The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-28
.lFLAME ON THE OCEAN,.
Terrible Experience on Board the
British Steamer Legislator.
SIX SAILORS LOST THEIR LIVES.

Two OF These Sacrificed Themselves
While Saving the Lives of Their Fell
lows-Three Days of Fearful Fire
TightIng-lescue Came Just In Time.
Boston, Feb. 2S.-The British steamer
Legislator, Captain Tenant. bound
from Liverpool for Colon, was burned
at sea Feb. 10. The fire broke out on
Feb. 49, and burned fiercely 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 capsizing of a boat, Third Of
ticer Martin and Chief Steward John
Gaffney went adrift in another boat,
and Chief Cook Fred E. Lee, crazed
with fearful burns jumped overheard.
The rest of the crew of 80 men, with
two passengers, DR.. William e. Morti-
mer and wife, of London, were res
cued by the fruit steamer Flowergate
and brought to this port. arriving here
yesterday. Four of !, the crew. Chief
Engineer John Troushear, Second En-
gneer John Holden, Fourth Engineer
Robert Milne and Seaman Charles Ib-
btson were so severely injured that
they We're taken to the Marine hospital
upon arriving at this port. Golden 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 after explosion threatened to
send the fire eaten steamer to the bot
tom, makes a tale seldom equaled In
the annals of the merchant marine.
The Legislator left Liverpool on Feb.
3 with a miscellaneous cargo includ-
ing phosphate cotton goods and per-
cussion caps, for Colon and Central
American ports. Nothing out of the
ordinary occurred until o'clock in
the morning of the 18th, when without
warning an explosion took place from
a hatchway forward of midships, fol-
lowed by a tremendous outburst of
smoke and flame. All the firemen and
engineers but one came tumbling on
deck, some of them more or less burn
ed. The missing man was Thomas
Roberts, and II was not until two days
later that his charred body was re-
covered, during lull in the fire. The
crew We're badly handicapped in fight
ing the fire, as the hose and pumping
engine were disabled or consumed.
Soon after the fire started it spread
so rapidly that the forward part of
the boat, on which We're seven men,
was cut off and Captain Tenant ask
ed for volunteers to rescue the re-
mnindCr Of the crew. Second Officer
Bateman and Seaman William Angel
at once offered to row along the side
of the ship and bring the men aft.
One OF the boats was launched with
difficulty, as there was a heavy sea
running, and by careful work managed
to reach the almost doomed men. All
were finally taken on board and the
boat dropped astcrn, but before the nine
men could be pulled on the afterdeck
a tremendous sea capszel 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 mean
time. through some confusion, another
boat was launched, and in it was Third
Officer Martin and Chief Steward John
Gaffney. Another big sea swept them
away, and they have not been seen
since. The fighting of the flames still
continued, and as the fire reached the
boxes of percussion caps there were
almost constant explosions. In one
of these Fred f. Lee the chief cook,
was so severely burned that he jumped
overheard and could not be saved.
At o'clock on the morning of the
10th the steamer Flowergate, bound for
this port, hove in sight. Two boats
were Immediately lowered from the
Fowergate, and after three hours all
of those on board the burning vessel
were safely transferred. Captain Ten
nant was the last to leave. Some of !
the crew saved part of their cloth
ing. but Il majority of those on board
lost everything. The rescue was none
too soon, for as the Flowergatc started
her engines the fire was bursting from
the after decks Of the Legislator.
The Legislator was burned to the
waters edge. The dead are Chief
Steward John Gaffney, Second officer
James Bateman, Third Officer William
Martin, Chief Cook Alexander jenkins,
Seaman William Angill and Fireman
Thomas Roberts.
Chief Engineer John Traughear Sec
ond Engineer John Holden, Fourth En-
gnCcr Robert Min and Seaman C. b. |
olson were severely burned.