The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-11-05

VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass, Nov. 4.
"A disaster at sea, fortunately with q
small loss Of llfe, fve persons in all,
was made known to-day by the landing
here of twenty-five persons who escaped
from the burning steamer Croatan Of
the Clyde line. bound from New York,
for Wilmington and Georgetown, s. c.
The disaster occurred on November /,
about eighteen miles north of Cape
Charles. and about 2OS miles from New
York, from which port the steamer saIl-
ed on October 81 with general cargo
and eight passengers.
AT o'clock in the afternoon the burn
cd hulk Of the big frelghter sank be-
meath the waves. OF the twenty-aeYen
persons Who were on board, twenty-five
landed at this port this afternoon by the
schooner Alice e. Clark, Of Portland,
Me-, which had been In the vicinity OF
the Croatan at the time she was burn
ing. The Croatans list Of drowned Is
as follows: Second Assistant Engineer
Jerry Mccarthy, OF Nova Scotia, leaves
a widow in New York. Steward James
Curtis Of Jersey City. Mrs. James Cur
tin, wife Of the steward Frank -.
an oller, CAST name unknown); Jennie
Willard, colored, Wilmington. N. G.
The story Of the disaster Is told by
Captain Hale and other officers OF the
unfortunate vessels as follows:
The CroatNn was but twenty-five
hours from New York on her way to
Wilmington. and going at a good rate
nF tHt "a uVannih mud calm
weather, when, at p. 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 rapldity
that all efforts to reach them were un-
aVaIllng because OF the flames. In fact,
in less than ten minutes after the fire
was reported, the ship was completely
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-hatches. A
second explosion followed few minutes
later, and the ship was then a mass OF
flames. II was at this time that Cap
tain Hale, seeing that to remain on the
ship meant sure death, gave orders for
all hands to jump overheard, and save
themselves as best they could.-Ihe gall
liant captain was the last man TO leave
the ship, remaining on deck with the
hrst officer until they were completely
iei1velopcd In flames, and the vessel
had commenced to settle.
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 II
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 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, from Norfolk
fot Portland. which lay becalmed six
miles off, and her captain sent a boats
crew to aid in. the work OF rescue, They
succeeded in saving about twelve per-
sons. many OF whom had been an hour
or more In the water, and had become
nearly exhausted. They were taken on
board the Clark, and given every pOsst-
BILE attention.
Captain Hale, his officers crew and
passengers all speak in the highest
praise Of the treatment they received at
the hands OF Captain Clark, his wife
and the crew on board the Clark.
Captain Clark not only gave the ship-
wrecked men aud women food and
clothing, but supplied them with money
to take them to their homes. The res
cued persons are being cared for here
at the Seamen's Bethel and at the home
of citizens. and will proceed to New
York tomorrow.
No explosives were known to be
among the ships cargo, and the origin
OF the fire is a mystery to her officers
and her crew,