The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13
Passengers Cheer the Rescuer..

that occasion.
Passengers Cheer the Rescuers.
Archer Brown. o, this city. was pas
senger ON the ST. Louis. Describing the
scene on the ST. Louis while the rescue was
in progress. he said:
"On the st. Louis the news quickly
spread that wreck had been sighted.
The passengers crowded on deck and we
could see the glare OF the sky-rockets a.
they burst in the air, and hear the shrieks
Of the woman on taa Feendam. The ex-
citement on board the St. Louis-that is.
among the passengers-was intense. We
cheered the rescuers as they pushed Of
for the Veendan.
1T was perhaps three-Quarters OF an
hour before the first lifeboat returned. IN
Il were about twenty-five children. all
huddled closely together and crying Justify.
Officer Seagrave was doing his best TO quiet
them.
1T was sight worth seeing, the way our
weli-dressed American women ministered
TO the wants OF the poor, wretched Great
ures who were hauled on board more dead
than alive. The rescued women after they
had partly recovered. began TO cry aloud
for their children, and when they found
them they cried for JOY. 1t seemed TO me
that some OF Us men sniveled a bit about
that time.
When the men came aboard We were
more in our element. We gave them
whisky. and IL did them no end of good
AS the last boat hove In sight glare burs.
out. The Feendam was on fire. The res
cued passengers huddled together and set
up wall. They had nothing in the world
except what was on their backs"
The Crew the Last to Leave.
Ma,5a, ,fanaorff a,d noyia Da,.,~;~A,..
two steerage passengers of the yendam.
both from Kovno Guberna, Russian Po-
land. told joint story of the wreck:
''It was after 5 o'clock on Sunday. and
We We're three days out. that there came
terrible crash. The women, for the most
part sick. sprang from their cots and be-.
gan to rush about. They shrieked dread
fully. The ship stopped, and from the
rushing around we knew that there must
be some grave trouble. and We began TO
pray 10 God for his protection. Suddenly
one Of the officers came into the steerage
and ordered all men on deck. We obeyed
and were put to work on the pumps.
THE crew were brave fellows. Not a
man would get off until all of us were safe
When we were on the st. Louis and found
not a soul missing we fell on our knees
some Of us. and thanked our God. We have
been splendidly treated on the ship. We
have no clothing only what we are wear
ing
\ Woman's story of the Disaster.
Cha'a Naitke. who came to this country
with her father from Sushkovalen. Rus
sia. spoke for the women who were res
cued.
we were nearly all of us sick" she
said when the crash came. But we be-
came suddenly well. Our sickness was
frightened away When we heard some
OF the men saying the 'Shema' Jewish
prayer before DEATH. and others saying
the psalms. We thought that the end had
come. When all the men were ordered
uIo on the deck we followed because we
We're afraid 10 stay where We could not see.
On the decks We saw men work at the
pumps and felt the vessel was settling.
We strained our eyes through the dark
ness 10 see ships, but there were no ships
Then great lights shot out, and they
said the rocket would bring US help For
five hours we watched them shooting up
and then dropping into tho rough sea
Then in the distance we saw a light
We thought il was another rocket but the