The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-15

soon as possible. With the aid Of
glasses we discovered that the ship in
distress had an immense hole in her
side to the aft and was slwoly but
steadily settling. A high rolling sea was
running at the time. A storm had been
raging a few hours previously but the
sea had Gained considerably. Our cap
tain at once ordered the life boats man
ned and the work of reScue began. l
was given command of the first a TO
be lowered. We were then lying OF
about quarter of a mile from the
Eeendam. AS our life boats drew near
ct we would plainly hear the cries Of dis
tress from the shivering and frightened
eng AS soon as We got close by
Captain Stenger told me there was no
hope Of saving the vessel and that all
haste should be made in transferring the
passengers to the ST. Louis.
The first to be taken from the Veen-
dam was a six months old baby. Follow
ing this abont twenty more children,
ranging n age from the swaddlng clothes
period 10 ten and twelve years. were
lowered to our BOAT. AS soon as this was
lone we pushed off and made back to
the st. Louis, where the youngsters
We're taken on board.
Veendam was labOring in a heavy
sea and the work of rescue was difficult.
The passengers We're lowered from the
ships sides by means of blessings. The
excitement on board the Neendam was
intense. but Captain Stenger and his
crow managed to keep the passengers in
some kind Of discipline. After all the
children had been taken from the Eeen-
dam the women were transferred to the
life boats. Next came the men and last
80 ,1I ~ -, 49, A. 49,
men We're so overcome that they had to
be picked up and dropped overheard
into the arms of the life boat crew. Cap
tain Stenger behaved like a hero. Not
only did he direct the efforts of his Off
GERS and cnew. but he personally assist
ed i'll lowering the children and more
timid of the women.
1.-The second boat to be lowered from
h st. Louis WAS commanded by
George Beckwfth, senior second officer.
No sooner than tn y boat settled into the
sea than an Immense swell smashed
il against the ships side and crushed
it. Another boat: was quickly lowered
and into this .ufticer <Beckwith and his
crew We're soon transferred. This boat
took eighteen women from the Neen-
dam. Henry Campbell. second officer of
the st. Louis commanded the third boat.
III 4 looh tlSI1ttII lStSSt1IIStIS. It
the time the third boat had pushed off
from the Veendam. l had again arrived
with my boat and in the meantime two
of the Neendam'S ife-boatS had been low
cred. manned by the first and second
officers of the Neendam. The second
boat foundered before any passengers
had been taken aboard. The crew. how
ever. was quickly rescued. 1T was 4:a3
a. m. when the last beat pulled up to
the side of the st. Louis, just three
hours and ten minutes after the first
boat had left our ship. My boat made
four trips and transferred ninety pas
Sengers: Beckwith'ss made two and trans
ferred thirty-SiX passengers; CampbeH's
made two and also transferred thity-six
passengers. and the Neendam's boats
made three trips. and carried a total of
fifty passengers.
The last man to leave the Toondam
was Captain Stenger. / had to call him
several times before he swung himself
over the side and left the ship to her
fate. 80
by this time the stern of the. .Veen-
dam had settled %perceptibly and her bow
was almost clear. of the water. Before
leaving the .Neendam Captain Stenger
set fire to various parts Of the cabin.
ASIDE from the women and children,
most OF the passengers on the Veen-
dam behaved heroically. Though the
sea was running very high we were in
little danger of being swanrped except
when close to the ships side. The
passengers were drenched to the skin.
We protected them as much as possible
with oil skins and tarpaulins. When
the work of rescue was over, the ST.
Louis had drifted until she was a mile
and 4 quarter from all that remained
above water of the Neendam.'
This is the second rescue in which Mr..
Seagrave has played a prominent part.
The Neendam was formerly the White
Star steamer Baltic. She was built at
Belfast, Ireland. by Harland and
Wolff in lo,1. She registered 4.O3G
gross and 2.167 net o n and vas AIS
feet long, Al feet beam and $40 feet
deep.
HF CH0T MARTIN ~