The age-herald., 1898-02-13

noon the American liner was nnEifiy moored, Thomas B. Seagrave, first officer of the St. Louis, who commanded the first boat that was lowered and who, according to all accounts, is the real hero of the rescue, told modest story of the occur renee. He said:
 In Sore Distress
 "As soon as we got close enough to the iE-fated vessel signals were run up that the vessel was in sore difress. With the aid of glasses we discovered that the ship in distress had, a hole in her side to the aft and was slcIwly but steadily settling. A high rolling. sea was running at the time. Our captain ordered the life boats manned and the work of rescue began was given command of the first boat low cred We were then lying off about a quar- ter of mile from the Veendam. As our lifeboats drew nearer we could plainly hear the cries of distress from the frightened passengers. As soon as we got close by Captain Stenger tod me there was no hope of saving the vessel and that all haste should be made in transferring the passen- gers to the St. Louis.
 "The first to be taken from the Veen- dam was a 6-months-old babe. Following this about twenty more children were low cred into our boats. As soon as this was done we pushed off and made back to the St. Louis where the youngsters were taken on board.
 ''The Veendam was laboring in a heavy sea and the rescue was difficult. The pas sengers were lowered from tine ships by means of life sings. The excitement on board the Veenham was intense. After all the children had been taken from the Veendam the women were transferred to the life boats Next came the men and last of all the ships crew Many of the women were so overcome that they hau 10 pc picked up and dropped overheard into the arms of the lifeboat crew. Captain Stenger be 9yed like a hero.
 ssJ,be second boat to be lowered from the St. Louis was commanded by George Beck with. senior second officer. No sooner had ta,is boat settled into the sea than an inn mens,e swell washed it against the ship side and crushed It. Another boat was low cred and into this Beckwith and his crew were transferred. This boat took eighteen women from the Veendam."
 Archer Brown, of this city, was pas senger on the St. Louis. Describing the scene on the St. Louis while the rescue was in progress, he said:
 Story of Passenger.
 "Nearly all the passengers Of the St. Louis were in bed when the news QUICKLY spread that a wreck had been sighted. Then we crowded on deck. We could see the glare of the skyrockets as they burst in the air and hear the shrieks of the wo- men, The excitement on board the St. Louis among the passengers was intense. :. s"It was perhaps three-quarters of an hour before the first. lifeboat returned from the Veendam. It carried about twenty-fiye children huddled closely to- gether.
 Tt was sight worth seeing how our we'll dressed American women ministered to the wants of the poor, wretched crea- lures who were hauled on board more dead than alive. The rescued women, after they had partly recovered. began to cry for their children, and when they found tbem they cried for joy. 1t seemed to me that some of us men sniveled bit about that time.
 '.As the last boat hove in sight a glare burst out. The Veendam was on fire. The rescued passengers huddled together and set up wall. They had nothing in the world except what was on their backs
 The 11S steerage passengers of the Veen- dam were taken to the barge office. Sev- enty of these were detained for lack of wis., ible means of support. The captain, of iicers and crew of the Veendam sailed for Rotterdam on the Sparndam this after