Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-23
LOST At SEA.
Thrilling Experience Of a Ships
Crew in Mid-Ocean.
The Steamer Lorenzo D. Baker Burns
TO the Waters Edge in the Midst
of a High Wind.
Two Seamen Drowned, but the Timely Arrival
Of Schooner Saves the Rest of the
Crew and Passengers.

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. July 22.-The
whaling schooner Franklin arrived here
this morning with the crew of the steam
er Lorenzo d. Baker from Point Anto-
MO, Jamaica, for Boston with fruit. The
steamer was burned at sea. Capt Wiley
reports as follows: GIVE left Port An
tonic on July 10 with a cargo of bananas
for Boston, and had six cabin passengers,
Mrs. Elizabeth Simms of Dundee, Scot
land, and nineteen officers and crew.
We had smooth water up to the evening
of July 10, the day of the disaster, when
we were in latitude 80 10, longitude
50 40. At this time 4 fresh gale from
the southwest set in, causing the ship to
roll some. At midnight there was an
alarm of fire. 1 went on deck and saw
the engine room in a blaze. I ordered
the hose on, but the engineer said he
could not get at the pumps. Then J. or
dered the fire buckets and
ALARMED THE PASSENGERS
and ordered boats to be swung out. By
this time the flames had burst through
the top of the engine room, and the star
board boat was on fire. We swung out
the port boat and lowered her to the rail.
or three passengers got into the boat.
The fire was now within three feet of US
and the heat was intense. Placing the
boat in the hands of sailor and telling
him to hold it fast, 1 ordered the first
mate to take the bow, and springing into
the stern told the men TO lower away,
thinking as soon as the boat was atiOat
and detached from the tackles to return
on board and get out the raft and small
boat, as they were then comparatively
safe and away from the fire, but in
lowering the boat it
STRUCK WATER AND CAPsIZED
and threw US into the water. On coming
to the surface L found the boat was near,
helping passengers to a safe hold on the
keel. In few minutes the mate and /
righted the boat. We hailed boat, took
passengers in and looked around for the
ship, which had drIfted about half mile
away. We put away for the steamer
and feI! in with a raft which had eight
persons on it. We took all from the raft
into the boat. The wind had now
increased and the sea was high,
and we were mile from
the wreck, when we again started for
her. After rowing a long time we picked
up sailor floating on the gangway steps.
From him we learned that they had gone
in the small boat, and that four sailors
and two firemen were left on board the
steamer, they having got cut off from the
boats by fire. One, fireman had been
drowned in trying to reach the small
boat. Then we found to our sorrow that
the distance between us and the ship was
increasing, but still, when the wind and
sea would permit, we
STRUGGLED TO GET TO THE WRECK.
mi
when we saw a schooner bearing down to
the ship. We saw her lay by and take
off some men and then come to us. We
were soon safely on board the vessel,
which proved to be the Franklin, Capt.
Rose, of New Bedford. We found she
had taken five men from a spar alongside
the steamer. Another fireman had been
drowned in swimming from the steamer,
and the loss OF only two lives is truly
providential. -
Enough praise can hardly be awarded
to Capt. Rose and officers and crew of
the Franklin for their gallant reseues.
The firem EN- who lost their lives were
Hugh Wylie of Liverpool, England, and
Ralph Robinson of Boston, Mass. Mrs.
Elizabeth Simms, lady passenger, who
had on a black dress and mans derby
hat, was on her way home from Jamaica.
where her husband recently died, to re-
side with friends in Scotland. She was
asleep when aroused by the voice of
Capt. Wiley, telling her
TO GET UP AND DRESS,
and prepare to leave the ship as it was on
fire. She hurried into soIne clothing, Sc
cured her money and went on deck where
she was placed in the life boat. AS the
craft was lowered into the water it cap
sized and she was drawn underneath it
She could not swim but had
on a life preserver and mechanically
struck out and came to the surface.
She saw the mate on the keel of the over
turned boat and he at the same moment
saw Mrs. Simms. He called: ''For
God s sake save the woman and caught
her by the arm. When the boat was
righted she was assisted in, and soon
after the boat was picked up. She was
treated like a princess by the crew Of the
schooner who tried by every delicate at
tention to make her as comfortable as
possible.