The record-union., 1898-02-13
Her Crew and Passengers Rescued by the
American Liner st. Louis.
The Sinking Vessel Catches Fire
just After the Last Rescue Boat
Had Left the Wreck-Passen-
gers OF Crew Save Nothing Save
the Clothes They Wore.


ton, reports the loss at sea of the Hol-
land-American line steamer Veendam,
Captain Stenger, bound from Rotter-
dam to New York. The passengers and
crew of the vessel were saved by the
st. Louis.
The Veendam left Rotterdam Febru-
ary Sd with nine cabin and 11S steerage
passengers and a crew of eighty-five,
bound for New York The third day
cut the steamer struck a submerged
wreck, tearing a hole in her bottom and
breaking her propeller shaft Notwith-
standing the use Of the pumps, the
Veendam began to sink and the steam
er St Louis, passing, observed the Veen-
dams signals Of distress and rescued
all the passengers and crew.
Archer Brown of this city was a pas
senger on the st. Louis Describing the
scene on the st. Louis while the rescue
was in progress, he said:
Nearly all of the passengers on the
st. Louis We're 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 sky rockets as
they burst in the air. and we could hear
the shrieks of the women on the Veen-
dam. The excitement on board the st.
Loius-that is, among the passengers
was intense. We cheered the rescuers
as they pushed off for the Veendam.
1T was perhaps three-quarters of an
hour before the first hfeboat returned.
In it We're about twenty-five children,
all huddled together and crying Justify.
Officer Seagrave was doing his best to
quiet them.
1T was sight worth seeing, the way
our well-dressed American women min
istered to the wants of the poor wretched
creatures who We're hauled on board
more dead than alive. The rescued wom-
en-, after they had partly recovered, be-
gan 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 it did them no end of good.
LAS the last boat hove in sight glare
burst out. The Veendam was on fire.
The rescued passengers huddled togeth-
er and set up wall. They had moth
ing in the world except what was on
their backs
ishke, two steerage passengers of the
Veendam, both hailing from Koveno
Guberna, Russian Poland, told joint
story Of what befell the Inflated Hol-
land-American liner:
1T was after o'clock Sunday, and
we We're three days out, that there came
terrible crash. We did not know what
was the matter. The women, for the
most part sick, sprang from their cots
and began to rush about. They shrieked
dreadfully. The ship stopped, and from
the rushing around we knew that there
must be some grave trouble, and We
began to pray to 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
cff until all of US were safe. When we
were on the St Louis and found not a
soul was missing, We fell on our knees,
some of us, and thanked our God. We
have been splendidly treated on this
ship. We have no clothing only what
we are wearing"
Chaia Nyitka, who came to this coun-
try With her father from Sushkovalen
Kalish Coerna, Russia, spoke for the
women. who We're rescued
I'VE We're nearly all of US SICK" she
said, when the crash came, but we be-
came suddenly we'll. 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 We're or
dered on deck, we followed, because we
were afraid to stay where we couldn't
ing at the pumps. and felt the vessel
was settling. We strained our eyes
.throuhg the darkness to see ships, but
there We're no ships.
Then great lights shot out, and they
said rockets would bring us help. For
five hours we watched them shooting UP
and then dropping into the rough sea-
Then in the distance we saw light
We thought it was naother rocket, but
the light burned steady, and 1t grew
faster and faster, and the lights in the
distance grew many. In the darkness
there shot boat, and we were saved"
The lis steerage passengers We're all
taken to the barge office OF these sew
enty were detained because of lack of
visible means of support. The Cap
tain, officers and crew of the Veendam
sailed for Rotterdam on the Sparndam
this afternoon.
RIG FIRE AT CTEuETANn