The evening world., 1889-07-22
A Boston Steamer Destroyed and Two
FiPomea Lost.
One Lady Among the Six Passen-
gers in the Cabin.
The Captain md Survivors Reach New
Bedford To-day.
ItrvcrAI TO rHI EVENING WORLD.

lErTcfAr TO THE EVENING World.
NEW BEDFORD, MASS. July 22.-Capt.
Wylie and crew of the Boston steamer
Lorenzo ID. Baker arrived at this port, this
morning, on the whaler Franklin
Their own vessel was burned ut sea and the
survivors have a thrilling story of their
experience.
Two fremen were lost with the ship.
Capt. Wylie told his story 10 The EVENING
WORLD reporter in the fol, owing words
We left Port Antonio. Jamaica. July 10.
with IL cargo of bananas for Boston. We had
Six cabin passengers, Mrs. Elizabeth Lime,
Of Dundee. So tland Josiah Dillon, of
Iowa Lorenzo d. Baker. jr.. of WellHeet.
NJ 81. Jeremiah O'Cal ahnn. of Bosom. and
Ernest b.. lhiny. of Lynn. Then there were
Lawrence Jensen and Peter SaxI!d. sailors,
who were working their passage, md nine
tee" of the officers and crew, III all twenty
seven persons.
I'VE had far, smooth weather up to the
evening OF July 10, the day of the disas or.
when we were i'll latitude 81. Is north, longi-
tude go. 40 west. At this time a fresh gale
from the southwest set in, causing the ship
to roll some, but not .everely.
At about eight bells, midnight. there was
an alarm OF fire. i went out on deck aud saw
ordered the FIRE hose on. but the engineer
sad he could not get ut the pumps,
"Ihen l ordered the lire buckets and
Immediately alarmed, the passengers and
ordered the steamer boats to he swuny out.
BY this time the fumes had BURT through
the top of the engine room and the starboard
boat was on ire.
I'VE swung out the port boat and lowered
her. and | had the lady p!ssenger put IN this
boat and ordered it to. be manned Two
other passengers then got into the boat. but
the men had gone forward. This operation
had occupied about ten minutes.
The fire was then within three feet of
us and the heat to those who stood by the
boat was intense. Placing the boats painter
in the hands OF q sailor and telling him Ia
hold it fast, ordered the hrst
mate to take the bow, and spring
ing into the stern. told the men at
the falls TO lower away. thinking as soon az
the boat was atioat and deiached from the
tackles to return on board and get out TIE
raft and small boat, as they were then com.
plratiyely safe and away from the FIRE.
But as the boat struck the water 1t imme.
diately capsized and threw MS into The sea,
On coming to the sur 'a"e ! found the man
holding tue painter had let 60 of il when he
saw the disaster. SO that the boat was near us.
Helping the passengers to o safe hold on the
keel, III q ew moments the mate and myself
succeeded In rlghting the boat and getting
our company, to safe positions again.
We bailed the boat. took the passengers
by this time drifted about half a mile away.
When about half way to il we fell IN with
the raft which had eight pa sengers on it. II
fioated with only one end above water. hav
ing been injured in launching. We took al
ON board the raft into the boat.
After rowing some time longer we picked
up a sailor fioatin- on the gangwav steps
From him we learned that he bad gone in the
small boat and that four sailors and two flre
men were left on board, they being cut of
from the boats by the fire. One fireman had
been drowned in trying to reach the small
boat.
The distance between us and the burning
ship was gradually increasing. but still a
wind and sea would permit we struggled t.
get to the wreck. The forenoon was rapidly
passing away when to our great Joy we saw 4
schooner bearing down on the ship.
We saw her lay by and approach and tax,
off some men and then come tow ,rds us. W.
were soon safely on board the vessel. which
proved to be the whaling schooner Franklin,
Capt. Rose. of New Bedford.
We found she had taken five men from
spar alongside the steamer. Another frema,
had been drowned in swimming from tn,
steamers bowsprit to the tparA 10 which tn
sailors chung. At the time tie steamer bat
burned to within three feet of the water
edge and was O mass of fame.
1--WE soon found the small boat an,
twenty-five out of twentv-seven souls VIII,
had been on board the steamer were tafe o.
board the Franklin"