The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-05
AFLAME ON THE OCEAN,
Total Destruction Of the Clyde Line
Steamer Croaton.
ALL BUT FIVE WERE RESCUED.

The Fire Gained So Rapidly That There
Was No Time to Lower the Boats,
and the Twenty-seven Persons on
Board Jumped Overheard.
Vineyard Haven, Mass, Nov. 5.-A
disaster at sea, fortunately with small
loss Of life. five persons in all. was
made known yesterday by the landing
here Of 20 persons who escaped from
the burning steamer Croatan. OF the
Clyde line. bound from New York for
Wilmington, N. c., and Georgetown,
8. C.. The disaster occurred on Nov. 1,
about Is miles north of Cape Charles,
and about 2O6 miles from New York,
from which port the steamer sailed
on Oct. 81, with 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 " persons who were on board 22
survived. These passengers were land
ed at this port yesterday afternoon by
the schooner Alice L. Clark, of Port
land, Me-, which had been in the vicin-
ity 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 widow in New York; Steward
James Curtis. Jersey City: Mrs. James
Curtis. wife Of the steward: Frank. an
oilcr dast name unknown): Jennie
Willard (coloredD. Wilmington, N. C.
The Croatan was but 20 hours from
New York. and going at good rate
OF speed, with smooth sea and calm
weather, when at D. m. a 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 were
unaVailing because of the flames. In
fact in less than ten minutes after the
fire was reported the ship was COM
pletely enveloped in flames from stem
to stern. Shortly after the fire was
discovered an explosion took place in
the cargo. which blew off the after
patches. A second explosion followed
few minutes later. and the ship was
u d
time that Captain Hale, seeing that to
remain on the vessel meant sure death,
gave orders for all hands to jump over
board and save themselves as best they
could. The gallant captain was the last
man to leave the ship, remaining on
deck with his first officer until they
were completely envcloped 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 water. knowing that the chances of
escape were much more certain 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 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.
The burning ship was sighted by the
four masted schooner Alice Clark, of |
Portland, Captain Clark, which lay be-
calmed six miles off. and her. captain
sent boats crew to aid in the work
or rescue. They succeeded in saving
II persons from watery grave, many
Of whom had been an hour or more in
the water and had become nearly ex-
hausted. They We're taken on board the
Clark and given every possible atten.
lion.
No explosives were known to be
among the ships cargo. and the origin
Of the fire is a mystery to her officers ;
and crew. e..