Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-17
ISHE SINKS AT SEA
BIG OCEAN LINER GOES TO THE
BOTTOM.
ALL ON BOARD RESCUED
New York Strikes a Submerged
Wreck Tearing a Big Hole in Her
Bottom-St. Louis Comes Along
Just in Time.

New York, Feb. 13.-The America
line steamer st. LOUIS, Capt. Randle,
which arrived Saturday from South
ampton, reports the loss at sea OF the
Holland American line steamer Veen-
dam, Capt Singer, from Rotterdam
for New York The passengers and
crew of the Veendam were saved by
the st. Louis. The St. Louis with the
Veendam's passengers made her dock
at noon. A great crowd awaited her
arrival Thomas G. Seargraye, the
first officer of the St. Louis. who is
said to be the real hero Of the rescue,
told a modest story. 1T was shortly
after l o'clock Monday morning last, y
he said, when the officers of the st.
Louis noticed signals of distress so
familiar to and yet SO dreaded by sea-
men, Rockets were being fired about
five miles starboard. Orders were at
once given and the st. Louis changed
her course. AS soon as we got close
enough to the Inflated vessel, signals
were run up informing us that the
vessel was in sore distress and that the
passengers and crew desired to be TAX
en- Off The ship in distress had an
| immense hole in her side to aft and
was slowly but steadily settling. A
high rolling sea was running at the
time. A storm had been raging few
hours previously but the sea had
Gained considerably. The captain at
once ordered the life-boats manned
and the work of rescue began. I was
| in command of the first boat lowered.
We were then laying off about quar-
ter of mile from the Veendam- Cap
tain Stenger told me there was no
hope of saving the vessel and asked
the passengers to the st. Louis. The
passengers were lowered from the
ships side by means of dressings.
The excitement aboard the Veendam
was intense. After all the children had
been taken off, the women were trans
ferred to the life-boats. Next came
the men and last of all the ships crew.
Many women were so overcome that
they had to be picked up and dropped
overheard into the arms of the life-bOat
crow. 1t was 5 o'clock when the last
boat pulled up to the side of the ST.
Louis, just three hours and ten minutes
after the first boat left our ship. Cap
tain Stenger was the last to leave,
having set the Veendam on fire. When
the work of rescue was over the ST.
Louis had drifted until she was mile
and a quarter from the Veendam. -
The 118 Storage passengers of the
Veendam were taken to the barge
off &c. Of these, 20 were detained be-
cause of lack of visible means of sup
port.
Capt. Singer of the Veendam re-
ported as follows: "The Veendam left
Rotterdam Feb. with a general cargo,
nine cabin, 11S steerage passengers and
IS crew, bound for New York. Had
strong northwest gales and high west
and west northwest seas. Feb. 6, be-
ing in latitude 1895 N, longitude 2001
W., the steamer struck a submerged
wreck, which tore hole in the ships
bottom and broke her propeller shaft
We Immediately set all pumps at work,
but Notwithstanding this the water
gained on us. AS the wreck was a
dangerous obstruction to navigation,
we decided to set her on fire, which
was done"
The Veendam was formerly the
White Star steamer Baltic She was
built at Belfast, Ireland, by Harlan &
Wolff, in 1871. She was four
barketine rugged, screw steamer. She
registered 4036 gross tons and 2,767
net tons. and was 41S feet long, Al feet
beam and 31.9 feet deep.