The Portland daily press., 1898-12-15
EIGHT MORE RESCUED.
Steamer Brings Into Port Eight
Londonian Sailors.
THIS MAKES NUMBER LOST WITH
STEAMER EIGHTEEN.

Terrible Experience OF Those Left on
Board After yedamore Departed
Had Given Up Hope of Rescue Whom
Rickmers Was Sighted.
Baltimore. December 14.-Eight addi-
t;onal survivors of ths crew of the lost
steamship Londonian were brought into
this port tonight by the North German
Lloyd steamship Maria Rickmers. They
are Captain K. B. Lee, Third Oficer
Joseph Cottier. Boatswain 4. Balm,
Quartermaster r. Carlson, Ableseainen ].
Webb and W. Carnssa; Second Steward
.. Darnell, and Second Cook W. Martin.
Those, with IS previously rescued by the
johnson line steamer vsdsmore, complete
the list of survivors, 1s having been lost
In an attempt to leave the disabled ship
in one Of her small boats.
week has elapsed since the arrival Of
the Vedamore, and during the interim
but little hope has been felt that any of
those who remained on board the Lon
donian when she and the Vedamore
parted company would ever be heard from
again.
On tho night of Monday. November 2s,
just before midnight, in latitude ~ 40
north, Longitude 1929 west the
Rickmers, bound from Bremen whence
she had departed four days previous. for
Baltimore. sighted a steamer burning
flare light upon her bridge. Captain
Paul Groseh altered the course of his yes-
sci and In the moonlight, made out a
large steamer with such list to star
board as almost to throw her on her beam
ends. hail from him and an answering
shout from the wreck showed that there
was life aboard. A heavy swell prevailed
at the time. together with fresh east
wind. making 1t difficult to launch q
boat, but without an instant's hesitation
the attempt was made and Second Mate
Lenz of the Rickmers, togsther with slx
men put off to the rescue. For more than
three hours futile attempts were made to
reach the wreck which by this time was
ascertained to be that of the Londonian.
Finally as last resort the rescuers got in
close to the stern of the disabled craft
and shouted to those on board all OF
whom were huddled on the bridge, to
make their way aft and throw them q
line This being complied with the ship
wrecked sailors were instructed to make
the line fast about their bodies and throw
themselves into the water. One after an
other they obsyed and were thus drawn
aboard the life boat
When the rescuers and the rescued
reached the side of the Rickmers It was
found that th tsoa was still SO high as to
make it i'm possibIe to bring the boats
alonaside and one after another of the oc-
eupants of the little craft were hauled
aboard with lines and the life boat set
adrift. The wreck of the Londonian
tlrifted away in the darkness and those
who had been on board of her have llGsse
doubt that she ultimately sank. The
Rickmers resumed her course and tonight
brought to this city Captain Lee and his
seven shipmates, mono of whom had ever
expected TO reach land after losing sighu
of the VedamOres
Captain Lee said of his experiences
after the Vedamore left:
You have heard from those who came
ashore on the Vedamore the story of what
took pla3e until Sunday afternoon. We
had made repeated attempts TO launch
second boat without success, but finally
at D. m on that day we got one osGr
the side with twenty-three men in Il un-
der tiin command of Chief Officer Murray.
She had hardly left the ship when she
capsized and seventeen of those who were
in the boat were either drowned or dashed
against the side of the llondonlan and
killed.
Boatswain Behm, Quartermaster Carl
sem Seameu Webb and Cornass, Second
Steward Darnell and Second Cook Martin
were thrown back upon the slantlng deoE
and managed to hold on. Soon after this,
darkness came on and we lost sight OF the
Vedamore's S lights. When day broke she
was nowhere to be seen and these of us on
the wreck made up our minds that noth-
ing but a miracle could save US. We had
but little to eat since the accident oc-
CURED four day S before, had been drenched
by the waves and exposed to the bitter
cold winds almost constantly. Everything
in the shape of provisions and almost all
the fresh water were in the hold. under
water, and we were unable TO reach them.
We therefore had nothing to eat save
few sea biscuit, soaked in salt water and
by the time the Vedamore left US there
was but little fresh water aboard. All
day Monday we looked in vain for SAIL
and when night came we were reasonably
certain that we would never see another
sun rise. The ship was slowly, but sure
| " sinking and we felt that any hour
might see her take her final plunge Cur
| food was almost gone and there was not
| enough wafer in our casks to last us
| twelve hours longer. We had mad pu5
| little sleep and hardly dared to nope.
Nothing but the desperation that comes
/ to men in their last hours gave us courage
| to maze another effort and to show a
| ltpat, that we scarcely expected that any
one would see. That 1t was seen and that
we were taken of. gives me new faith ID
I +ha syccrptahJs WAYS OF PrOvidencs.