The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-05
STEAMER BURNS AT SEA.
r,.,,IEs SUDDENLY ENVELOPE THE
CROATAN OFF CAPE CHARLES.

e------~~
rive Persons Lose. Their Lives and
,Trenty-tVvO Jump Overheard and
Are Rescued Schooner Alice
clark Goes to the Aid of Passen-
cers of the ImperilIed Crew, and
survivors of the Disaster Reached
vineyard Haven Yesterday.
VINEYARD Haven, Mass, Nov. A dis
sster at sea, fortunately with small loss
of life. five persons in all, was made
known to-day by the landing here of twen-
,v-two persons, who escaped from the
burning steamer Croatan of the Clyde
lime. bound from New York for Whining
tan N. c., and Georgetown, s. c. The
disaster occurred on Nov. l, about eigh-
teen miles north of Cape Charles, and
about 26O miles from New York, from
which port the steamer sailed on Oct. 81,
with A general cargo and eight passengers.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the burned
hulk of the big freighter sank beneath
the waves.
OF the twenty-seven persons who were
on board twenty-five have survived.
These passengers were landed at this port
this afternoon by schooner Alice Clark of
Portland, Me, which had been in the vi
c,nitv of the Croatan at the time she was
burning The Croatan's list of drowned
Is as follows
SECOND ASSISTANT ENGINEER
JEREMIAH MCCARTHY 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 Qast name un-
known.
JENNIE WILLARD (colored), Whining
ton, N. C.
The story of the disaster is graphically
tod by Capt. Hale and other officers of
the unfortunate vessel, as follows:
The Croatan was but twenty hours from
New York on her way to Wilmington,
and going at a good rate of speed with
smooth sea and calm weather, when. at
p m, a fireman came hurriedly on deck
and reported that the ship was on fire.
A general alarm was given and an effort
was made to lower the boats, but the fire
spread with such rapidlty that all efforts
to reach thSm were unavsiling because of
the fire. In fact, in less than ten minutes
after the fire was reported, the ship was
completely enveloped in flames from stem
to stem. Shortly after the fire was dis
covered an explosion took place in the
cargo which blew off the after matches.
A second explosion followed a minute
later, and the ship was then a mass of
flames. 1t was at this time that the cap
tain, 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
captain was the last man to leave the
ship, remaining on deck with his first Of
ilcer until they were completely enveloped
N tlames and the vessel had commenced
10 sink
There seemed to be no panic on board
and men and women after lashing on
NE preservers, leaped into the water.
some OF the passengers had their faces
scorched and many had their clothing on
nIe when they leaped into the sea.
The captain and first officer succeeded
IN securing a yawl boat which had been
damaged in lowering, and by hard work
rescued eight persons from the water.
Inc burning ship was sighted by the
lour 'masted schooner Alice Clark Capt
CIark' Norfolk for Portland, which lay
oecalmed six miles off and her captain
sent boat crew to aid in the work of
rescue. They succeeded in saving twelve !
persons from a watery grave, many of
"hom had been an hour or more in the
water and had become nearly exhausted
lhey We're taken on board the Clark and
siVeh every possible attention.
capt Clark not only gave the ship
wrecked men and women food and cloth
ing but supplied them with money to take
ue'n TO their homes. The rescued persons
%re being cared for here at the seamen's
oe,heI and at the homes of citizens and
WI proceed to New York to- morrow
NO explosives were known TO be among
,He sh'p's cargo, and the origin of the fire |
" d mystery to her officers and crew.
me Croatan is said to have been valued
a. @lO0OOO She was fully insured She |
was steel twin-screw steamer. built at |
Iaaey' Scotland in 1881 She registered |
l''-t tons gross, and S27 tons net, was POI. 6 |
I9e' long, S21 feet beam and 1875 feet deep.
-isI name when built was joaquin An
Una, Una, which was changed to "Apin"
''e'ious to the last name borne by her.