Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-09
LATE NEWS BY WIRE.
Experience of Those on Board the
Wrecked Fraser.
STORY TOLD BY ADAMS, THE FIREMAN.
Sailors, Benumbed With Cod,
Dropped Off Into the Water.
YER A SCORE LOST

NORTH BAY, Ont, Nov. e-Joha Adams,
one of the survivors and firemen of the ILL
fated steamer Fraser, which was burned on
Lake Nipissing on Tuesday, has arrived
here and given an account Of his expert
ences. 1t is now believed there were not
more than twenty-four men, all told, on
board the steamer, but the names Of twenty
of them only can be discovered. OF these.
several are known to be saved and their
names were correctly reported in yester-
days dispatches The names Of the thirteen
lost already reported 1t is believed represent
all that persisted.
The principal reason for believing that
there are four yet unaccounted for is that
the cook says he set dinner for twenty-four
after counting the number Of persons on
board.
Adams, the saved fireman, says: 1--WE
left Collendar early in the morning and
with prospects Of good weather, not only
for the trip. but for the work in the camp
All went well until the dinner bell rang
and almost at the same moment the en-
gineer noticed smoke coming from above
the boiler, between the smokestack and
steam dome he called to me to know
now 10 get into where the trouble seemed
TO be, and got up TO take the door off the
manhole over the boiler AS soon as
raised it the flames belched out and drove
tain and rushed for pail to get water
"hlIe started the pony engine and tried
to couple the hose. We could not stay
long enough to do this, however, for the
flames were all around US.
Capt. Carr rang the bell for the engines
TO stop and then two bells to back up, but
these signals were never responded to- and
do not believe the engineer had a chance
10 get near the lever, the fire was so hot
i never saw him again, and / don't think
ne ever came up from the awful furnace
rom had H. 49,
directing the men to lower the boats
Ihey were hurrying about in q frightened
manner, but he was cool and quiet, and /
heard him say: BE steady there bovs
/ and take your time
They were working on the port side yawl
and went around to the starboart but
could not handle her alone and the flames
were already breaking through and drove
me back. 1 then ran around to the other
BOAT, which by this time was in the water
and lot of fellows were in her I Jumped
for the stern, but at that moment the boat
drlfted under the still rapidly revolving
paddle wheel and dipped down under the
blow. throwing the whole of US into the
water.
When l came up 1 saw the fellows strug-
/ Cling about in all directions. The engines
! on board had never stopped. and the boa
/ had gone ahead. She was turning, however
/ and began coming back in wide sweep.
] struck out and just as 1 was about ex-
hausted l managed to catch the towline
and hauled myself TO the scow. There were
/ four OF the boys already on her. AS soon
as could pull myself together got out my
knife and cut two ropes, and she then lay
to, while We got on a couple more men, all
I that were in reach.
I'VE had no oars or any way of getting
around. but even If we had we could have
done nothing, for by this time the poor fell
lows had gone under About the last to
sink was Barbeau, the mate. The last
saw of the captain he and two others were
hanging on to the anchor at the bow and
the water was icy cold, and they dropped
off one by one. \ number of the men in
the water were struck by the revolving
paddle wheel.
There was no liquor on board The ac-
cident took place q mile from Goose Is
land and six miles from the main land
Had the water not been so cold many more
would have been saved"
! Yesterday Coroner Doran and others wen,
out to the scene of the disaster. They found
the steamer had sunk, a portion Of the bow
| only being above water.
| They buoyed the wreck so that they NAV
| find her again in case shemight be shifted
/ by the currents or wind, and then went in
/ search of the scow, which 1t was found had
I sunk near Beaucage bay, eight or ten miles
! from the scene of the wreck thorough
| search was made for any bodies that might
| be afioat, but no signs of them could be dis
| covered. and there is little hope of recov-
| ering them till spring, as the water is very
| cold, and they will not rise In such low
| temperature for several weeks.