The herald., 1898-11-05
TWENTY-FIVE ESCAPED
BUT FIVE FOUND GRAVES IN THE
OCEAN
STEAMER CR0ATAN BURNED
Fire Forces All Hands Overheard, Not
Giving the Seamen Time to
Lower Boats
Associated Press Special Wire

| VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass, Nov. A.
A disaster at sea, fortunately with small
loss of life, five persons in all, was made
known today by the landing OF 90 persons.
who escaped from the burning steamer
Croatan of the Clyde line, bound from New
York for Wilmington, n. c., and George
| town, 5. c.
| The disaster occurred on November LIST,
about Is miles north OF Cape Charles and
about 200 miles from New \ ork, from which
| port the steamer sailed on October 3lst
with general cargo and eight passengers.
At o'clock in the afternoon the burnt
hull of the trei9hter sank beneath the
waves. OF the p persons who were on board
22 have survived. These passengers were
landed at this port this afternoon by the
schooner Alice f. Clarke of Portland, Me-,
which had been in the vicinity of the Croat-
au at the time she was burned. The Croat-
ans list of drowned is as follows:
Second Assistant Engineer jeremiah Nc
Carthy of Nova Scotia leaves a widow in
New York.
Steward James Curtis of Jersey City.
Mrs. James Curtis, wife of the steward.
Frank -, an oiler (last name unknown
Jennie Willard (colored) OF Wilmington,
n. c.
The story of the disaster is told by Capt.
Hale and other officers of the vessel as fol-
lows:
The Croatan was about 20 hours from
New ork on her way to Wilmington, with
a smooth sea and calm weather, when at
p m. fireman came hurriedly on deck and
reported that the ship was on fire. A
general alarm was Immediately given and
an effort was made to lower the boats, but
the fire spread with such rapidity that all
efforts to reach them We're unavailing. In
fact, in less than ten minutes after the fire
was reported the ship was completely envel-
oped III flames from stem to stern. Shortly
after the fire was discovered an explosion
took place in the cargo which blew off the
after matches. a second explosion followed
a few minutes later, and the ship was then
a. mass of flames. 1t was at this time that
Capt. Hale, seeing that to remain on the
vessel meant sure death, gave orders for all
hands to jump overheard and save them
selves as best they could. The gallant cap
tain was the last man to leave the ship, re-
naming on deck with his first officer until
they were completely enveloped in flames
and the vessel had commenced to sink.
There seemed to be no panic on board,
and men and women, after lashing on their
life preservers, calmly leaped into the wa
ter, seeing that their chances of escape We're
much better than if they remained on board
the burning ship. Some of the passengers
had their faces scorched and many had their
clothing on fire when they leaped into the
water. The captain and first officer sue
ceeded in securing yawl boat, which had
been damaged in lowering, and by hard
work rescued eight persons from the water.
The burning ship was sighted by the four
masted schooner Alice f. Clark, which lay
about six miles off, and her captain sent
boat and crew to aid in the work of rescue
They succeeded in rescuing u persons, many
OF whom had been an hour or more in the
water and were nearly exhausted. They
We're taken on board the Clark and given
every possible attention.
The rescued persons are being cared for
here at the Seamens Bethel and at the
homes of citizens, and will proceed to New
York tomorrow.
No explosives were known to be among
the ships cargo, and the origin of the fire
is IA mystery to her officers and crew.