The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-24
AND THE SEA TOOK THEM
,v.rHBY FIRE OR DROWNING FOR
CAPT. BOYD AND HIS WIFE

Ga, From the Egyptian Monsrch's
nscks CInging to the Jibooom OF
enc Burning Oilship-A Moment OF
zone. and Then the Spar Snapped
and They Were Gone.
From the Neg York Sun, FEB. %
M warn Of the winter seas more thrilling
md piteous than that spun yesterday by
saoond officer William E. Jourdan Of the
r,vntian Monarch has been heard in cabin
- forecastle for many a day. 1t is Of the
-, of the Nova Scotia oilship Loodiana
She was burned 500 miles east Of St. Johns.
y F or about in midocean, on Jan. 15-16.
Tina cable has reported that two living men
we're seen clinging to her bowsprit, but soon
di.sppeared. 1t was not two men. It was
Cant Boyd and his wife, and they persisted
bafore the eyes of the officers and men of the
egyptian Monarch, who brought the story
here Yesterday.
II was Second Officer Jourdan's watch on
the bridge OF the Egyptian Monarch, east
ward bound, from midnight on Jan. Is
until o'clock the next morning He had
baen on duty less than an hour when he
Jaw a fare over the port bow, resembling
The light a sailing vessel displays when a
steamship is close upon her. The seas, torn
by driving hail storm, were high masses Of
foam. and for the first time in her history
the Egyptian Monarch used oil on them.
AZ first glance Second Officer Jourdan
thought the flare was in the neigbborhood
Of tie ship. Il was really nearly ten miles
away, on the horizon to the northeast, but
it had been SO mirrored in the innumerable
drops Of hail as TO appear close by.
Mr.. Jourdan got his glass, and as he
leveled it in the direction of the flare a
eeyser Of fire showed that there had been an
explosion on some vessel. He sent word to
Capt. Irwin, and all hands were called to
take in sail. This was quickly done, and the
Egyptian Monarch was headed at the top Of
her speed toward the burning ship. Three
quarters Of an hour later, or at 80 o'clock
in the morning, she rounded to under the
Loodiana's lee.
Mr.. Jourdan left the bridge in charge of
the captain and went below and called for a
volunteer crew to man a lifeboat. Only
three sailors came forward. Chief Officer
Bingham aud Third Officer Kay, with Sec
oDd Officer Jourdan, also volunteered. The
reason there were not more volunteers from
the forecastle, Mr.. jourdan saws, was be-
cause the steamship had a scratch" crew of
landlubbers picked up at Gravesend.
Mr. Jourdan returned to the bridge and
discovered for the first time that there were
living people still aboard the ship. which,
from stem to stern, was a great sheet OF
fame. Not vestige of a mast was visible.
and the only spar untouched by the FIRE
was the jibboom Astride of this was Capt
Boyd, and clasping his waist behind him
was his little wife. They waved their
hands, and their mingled voices crying for
help came down on the wind to the men on
the steamship.
Capt. Irwin steamed to,windward and
shouted: "Be Of good cheerl" and he saw
by the expression on the face Of the skipper
and bis wife that they had heard him. The
lfeooat was swung out, and the volunteers,
feeling that they were going to their death
in the swirling seas, stood ready to lower at
command.
The burning ship was headed to the wind.
steadied by her flowing sail Of fire. She
dipped her bow in agiant sea, and when she
rose there was a forward rush of fire which
nearly enveloped the skipper and his WIFE
The headstays supporting the jibboom had
been burned away, and when the fire
reached the heel of the spar it snapped off.
The command to lower the boat had been
given. But before the boat touched the sea
Capt. Boyd and his wife were beyond aid.
they were seen cliuging to the charred jib-
ooom Tor moment, the skipper supporting
his wife with one arm. The next instant a
wave dashed the spar against the flaming
hulk, and man and wife disappeared.
The order to launch the lifeboat was couu-
fernandez. All night the Egyptian Mon
arch steamed around the wreck looking for
possible survivors. At dawn she steamed
fifteen miles to leeward, in which direction
the ships boats, if any were launched, would
have drifted. None was seen, and the
steamship went on her course. Her officers
believe that all on board the Loodiana per-
ished.
The Loodiana left this port with a cargo
Of refined petroleum in cases on Dec. 81
She was insured for $4,000 in Windsor, N.
B. from which port she hailed. She meas
ured ], $50 tons, and was built at Hautsport,
n. s., in 1885,