Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-15
MORE SURVIVORS
OF Steamer Londonian Landed
At Baltimore.
Crew Of German Steamer Maria Rick
mers Calamity Rescue Eight.
Capt. Lees Story Of the Narrowing Scsdes
Through Which He Passed.

Baltimore, Nd, Dec. flight adj
ditional survivors of the lost steamship
Londonian were brought into this port,
tonight by the North German Lloyd
steamship Maria Rickmers. They are
Capt f. B. Lee, Third Officer Joseph
Cottier, Boatswain T. Benin, Quarter
master F. Carlson. able seamen J.
Webb and w. Carness, Second Stew
ard d. Darnell and Second Cook w
Martin. These, with As previously res
cued, by the Johnson line steamer
Vendamore, complete the hist Of sur
vivors, Is having been lost in an at
tempt to leave the disabled ship in one
of her small boats. OF the lost two
were cattlemen ana the balance were
members 70 the crew. The cattlemen
who were lost were Daniel Coventry of
Boston, and Thomas Mccoy of Wor-
cester, Mass, and those of the crew
who met the same fate were Chief
Officer Murray, Chief Engineer Stat
ford, Third Engineer VIM. Slater,
Carpenter Weigmann. Chef Steward
Henry Nichols. Mess Room Steward
Harry Waterman Fireman E. Ashe-
sen, Hendricksen, Crowley, Williams,
Hennessy and Howard, and a man
whose name is unknown.
The Londonian left Boston on Nov.
16, loaded with general merchandise
and carrying 500 cattle bound for Lon
don. How she became helpless
through an accident toy her steering
gear and walowed in the trough OF
the sea from Nov. - to Nov 25. how
she WAS sighted by the Nendamorc,
which lay alongside for three days
and after heroic efforts succeeded in
taking off 40 of those on board and
how, before the rescue of the balance
could be accomplished the two steam
ers became separated in the darkness
and finall ylost sight of one another,
has already been told. On Nov. 30 the
Londenian was again sighted by the
British steamer King Arthur and a
close inspection of the wreck showed
no signs of life. A few days later one
of the ondonians life boats with oars
in it was sighted but nothing else was
there to indicate What might have
been the fate of its occupants.
a week has elapsed since the arrival
of the Vedamore and during the inte-
rim but little hope has been felt that
any of those who remained on board
the Londonian when she and the Veda-
more painted company would ever be
heard from again.
ON the night of Monday. Nov 2S, just
before midnight, in latitude 45.46 north,
longitude 1922 west, when the Rick
had departed four days previous, for
Baltimore, sighted a steamer burning
harelight upon her bridge. Capt.
Paul Grosch. altered the course of his
vessel and in the moonlight. made out
large steamer With such a list to
STANDARD as almost to throw her on
her beam ends. A hail from him and
an answering shout from the wreck
Showed that there was life aboard. A
heavy swell prevailed at the time. to-
gether with fresh east wind. making
ut difficult to launch boat, but with
out an instant's hesitation. the attempt
was made and Second Mate LEM, of
the RickmerS, together with six men.
put off to the rescue. For more than
three hours futile attempts were made
to reach the wreck, which by this time
was aseertained to be that of the Lon
DOMAIN. Finally as a last resort. the
rescuers got in close to the stern of the
craft and shouted to those on
board, all of whom We're huddled on
the bridge to make their way aft and
throw them line. This being COM
piled with the slripwrecked sailors Were
instructed to make the line fast about
their bodies and throw themselves into
the water. One after another they
obeyed and were thus drawn aboard
the lifeboat
When the rescuars and the rescued
reached the side of the Riekmers it was
found that the sea was still so high as
to make ut impossible to bring the
boats alongside and one after another
of the occupants of the little craft Were
hauled aboard with lines and the life
boat set adrift. The wreck of the Lon
DOMAIN drifted away fn the darkness
and those who had been on board OF
her have little doubt that she ultimate
ly sank. The Rickmers resumed her
course and, tonight, brought to this
city Capt. Lee and his seven shipmatas,
none of whom ever expected to reach
land after losing sight of the Veda
more.
Capt Lee, as he sat in the cabin after
his resue. showed plainly the effects of
the anxiety and hardships he had under
gone. His face was thin and careworn
and marked with deeper lines than would
be ordinarily imprinted by the 80 years
through which he has lived. He told III
a simple, matter-of-fact way, peculiar TO
those who follow the sea for livelihood.
the story of his experience since leaving
Boston. a little less than month ago.
He said:
"Our voyage was uneventful until about
noon on Wednesday, the 22d ult.. when
our steering gear became disabled. An
showed that a small piece
Of cotton waste had in some manner be-
come entangled in the gearing A heavy
gale was blowing. and being unable 10 !.
Keep the vessels head to the wind. sac
listed heavily. sending the cattle on the
ieck and in-the hold TO the starnoa.l
side and throwing the vessel almost on
.er beam ends You have heard from
hose who came ashore on the Vedamore
The story of what took place from that
time until Sunday afternoon We had
made repeated attempts To launch 4 seq
md boat without success. but finally, IA
r. NJ on that day, We got one over the
side with % men in it. under the COM
nand of Chief Officer Murray. She had !
md II of those who We're Iii the boat Were ;
.ithcr drowned or dashed against the
;ises of the LondOnian and killed
.Eoafswain Benin. Quartermaster Carl +
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