The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-28
The Legislator Destroyed
ia Mld-0Ctan.
ARRIVAL OF RESCUERS.
Four Lives Were Lost aud Two OF
The Crew Went Adrlt.
GOOD WORK BY FLOWEaGATE.

Boston. Feb 2S.-The British steamer
Legislator. Captain Tenant bound
from Liverpool for Colon. was burned at
sea Feb. 16 The Ere broke out on
Feb. IS and burned Gercely for three
named Thomas Roberts was burned TO
death the second ofIiSer, James Bate
man, and a seaman. William Angel,
were drowned by the capsizing of a boat.
Third officer Martin and Chief Steward
John Gaffney went adrift In another
boat, and Chief Cook Fred e. Lee, being
crazed with fearful burns, Jumped over
board. The rest of the crew of 30 men
with two passengers, DR.. William IL.
Mortimer and wife of London. were res
cued 5y the fruit steamer -Flowergate
and brought to this port. arriving sun
day morning Four of the crew. Chief
Engineer John Traughear, Second En-
gineer John Holden. Fourth Engineer
Rotcrt Min and Seaman Charles Ibbit-
son, were so severely injured that they
were taken co the marine hospital at
this port. Holden is not expected To
live.
The suffering of those who survived
were tossed about by the waves while
explosion after explosion threatened at
any moment to send the fire-eaten
steamer To the bottom makes tale sell
dom equalled in the annals of the mer-
chant marine. The Legislator left
Liverpool Feb. with a miscellaneous
cargo. including phosphate cotton goods
and percussion caps, for Colon and Cen
Al A.s,A ,Atf... 20 NJ
the ordinary occurred until o'clock on
the morning OF the 18th inst, when
an explosion took place from a hatch
way forward OF amidShips, followed by
q tremendous outburst of smoke and
flames. All the firemen and engineers
but one came tumblng on deck. some OF
them more or less burned. The missing
man proved to be Thomas Roberts, and
II was not until two days afterwards
that his charred body was recovered
during a lull i'm the fire.
The crew was badly Handicapped in
fighting the fire, as the hose and pump
ing engine were disabled or consumed.
Nevertheless. the fire was kept from
spreading for three days through the
most persistent work. soon after the
fire started II spread so rapidly that the
forward part of the boat on which were
seven men was cut off, and Captain
Tenant asked for volunteers TO rescue
the balance of the crew. Second officer
Batemaa 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 heavy sea running, and 10y
careful work managed to reach the al
most doomed men. An were finally
taken on board. and the boat dropped
astern, but before the nine men could
be pulled on the after deck. tremend-
ous sea capszed the small boat. and
every man was thrown into the water
sad as Il seems after their heroic work.
Bateman and Angel were the only ones
Who were not rescued. In the meantime
through some confusion another Boat
had been launched, and in it were Third
officer Martin and Chief Steward John
CARNEY Another biz sea swcpt them
away and they have not boon seen since.
The fighting OF the flames continued.
and as The Gre reached The boxes of per-
cussion caps there wcrc almost constant
explosions gn one oI these Fred -
lee. thC chicf cook uas $50 severely
burned that he jumped overheard and |
could NOT Dee saved.
Al O'Clock on tle morning Of IN,
loth thc FlOwergs bound d, thfs port
from Palermo. Itak lule In sisbt Two |
boats were immedluI.'r lowered from
tile I"WergatrsSpd ulier three hours aIl
OF thos, on board tIa burninr ,rssoi |
were surely transferred. Captain Ten
mont .henE the last to leave some OF
i"e cfe" aved iu't 'f their clothing |
hut majority of Those 0n board lost |
eFeryihinr The rescue was none too
soon iol o. The Flovefg7tc started her
ensines' thc Gre was seen bursting from |
inc aiter decks of the Legislator. and |
the steamer was probably entirely con. |