The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-24
HER BOILER ON THE RAMPAGE.
A Terrible Experience on Board the
Steamship bennington in the Pa
cihc.


cihc.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
The steamship bennington, Capt. Leigh
ton' arrived in Hong Kong on Jan Il af-
ter passing through a terrible expert
ence. Weeks before the steamer had
been given up ss lost. She started from
yokohama for Moji, via Kobe, to take in
a cargo of coal for Messrs. Carlowitz &
CO., on the afternoon of Dec. 8, but Kobe
was never reached. Usually the voyage
takes three or four days, and when a
month had passed and nothing had been
heard of her all hope was abandoned. IT
was on the 4th of December that the first
dltnculty was encountered. The sea ran
snip. which contained no cargo, pitched
and rolled very heavily. Then happened
an accident which made the crew feel
that their doom was sealed. Can't Leigh
ton was endeavoring to wear the shin
round on the other tack when the he'd of
the boiler gave way and the ship was in
dire distress. The boiler is one of sixty
tons weight, and with every roll of the
vessel this tremendous mass of metal
dashed against the bunkers completely
smashed them in, and threatened every
minute to crush in the sides, when all
would have been over AS the boiler
broke from its fastenings the funnel was
set to work to tackle with their mighty
opponent, the rolling boiler, which, it was
feared, would break in the bulkheads.
Everything at hand was thrown down the
boiler room, with the object of forcing the
paulins, logs of wood. hawsers, ETC., were Sar
used up in this way, and a length the
mems efforts were rewarded
The boiler settled itself on the port side
giving, the boat heavy list, and, in order
to make it doubly secure, heavy chains
We're passed through and fixed on the up
per deck. The ship was in a terrible
plight; there was no steam, no sails; a
h01f a % ri a1 10 H.
two men had been injured-only slightly
Iortunately-and to crown all, the after
hold was rapidly filling with water. Then,
to add to all these troubles, the port life
boat was dashed against the ships side
Dy tremendous sea as it was being
swung out. Only one small damaged
boat was left, and the crew numbered
tWenty-six-two being Chinese, three jap
anese, and twenty-one Europeans
But there was not coward among the
crew; they were fearful of their fate, but
they resolved, if the worst should come,
to do their duty until death. Some work
ed the bilge pump and others bailed the
water out with buckets, the work proceed
ing all night. An examination was made
of the shaft tunnel, and it was found that
water was coming in through the bilge
pipes. These were closed, the bulkheads
were braced, and the water was thus pre-
vented from making further Roadway in
to the hold. In the morning the sea had
somewhat moderated, and the crew then
set to work and made a raft out of the
spars and woodwork that could be got
The ship drifted helplessly about and
was carried out to sea. 1t was then de-
cided to improvise sails out of tarpaulin
old bags and carpets, and this being done
a course was struck for the south Alto
gether the ship was under sail for thirty-
four days Provisions had run short: the
men had one meal a day, consisting of a
biscuit or two, bit of pork, a potato and
occasionally a piece of shark. Ii is diff
cult to conceive what hardships they la
bored under and what a terribly trying
time they had. When all had given up
hope the steamer Boynton hove in sight
After supplying the famshing crew with
food, she took the bennington in tow
and succeeded. after a heroic effort, in
plotting her safely into port
There will probably be another big
chess match between Champion Lasker
and ex-Champ.on Steinitz at st. Peters
bug in May. for purse offered by the st.
Petersburg chess club.