The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-02-28
STEAMSHIP
DESTROYED
BY FLAMES
The Legislator, From
Liverpool, Lost
at Sea.
Lives Of Two Officers and
Four Seam en- Are
Sacrificed.
Survivors Brought to Boston
by the Vessel Flower
SEVERAL BADLY BURNED.
Disaster Due to Spontaneous Com
bustion in a Cargo OF
Phosphate.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

BOSTON, Feb. 27.-The British
steamship Legislator, Captain Tenant,
bound from Liverpool for Colon, was
burned at sea on February 16, in lati-
tude 81 deg. % min. north and longitude
"A deg. 10 min. west. The fire broke out
on February Is 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 Off
Ger Martin and Chief Steward John
Gaffney went adrift in another boat,
and Chief Cook Fred z. Lee, crazed by
fearful burns, jumped overheard. The
rest of the crew of thirty men, with
two passengers-Dr. William E. Morti-
mer and wife of London-were rescued
by the fruit steamship Flower Gate and
brought to this port, arriving here to-
day. Four of the crew, Chief Engineer
John Troughear, Engineer John Holde,
Fourth Engineer Robert Min and Sea-
man Charles IbblitSon were so severely
injured that they were taken to the
Marine Hospital on arriving at this
port. Holden is not expected to live.
the fearful three days, in which they
were tossed about by the waves, while
explosion after explosion threatened to
send the fire-bound steamship to the
bottom, makes a tale seldom equaied
in the annals of merchant marine. The
Legislator left Liverpool on February
with miscellaneous 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 half way forward of
amidships, followed by a tremendous
outburst of smoke and flames. All the
f1remen and engineers but one came
tumbling on deck, some of them more
or less burned. The missing man was
Thomas Roberts, and it was not until
two days later 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 were disabled or consumed.
The fire spread so rapidly that the
forward part of the boat on which
were seven men, was cut off, and Cap
tain Tenant called for volunteers to
rescue the remainder 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 astern,
but before the nine men could be
pulled on the afterdeck a tremendous
sea capsized the small boat and every
man was thrown into the water. After
their heroic work Bateman and An
CELL were the only ones who were not
rescued.
In the meantime, through some con-
fusion, another boat had been launched
and in it were Third Officer Martin
and Chief Steward John Gaffney. An
other big sea swept them away. They
have not been seen since.
The fighting of the flames continued,
and as the fire reached the boxes Of
percussion caps there were almost con-
slant explosions. During one of these
Fred E. Lee, the chief cook, was so
severely burned that he jumped over
board and could not be saved
At o'clock in the morning of the
10Th the steamship Flower Gate from
Palermo hove in sight. Two boats
were Immediately lowered from the
Flower Gate, and after three hours all
those on board the burning vessel
were safely transferred, Captain Ten
nant being the last one to leave. Some
of the crew saved part of their
clothing, but a majority Of those on
board lost everything. The rescue was
none too soon. for as the Flower Gate
started away the fire was seen burning
from the after deck of the Legislator,
and the steamship was apparently con-
sumed not many hours after
The Legislator was a steamship of
1899 tons net register, 1897 gross tons.
Her dimensions were: Length, 800
feet, breadth 40 feet / inch. depth 20
feet inches. She was built at Middle
borough. England in 1888, and was
owned by the Charante Steamship
Company of Liverpool, England.