Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-07-23
Ruined in Mid-0cean

As S.aleu ln tne VAZETTE, ;ha "hhinS
schooner Frarkio arrived at New Bedford,
Mass. vest. .r!ay morning wi The ctew Of
the steamer L1teLzo d. Baker, from Port
Antonio, Ja., for BustoE, With fruir, which
was burned at sea. Captain Wiley, of the
Inflated steamer, reports:
"We left Port Antonio on The 10Th ui July
with q cargo Of bananas for Boston, aud had
six cabin passeugers-and two sailors, who
were working their passage, and nineteen
officers aud crew We had fair, smooth
water up to the evening of July 18th 1.-THE
day of the disaster) At that time a fresh
gale from the southwest set in, causing the
ship to roll some, but not severely. At
midnight there was an alarm of fire. |
went out on deck and saw the engine room
10 bsze. I ordered the hose op, but the
engineer said he could not get atibe Jumps.
Then I ordered the fire buckets and ssfmed
the passengers, and ordered The boats TO be
swung out. BY this time the hnmoa had
burst through HE topof the engine roouo,
end the star5oard boat whs on fire. We
swung out the port boat aud 10 Yered her TO
Che rail- | ordered this one to be manned.
Two or three passengers got into the boat.
The fire was now within three feet of u.s. and
the heat to those who stood by the boat was
intense. Placing the boats painter in the
hands of sailor and telling him TO hold it
fast, ordered the FIRST mate to take the
bow, and, springing into the stern, told the
men to lover away, thinking rs soon as
the boat was afioat and detached from the
tackles to return on board nnC get out the
raft and small boat, as they were then com.
paratively safe and away from the fire; but,
L. al. 81 l1nk -, - L
it Immediately capsized and threw US into
the water. On coming to the surface, found
the man holding the painter had let go of 1t
when he saw the disaster, 80 that Ihe boat
was near u.s. Helping the passengers to
safe n Id on the keel, in a few minutes the
mate and rghted the b5st. In getting our
company to safe positions again, we bailed
the bost, took the passengers in and looked
around for the ship, which bad by this time
drified about half mile away. It hsd been
twenty minutes from the time of lowering
the boat until we we're in 1t again. We put
awey for tbe steamer. and, when about half
way TO it, we fell in with the raft. which had
eight percons on it. 1t fl)ated with only,one
end above water, having been injured in
launching. We took all from the raft
into the boat. The wind had now 10
creased and the aoa wa5 high. Sometime
was consumed with he raft, and we were
mile from the wreck when we again star ted
for her. After rowing come time we picked
up a sailor floating on the gaDgway steps
From him we learned that he had gone in the
small boat, and that four sailors and two
fremen were left on board the steamer, they
having got cut off from the boats by the fire.
One, fireman, had beer drowned in trying
to reach the small boat, We now found to
our sorrow that the distance between us
and the ship was increasing. but still, as the
| wind and sea would permit, we struggled
| to get to the wreck. The forenoon was
rapidly passing away, when, to our Joy, we
saw schooner bearing down to the chip.
We saw her ley by and take off some men
| and then come to US. We were aoon safely
on board The vessel, which proved to be the
| franklin, Capt. Rose, of New Bedford We
| found she had taken five men from spar
alongside the steamer. Another fireman
had been drowned in swimming from the
steamers boWsprit to the spar. At this
time the steamer had burned TO within
three feet of the waters edge. We soon
| found the small boat, and twenty y.fye out
of thirty-seven souls who had been on the
steamer were saved and safe on board the
| Franklin. The most generous treatment
was accorded US by Capt Roae and the
| crew ofthe schooner. The best the rescu-
ers had was offered to u.s."
Thl:, the captain says, is the bare state
ment of one of the most thrilling situations
it is possible fer mea to find themselves In
to be awakened in the middle of the
night, iu high wrd and angry sea, to find
their ship on fire and one boat gone, and
poor prospects Of safety. Added to this. to
have the other boat, on which their safety
depended, capsized ss soon as launched was
enough to appall the stoutest heart.
| That they should escape with the loss of
| only two lives is truly proVideptisI.
Enough praise can hardly be awarded to
Capt. Rose and the officers and crew of the
| Franklin for their gallant rescue. Mrs.
Elizabeth Shines. the lady passenger, who
had on black dress and man's derby hat,
was on her way home from Jamaica. where
her husband recently died, to reside With
friends in Scotland She was asleep, when
she was aroused by the voice of Capt. Wylie
| telling her to get up ard dress and prepare
to leave the ship, as it was on fire. She
hurried into some clothing, secured her
money and went on deck, where she was
placed in the lifeboat AS the craft was
lowered into the water it was capsized
and she was drawn underneath it. She
could not swim. but had on life preseryer,
! and mechanical, struck cut and came to
the surface She saw the mate on the keel
OF the overturned boat, and he at the same
moment saw Mrs. Shines. He called out,
For Gods sake save the womsn!n and
caught her By the arm. When the boat was
rlghted she was assisted in, and 5000 after
the boat was picked up by the Franklin.
She was treated like princess by the crew
OF the schooner, who tried by every delicate
attention to make her as comfortable as pos
sible.