The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-30
SAILED in HARD LUCK.
The Steamship Lydia Meets With o
Rough Passage.

One Sailor Killed and Another Badly In
jured-The Dead Man Was Buried at
Sea MISUNDERSTANDING Met With a
Succession of Gales,
The steamship Lydia of the Elder
Dempster line, with her decks glissening
with ice, her tunnels white with salt and
with her ensign at half-Inast, steamed
maiestically up the harbor yesterday az
ternoon at about o'clock. Her general
appearance was that Of having had
hard battle with old ocean as shs has
encountered from January 18th. her sail
ing day from Ayondale, England, sus-
cession of terrible gales. Thirteen days
OF storm, snow and heavy seas and two
days of pleasant weather was the Lot OF
the Lycia on her voyage across.
The first officer, Mr.. Perks, had sad
story to tell PRESS representative,
who was shown to hissfoom shortly after
the steamer was locked.
"We left Avondale Is days ago and
have been tossing about ever since In
all kinds vf bad weather. On our prev1-
GUS trip here We had q pretty tough time
of it and our cases of tin plate were SO
BADLY smashed up in the hold that it had
to be taken out in bulk. The gales we
encountered on thu way over never
seemed to let up for an hour and we
were in TERRIBLE sea all the time"
A SAILOR KILLED.
"Last Sunday morning We were In
heavy sea and being practically light
ship, we were tossed about good deal.
William Bettridge of Bristol, England, an
ordinary seaman, 10 years old, was On
look out on the lee side Of the bridge on
the early morning watch. Suddenly
big sea lifted the Lydia alcft and threw
her over on her beam ends with great
force. Bettridge lost his hold on the
bridge railing and WAS thrown from one
end of it to the other, strik1ng-on his
head. He wa5 picked up unconscious anu
carried to the forecastle whore every
thing possible was done for his comfort.
.sBut the lad Was badly hurt and the
only hope seemed to be that he live until
we reached land. Thursday morning at
4 O'Clock Bettridge was found dead in
his bunk. He had not rsgained con-
seriousness from the time he was hurt and
didn't seem to suffer much from his in
juries.
cat noon Bettridge was seued up in
canvas with heavy weightiat his feet,
and with the usual ceremonies the body
was lowered into the sea. At this time
we were about 80 miles off this port and
in a severe gale.
"But our bad luck had not left us,
said Mr.. Perks. Son Thursday after
noon at O'Clock in the afternoon We ran
into a severe gale and thick snow storm.
We ran on to wards the coast until about
6 or O'Clock when the sea became so
bad and the storm SO severe that weEput
about to run out to sea again. 1t WAS
when we were going about to run to sea
that another severe and almost fata
accident occurred.
"Oscar nierson, an able seaman, was
at the wheel on the bridge whom we
started to go about. A heavy sea struck
the stern of the ship and spun it around
with great force Anderson was hurled
across the bride as if by catapult, and
struck against deck stansion. One of
his eyes were gouged out, his nose badly
cut and broken and the man is now al
most totally blind. He will probably lose
the sight of one eye and may be of both.
"All Thursday night the Lydia was in
thick Snow storm. At noon today we
picked up pilot and reached the dock
at o'clock.
The Lycia's cargo consisted of 1850
tons of general cargo, of which the only
local consignment was 225 tons of china
clay. She had number of returning
cattlemen.
Forest City Lodge, A. O. o. w.