Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-28
.FRIGHTFUL ORDEAL.
Crew of the Legislator Fought
Fire Three Days.
FOUR LIVES WERE LOST
Two Men Went Adrift in q
Small Boat.
The Balance of the Crew With Two Pas
sengers Finally Rescued by the
Steamer Flowergate.
FOUR LIVES WERE LOST

Boston, Feb 27.-The British steamer
Legislator, Captain Tenant, bound
from Liverpool. for Colon, was burned
at sea Feb. 16 in latitude S1.23 north.
and longitude 44.l0 west. The fire broke
out Feb 49,. and burned flercely three
days, during which time a fireman
named Thomas Roberts, was burned 10
death, the second officer, James Bate
man, and seaman. William Angel,
were drowned by the capsizing of
| boat, the third officer Martin, and
chief steward, John Gaffney, went
adrift in a boat and chief cook. Fred f.
Lee, being crazed wifi fearful burns,
jumped overheard.
The rest of the crew of 80 men. with
two passengers. DR.. William f. Morti-
mer and wife, of London, were rescued
| by the fruit steamer Flowergate and
brought to this port, arriving here this
morning. -Four of the crew, chief engi-
neer, Jonathan Traughear; second engi-
neer John Holden; fourth engineer,
Robert Min, and seamen Charles Ibbit-
son, were so severely injured that they
were taken to the Marine Hospital. up
on arriving at this port. Holden is not
expected to live.
The Legislator left Liverpool Feb
8 with a miscellaneous cargo for Colon
and other central American ports.
An explosion took place from hatch
way forward of amidships, Feb. 13, fol-
| lowed by a tremendous outburst of
smoke and flame. All the fremen and
| engineers, but one, came tumbling on
deck. The missing man proved to be
! Thomas Roberts, and it was not until
| two days after that his charred body
| was recovered.
| Soon after the fire started the forward
| part of the boat, on which were seven
men, was cut off, and Capt. Tenant
asked for volunteers to rescue them.
| Second officer Bateman and seaman,
! William Angel, offered to row along
side Of the ship and bring the
men aft One Of the boats was
launched with difficulty, and by care
| full work managed to reach the men
| All were finally taken into the boat,
| which then 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. Bateman and
Angel were the only ones who were
not rescued. In the meantime through
some confusion, another boat had been
| launched, and in ii was the third Off
| Ger, Martin and the chief steward, John
Gaffney. Another big sea swept them
away, and they have not been seen
| since. Inc nSnung OF tne names sun
| continued, and as the fire reached the
| boxes of percussion caps, there were al
most constant explosions Fred F..
| Lee the chief cook, was SO severely
| burned by one of the explosions, that
he jumped overheard and could not be
saved.
At o'clock on the morning of the
| 10Th, the steamer Flowergate, bound to
this port from Palermo, Italy. hove in
sight. Two boats were Immediately low
cred from the Flowergate, and after
burning vessel were safely transferred,
Capt. Tenant being the last to leave.
Some of the crew saved a part of their
clothing, but a majority lost every
thing. The rescue was none too soon,
for as the Flowergate started her en-
gines, the fire was seen bursting from
the after-decl1s of the Legislator