The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-28
THREE FEARFUL DAYS
The British Steamer Legislator
Burned at Sea.
ON A FIRE-EATEN VESSEL
Fireman Burned to Death-Two Men
Drowned-Two Went Adrift and
One Man. Crazed With Burns,
Jumped Overheard

Boston, Feb. 2I.-The British steam
er Legislator. Captain Tenant. bound
from Liverpool for Colon, was burned
at sea Feb. 16 in latitude 3123 north
and longitude 44.10 west The fire
broke out on Feb. 13 and burned fierce
ly for three days, during which time
Fireman Thomas Roberts was burned
to death, Second Officer James Bateman
and Seaman William Angel were
drowned by the capszing of a boat.
Third officer Martin and Chief Steward
John CARNEY went adrift in another
boat and Chief Cook Fred L. Lee.
crazed with fearful burns, jumped
overheard. The rest of the crew OF so
men, with two passengers. Dr. Morti-
mer and wife of Lonaon, We're rescued
by the fruit steamer tlowergate and
brought to this port, arriving here to-
day. Four of the crew, Chief Engineer
John Troughear, Second Engineer John
Holden. Fourth Engineer Robert Milne
and Seaman Charles 1bbitson were so
severely injured that they We're taken
to the marine hospital upon arriving
at this port. Holden is not expected to
live.
The suffering of those who survived
the fearful three days in which they
were tossed about BY the waves while
explosion threatened to send the fire.
eaten steamer to the bottom, makes
tale seldom equaled in the annals of
the merchant marine. The Legislator
left Liverpool on Feb. with a miscel-
laneous cargo. including phosphate,
cotton goods and percussion caps for
Colon and Central American ports. At
4 o'clock on the morning of the 18th,
without warning, an explosion took
place from hatchway forward of mid
ships, followed by a tremendous out
burst of smoke and flames. The fire.
men and engineers but one came tum-
bling on deck, some of them more or
less burned. The missing man was
Thomas Roberts. and il was not until
two days after that his charred body
was recovered during a lull in the fire.
The crew was badly handicapped in
fighting the fire. as the hose and pump
ing engine We're disabled or consumed
The fire spread so rapidly that the
forward part of the boat on which We're
seven men. was cut off and Captain
Tenant asked for volunteers to rescue
the remainder of the crew. Second
officer Bateman and Seaman Angel at
once offered TO row along the side of
the ship and bring the men aft. One
of the boats was launched with diff
Guilty, as there was a heavy sea run
ming, and by careful work managed to
reached the almost doomed men. All
were finally taken on board and the
boat dropped astern. but before the
nine men could be pulled on the after
deck a tremendous sea capsized the
small boat and every man was thrown
into the water. After their heroic work
Bateman and Angel were the only
ones who were not rescued.
In the meantime through some confu-
sion. another boat had been launched. and
i'm 1t was Third officer Martin and Chief
Steward John Gaffney. Another big sea
swept them away. They have not been
seen since. The fighting of the flames still
continued and the fire reached the
boxes of percussion caps there were al
most constant explosions. During one of
these Fred f. Lee, the chief cook. was SO
severely burned that he jumped over
board and could not be saved
AT clock in the morning of the 10th
the steamer Flowergate from Palermo.
Italy, hove in sight. Two boats were inn
mediately lowered from the F'lowergate.
and after three hours all on board the
burning vessel were safely transferred.
Captain Tenant being the last TO leave.
Some of the crew saved a part Of their
clothing but a majority of these on
board lost everything. The rescue was
none too soon, for as the Flowergate
started her engines the fire was seen
bursting from the afterdeck of the Legls-
lator and the steamer was probably en-
tirely consumed not many hours after.
The Legislator was a steamer of 1,Sg9
tons net register. 1881 tons gross. Her di-
mensions were: Length $50 feet: breadth.
40 feet / inch; depth. 20 feet inches She
was built at marlborough. England. in
1883, and was owned by the charante
Steamship company Of Liverpool Eng
land.
The dead are: Drowned-Chief Steward
IRffs IgfT4
Bateman Third Officer William Martin
Chief Cook Alexander jenkins, Seaman
William Angel. Chief Cook Fred l.. Lee.
Burned to death-Fireman Thomas Rob-
erts Severely burned-Chef Engineer
John Traugher. Second Engineer Holden
Fourth Engineer Robert Milne, Seaman
Ibbitson. The injured were taken 10 the
marine hospital on arrival at this port