The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-13
RESCUED IN MID OCEAN
The Steamer Vendam Struck a
Submerged Wreck.
BEGAN SINKING RAPIDLY
Knocked a Big Hole in the Ships Bot
tom-The American Line Steamer,
St. Louis, Rescued the Crew
and Passengers.


line steamer st. Louis, which arrived
to-day from Southampton, reports the
loss at sea of the Holland American
line steamer yendam. Captain steiner,
from Rotterdam to New York. The
passengers and crew were saved by the
ST. Louis.
At quarantine Captain Steiner of the
yendam reported as follows The
yendam left Rotterdam Feb. with
cargo. nine cabin and lis steerage pas
sengers and a crew of IS. for New York
Had strong northwest gales and hlgh
west and west-northWest gales. Feb
at about SIR ships time. being IN
latitude AZ 35 north. longitude POL west,
the steamer struck submerged wreck
or wreckage which tore a hole in the
ships bottom and broke her propeller
shaft We found that our ship was
making considerable water We at
once set all pumps to work, but not
wfthstanding, the water gained on us
In the meantime our boats We're made
ready in order If necessary to leave the
ship, as she was now sinking rapidly
at the stern At 1:3o a. m. we OBJ
served the lights of a larger steamer
bearing about east by south from U.S.
We made signals of distress on which
the vessel bore down on us. We then
decided for the safety of the passen-
gers and crew TO abandon the ship.
The vessel proved to be the st. Louis
of the American line bound for South
ampton for New York. We hailed her
and reported that our ship was sink
ing and that we wished TO be taken
off At 43 a. m. we commenced To
transfer our passengers and crew, us
ing three boats of the ST. Louis and
one of ours. Our men were kept at the
pumps.
by. 44s a. NJ Monday everybody
off n
When the last boat left the Nendam
the boat was laboring very heavily and
sinking rapidly by the stern. The
transfer of the passengers and crew
took, Notwithstanding the great diff
culties and high seas running, three
hours and 10 minutes, and was accom-
plshed without the slightest accident.
AS the wreck was a dangerous OBJ
struction to navigation. we decided to
set her on fire, which was done. The
position of the wreck was then latitude
4a1 north, longitude 1914 west On
board the St. Louis we were warmly
received, and the captain and his Off
GERS did everything possible for our
comfort. We take this opportunity to
express our utmost gratitude, also, in
the name of the passengers of the
Vendam."
The Vendam was formerly the White
Star steamer Baltic. She was built at
She was a four masted barkentine
! rugged screw steamer. She registered
4,e36 gross and was AIS feet long. Al
feet beam and 31.9 feet deep. Captain
steiner. who was in command of the
yendam, has an excellent record and is
comparatively a young man. In Jan
quarry. 1894, while in command of the
Amsterdam, Captain Steiner lost his
first officer and six seamen. who put
off in small boat during terrific
weather to attempt to rescue the crew
of the Atlantic steamer Mary Wells,
which was in sinking condition.
rCaptain Steiner made further efforts
to rescue the crew of the Mary Wells,
and is now in possession of a hand
some gold watch, presented to him by
President Cleveland on behalf of the
American people for his gallant action
on that occasion.
Archer Brown of this city was a
passenger on the ST. Louis. Describing
the scene on the st. Louis while the
rescue was in progress, he said
Nearly all Of the passengers 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 Nendam.
The excitement on board the ST. Louis
that is, among the passengers-was
intense. We ehesred the rescuers as
they pushed off for the Vendam.
ut was perhaps three quarters of
an hour before the first life boat re-
turned. In it We're about % children.
all huddied closely together and crying
Justify. Officer Seagrase was doing his
best to quiet them ii was sight worth
while Our we'll dressed American
women ministered to the wants of the
poor Wretched creatures who We're
hauled on beard more dead than alive.
The rescued women, after they had
partly recovered, began to cry aloud
for their children. and when they found
they they cried for JOY. 1t seemed te
me that some of US men sntveled a bit
about that time.
when the men came aboard we were
more in our element. We gave then
whiskey and IL did them no end oi
good. AS the last boat hove in sight q
glare burst out. The Nendam WAS OF
fire. The rescued passengers huddlee
together and set up a wall. They hat
nothing in the world except what was
on their backs
Mendel Mandorff and David Dexin-
shke, two steerage passengers of the
Vendam, both hailing from KovenJ
Guberna, Russian Poland. told a join
story OF what befell the ilI-fated HoI
Iand-American liner.
1T was after 5 O'clock on Sanda,
and We VERT three days out, that Their,
came a terrible crash We did no
know what was the matter. TIL,
women, for the most part sick. spranl
from their cots and began to rusl
about. They shrieked dreadfully Th,
ship stopped. and from the rushins
around we knew that there must bt
some grave trouble and we began /,
pray to God for his protection. sud
denly one of the officers came int
the steerage and ordered all men oi
deck. We obeyed and were put IL Narl
on the pumps.
The crew were brave fellows No
man would get off until All Of Ii
were safe. When we We're on the 81
Louis and found not a soul was miss