives chung Ondy
In each Others arms, brothers and sisters EN-
braced and whispered hurriel farewells-aIl er
peced 10 part forever The hungry flames
roaring Oh one side the raging sea or the other II
an wfltl moment. only the coOlness Of Captain aud
aycrted terrible catastrophe. WIN encouraging
the people ana keep them back TIL the last chance Of saw
ing the snip should bt swept away
At noon The tires In the engineroom were put out,
whole spar-deck was In flames aud the coal
burninfas Hole, were cutin the upper deck anl e
orts were made To throw some OI the 'a- "'nr'1,
but the snOkt prevented H. Inc hle salh'h even ho
mtn and a. o'clock ne hand pumps s.st "ll Tue sue
non hose being burned leaving "hl 'hs l"i' l''hp
The deck burst III several places ana ihs.nh"a ~
slant desrnelion Al 80 ,alalh van nul |rr, n',ia
M maj holhlng mon 'o'd zee u3h' oluriun "Nn NJ NJ
remaining boats IN good order The lassnhs,Fs lrl tho
ep .d The s0 g"'s sreS S"s cs , '' %ss s
s s,t !" 90 da t was MAJ '',"' li T"'" had
been ''s lost net"r SEPARATING the ohcel. Of each
nf thr as hotls H'lr ordered 10 remain ~ lNr hlahf
rsci Tho allanon or pasalng yossnls, Tao niHm,Ht
el a. onlooh and Al the tlemsal We seen 70 geby
| through " ani ~ u urlHs the lEliH ~ q sitamnl
slriiund nul ~ tho ihfhhraa. u Waa The hhHin, ana
nirii aunl that hNl lr i MhnHlhn wh1 n'i hnhd
The phsann4rta ,ti nnihus lu The rluhna trf wore,
| hnf money anl their ihllinnd tnAnis
CAPTAIN Van den Inr Il iilfly brhta nlii nhhfn OF
piiprdhu Holland hnd hha followed TIE 500 alh'r 10Y.
hood H. wna promoted fium nrui onrrf VI the Liam
| nyr mnnthn mo- in palaln uf the Nansdnn
A 1uintst reporter hUnitnd ~" hh"ln na aho. was
msin fat her pier IN uhuk' Yesterday hnh hal M
ntvlpNs with several passengers ~ 10" Maiatn They
were nll onrer have n Fnd that the conduct ~ the
officers uf the burned ship Wa worthy oi the highest
commentator, and oy also praised the officers ~ me
| nom them. Dr. J. + Smith, surgeon ~ tho Maisian,
len the ship IN the fourth boat with the nf't officer
chrfoupnre and thrrtrw with III" l-s'ng"is tho
heidi thirty persons He saved instruments ami
clothing worth goo aud lnN nll his books aud diplona-
lie graduate of the University of Michigan AMI was
N he time she wn. wrecked nl Bolivia LAT spring.
Bruno Pctcrmalu urs officer ot the Rhrin, VINO hii
the witch al the time the Mtaslm discovered, SAID;
We sighted the IRE about 7.43. saw mat W
burning ship she was about WE'VE
| miles 10 the southwest. had the Ihein steercd
away IN the glare thrown over the rolling waves saw
the boats witch every now and then would uth "A puc-
ght. We picked the boats M one 10y one lhr r,l oiS
came alongside about Oclu nud hv ll3o we mai inc
unssengrrs MI an hOnul We took the men ana women
on with ropes and lifted the children ont ii boats Miny
Of the boats wer, fun ~ water and crowded Two
hoira after the the wind blew mp hruvA sea ara
a storm Had the boats been conp"lici to IMAM
ou tltouL the night. all would have boon lost Nhrn
the passengers brought un deck they were 80 be
uumi.d with the wet and cold that they fell down.
% the un-~.I-.fs. who h'l gone over Win mo
NIoesinr flr an inheritance of ~-pnn, returning
with the money Amer hc fire hrnkr ont hr was @ ma
go into the stpeil-r niff the nnn'l hlN'i WIS "'I