New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-09
ALMOST TURNED TURTLE.


The Londonan was bound from Boston to
London with a large general cargo and $50
cattle She left Boston November -. and on
November % in a violent gale. her cargo was
shifted and she almost capsized. finally resting
on her beam ends. with big seas breaking over
her.
Her luckless crew were helpless 20 right ner'
and for two days she drfted about at the mercy
OF wind and wave Assistance came at , o'clock
on the morning Of November % when the
Vedamore hove in sight five miles distant. AS
It was still quite dark. the Londonian burned
signal fires and sent up rockets.
The signals were seen by the officer on the
vedamores bridge Captain Bartlett gave i'm
mediate orders that the Vedamore's course be
changed The Londonan was then to the
southwark Of the Johnston liner. II did not
take the Vedamore long 10 cover the five miles
that lay between the ships. and as soon as she
arrived alongside the Londonian she was Sig
nailed to stand by.
DO YOU wish 10 abandon the ship" was sig
nailed from the Vedamore as soon as daylight
would permit her signals being seen. and Cap
tain Lee OF the Londonian signalled back that
ne wanted the Vedamore to tow his ship Cap
tain Bartlett saw at glance that this was an
impossbity, and refused 70 attempt IT, as IL
would have endangered his own vessel Captain
Lee then signalled asking that the vedamore
stand by to render assistance. Soon afterward
he signaed "Will abandon ship"
GALLANT VOLUNTEERS
At noon in the teeth Of a stin gale. Second
Officer Hobbs and a volunteer crew gallantly
launched one Of the Vedamores boats and az
tempted to reach the sinking Londonian For
three hours the sturdy oarsmen battled with
wind and wave in vain attempt to reach the
Londonian. and they were finally forced to re-
turn 70 their ship.
Captain Bartlett then steamed to windward
Of the doomed steamer and tr:ed TO fire TO the
wreck rockets with lines attached. After a
number of vain attempts this idea was aban-
doned and as night came several other ef-
forts 10 rescue the LondOnans crew were made
fruitessly.
As It grew too dark TO do anything more. Cap
tain Bartlett signalled "Will stand by you un-
I'll morning" The piteous signal, For Gods
sake. don't leave U.S." came back in reply. Dur
ing the night the wind increased. and by morn
ing it was blowing very hard.
SOME RESCUED AT LAST.
Then Il was that another means OF rescue was
decided upon. For hours febuoys with lines
attached we're foated toward the Londonian.
and at last her crew succeeded in getting one
aboard A heavier line was stretched between
the two vessels, and one OF the Vedamore's life
boats was improyised a lifecar TO be hauled
between the two ships. II made trip sue
csssfuly, and twenty-five haf-frozen exhausted
men were hauled up over the high side OF the
Vedamore and provided with every comfort
the ship afforded AS the boat was going back
10 the Londonlan a big broke over 1t and
capszed IT, Another demolished il. The lines
were also carried away. and the communication
was broken
Chief officer Doran. Of the Vedamore. then
stepped up to Captain Bartlett and volunteered
70 launch another ifeboat to attempt the res
cue Another set Of brave seamen dropped down
into her as she touched the water. and she
bounded away on the crest OF big wave like
racehorse The seas were by this time terrific.
apd that the boat lived five minutes is a miracle.
1t was only owing to the splendid manner in
which she was handled that she weathered II
out For two hours the boats crew struggled at
the oars but could not get closer than sixty
yards TO the wreck. They were at last forced
to give up and return TO their snip and IN
doing so the boat smashed against the ships
side and lost. The men came near drown
ing, but We're hauled aboard with lines.
ANOTHER BoATI.oAD SAFE
Another night OF fear ard peril passed. The
next morning twenty-three OF the men OF the
Londonian succeeded in launching one OF their
own boats and reached the Vedamore in safety.
Their boat was also lost. and all that day was
spent In trying TO establish communication again
with the wreck. The gale was Constantly In
creasng. and all efforts 10 save others were In
vain.
Even after the third night had fallen the
Vodamore kept cruising about In the vicinity.
hut when day broke next morning the Lon
DOMAIN had vanished. The Nedamore theh pro-
Ceeded 10 Baltimore. -.
The wrecked steamer was first sighted IN iati-
tude 1870: longitude. 1910. on November -
tho dav after the Vedamore lost sight or her,
Tho steamship King Arthur passed her IN lat.-
tude A. longitude Is. She Was then abandoned.
and ali her boats were gone. II Is supposed
that the remainder OF her crew Attempted 10
leave her in their own boats and perished.
The Londonian fine steel vessel. ouit
a, Glasgow In 1896 and registered j.332 tons
gross She belonged 10 the Wilson Furness-
Ievland Line. Her original name was Idaho,
which was changed 10 the present name about
q wear ago.