The San Francisco call., 1898-02-13
LOSS OF 4
 BIC OCEAN
 STEAMSHIP Holland American Liner Veendam
 in Collision. Great Hole Torn in the Vessel by a Sub-
 merged Wreck. Thrilling Scenes Among the Panic Stricken Passengers
 After the Disaster.
RESCUED BY THE ST. LOUIS
Rockets Attract Passing Steamer and All Aboard the Sinking
 Graft Are Taken of.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, Feb. 12-The American l line steamer St. Louis, Captain Randle
 which arrived to-day from Southamp ton. reports the loss at sea of the HOl
 land American line steamer Veendam Captain Stenger, bound from ROtter dam to New York. The passengers an6 crew of the Veendam were saved by the St. Louis. At quarantine Captain
 Stenger of the Veendam reported as follows:
 "The Veendam left Rotterdam or
 February with a cargo, nine cabi, and 11S steerage passengers and crew
 of eighty-f1ve, bound for New York.
 We had strong northwest gales and
 high west and northwest seas. On February 6, at about 5:17 p. m., ships time, being then in latitude 49 degrees 35 minutes north, longitude 20 degrees 1 minute west, the steamer struck a submerged wreck or some wreckage which tore a hole in the ships bottom and broke her propeller shaft.
 we found that our ship was making considerable water, and at once set all pumps to work, but, notwithstanding, the water gained on us. In the mean time all our boats were made ready, in order if necessary, that we mightleave the ship as she was now sinking rap idly by the stern. At 1:30 a. m. we ob- served the lights of large steamer bearing about east by south from us We made signal of distress, on which the vessel bore down on us. We then decided, for the safety of the passen- gers and crew, to abandon the ship. The vessel proved to be the St. Louis of the American line, bound from Southamp- ton for New York. We hailed her and reported that our ship was sinking and that we wished to be taken off. At 1:43 a. m. we commenced to transfer our passengers and crew, using three boats of the St. Louis and one of ours. Our men were kept at the pumps.
 At 4:53 a. m. on Monday everybody had been transferred to the St. Louis. When the last boat left the Veedam, the ship was laboring very heavily and sinking rapidly by the stern. The transfer of the passengers and crew took, notwithstanding the great diff culties and the high seas running, only three hours and ten minutes and was accomplished without the slightest ac- cident
 AS the wreck was a dangerous ob- struction to navigation, we decided to set her one fire, which was done. The position of the wreck was then latitude 49.19 north, longitude 19475. On board the St. Louis we were warmly received and the captain and his officers did everything possible for our comfort. We take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude also in the name of the passengers of the Veendam."
 The Veendam was formerly the White Star steamer Baltic. She was built at Belfast, Ireland, by Harland & Wolff in 1871. She was four -masted barkentine-r -rigged screw steamer, reg istered 4036 gross, and was 41S feet long, Al feet beam and 31.9 feet deep
 Mendel Mandoff and David Devin- ishke, two steerage passengers of the Veendam, both halIlng from Voveno Guberna, Russian Poland, told joint story of what befell the ill-fated Hol- land American liner, as follows:
 Tt was after 5 o'clock on Sunday, and we were three days out, that there came terrible crash. We did not know what was the matter. The women, for the most part sick, sprang from their cots and began to rush about. They shrieked dreadfully. The ship stopped, and from the rushing around we knew that there must be some grave trouble, and we began to pray to God for his protection. Suddenly one of the officers came into the steer age and ordered all men on deck We obeyed and were put to work on the pumps. The crew were brave fellows. Not a man would get off until all of us were safe When we were on the St. Louis and found not soul miss ing we fell on our knees, some of us and thanked God. We have been splendidly treated on this ship. We have no clothing, only what we are 
 Chaia Nyitka, who came to this coun- try with her father from Sushkovalen. Kalish Guberna, Russia, spoke for the women who were rescued.
 We were nearly all of us sick" she said, when the crash came. But we became suddenly well. Our sickness was frightened away when we heard some of the men saying the 'Shefna' Jewish prayer before death), and oth- CTS saying the psalms, and we thought that the end had come. When all the men were ordered on deck we followed, because we were afraid to stay where we could not see. On the decks we saw men at work at the pumps and felt the vessel was settling. We strained our eyes through the darkness to see ships, but there were no ships. Then great lights shot out, and they said rockets would bring us help.
 For five hours we watched them shooting up and then dropping into the rough sea. Then in the distance we saw a light. We thought 1t was an- other rocket, but the light burned steady, and it grew faster, and the lights in the distance grew many. In the darkness there shot boat, and We were all saved"
 The 11S steerage passengers were all taken to the Barge Office Of these seventy were detained because of lack. of visible means of support The cap tain, officers and crew of the Veendam sailed for Rotterdam on the Spaarndam this afternoon.