The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-07-23
A THRILLING STORY.
How Twenty-Five out ofTweOty-
seven People on Board
OF A BURNING STEAMSHIP
In AIid'ocean Escaped-Capt, Wiley
of the Lorenzo Baker, Rccites
a Terrible EHperIence-A
PrOyidcntial Escape,

Ing schooner Franklin arrived here this
morning with the crew OF the steamer
Lorenzo d, Baker, from Point Antonio
for Boston with fruit, The steamer was
burned at sea, Captain Wiley reports;
ave left Port Antonio on the 10th Of
July with a cargo OF bananas for Boston
and six cabin passengers, Mrs, Elizabeth
Sine, OF Dundee, Scotland; Josiah Dill
Ion, Of Iowa; Lorenzo D. Baker, ir,, OF
Well Fleet, Massj jeremiah 0'Callag'
han and Jermiah @, 0'Callaghan, OF Bos'
ton, (uncle and nephew; Ernest B,
Thyng, OF Lynn; Lawrence Jensen and
Peter saxield, sailors who were working
their passage, and nineteen officers and
crew, We had fair, smooth water up
to the evening Of July 10, the day Of the
disaster, when we were in latitude 3S,
north longitude 90, 40. At this time q
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
in blaze. | ordered the hose on
but the engineer said he could not get
at the pumps. Then ! ordered the fire
buckets and alarmed the passengers and
ordered the 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 Rre. We swung out
the port boat and lowered her to the
rail. l ordered this one to be manned.
Two or three OF the passengers got into
the boat. The fire was now within four
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
aud telling him TO hold fast, ordered
the iirst mate to take the boat and spring
ing into the stern, told the men to lower
away, thinking as soon Us the boat was
alloat and detached from the tackles, TO
return on board aud get out the
raft and small boat, as they were
then comparatively safe and away
from the fire but In lowering the boat, as
1t struck water II Immediately Capsi2ed
and threw us into the water. On com.
ing 10 the surface found the man hold.
ing tho painter had let go OF 1t when he
saw the disaster, so that the boat was
near us. Helping the passengers to q
safe hold on the keel, in fGw minutes
the mate and rigged tho boat and sue.
Ceeded In getting our company to sale
positions again. We bailed the boat,
took the passengers In and looked around
for the ship, which had by this time
driited about half mile away. 1t had
been two minutes from the time OF low
ering the boat until we were in 1t again.
We put away for the steamer, and when
about half way 10 1t we fell In with the
raft, which had eight persons on II. 1t
iloated with only one end above water,
having been injured in launching. We
took all from tho raft into the boat.
Some time was consumed with the raft
and VIC wero n mile from the wreck
when We again started for her. After
rowing some time we picked q sailor
floating on the gangway steps. From
him We learned that he had gone In the
small boat and the four sailors and two
ilremen were left on board the steamer,
they having got cut from the boats by
the fire. One, a fireman, had been
drowned in trying TO reach the small
boat. Wenow found TO our sorrow that
the distance between us and the ship
was increasing, but still as tho wind and
sea would permit, we struggled TO get TO
the wreck.
"Thc forenoon was rapidly passing
away, when TO our Joy we saw a
schooner bearing down to the ship. We
saw her lay by and take of some men
and then come 10 us. We were soon
safely on hoard the vessel, which proved
to be the Franklin, Captain 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
steamers bowsprit to the spar. At this
time the steamer had burned 10 within
three feet Of the waters edge. We soon
found the small boat and twenty-five
out OF twenty.seven souls who had been
on the steamer were saved and safe on
board the Franklin. The most generous
treatment was accorded us by Captain |
Rose and the crow OF the schooner. The
btst the rescuers had were freely offered
to us. Said Captain Rose: My voyage
will not be up for month, but | will
carry you Into port, and We started for
New Bedford"
This, the captain says, Is the barest
description OF one Of the most thrilling
situations 1t Is possible for men TO find
themselves in; to DO awakened In the
middle OF the night In q high wind and
angry sea, 10 find their ship on IRE and
one boat gone and poor prospect, Of
safety. Added TO this, TO have the other
boat OH which their safety depended,
CapBzed aB soon rs launched, was enough
10 appall the Btoutest heart That they
should escape with the loss OF only two
lives Ia truly provldentlal. Enough
praise can hardly be awarded 10 Captain
Rose and the officers and crew Of the
franklin for their gallant rescue.
The ilremen who lost their lives were
Hugh Wylie, OF Liverpool, England, and
Ralph Robinson, Of Boston, Mass. Mrs.
Elizabeth Shines, the lady passenger, who
had on dark dress and mans derby
hat, was on her way home from Jamaica,
where her husband recently died, 10 re-
side with friends In Scotland. She was
asleep when she was aroused by the
voIpo Of Capt, Wylle telling her 10 yet up
and dress and prepare 10 lsaye the ship
as II was on fire. Bhe hurried into some
clothing, secured her money and went
on deck, where she was placed In the
| liie.boat. AS the craft was lowered into
the water Il Capsized, and she was drawn
underneath II, She could not swim, but
had ona liie.preaefYet and mechanically
struck out and came 10 the SURFACE. She
saw the mate on the keel Of tho over.
turned boat, and he al the saine time saw
Mrs. Shines, He called out, "Fot Gods
sake ssye the woman and caught her
hy the arm, When lAe boat was right.
cd she was assisted In and coon allsF tho
boat vas picked MP by the FRANKLIN.
She was treated likbR princess by The
crew OF the schooner, who tried by yevery
delicate attention TO make her as coin.
Portable as possible.
,,-----ts
Asen Lion Ia Lake wlnhpbagO.
MESAstA, Wis, July 99.-Durlng the