The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-15
SURVIVORS OF LONDONIAN
EIGHT THAT WERE GIVEN UP AS
 LOST IRE SAVED.

Picked Up in nIid-Ocean by the North German Lloyd Steamship Maria Rick mers Nothing to Eat but Few Bis- cults Soaked With Salt Water-A Greater Faith in the Inscrutab1e Ways of Providence.
 Baltimore, Dec. 14.-Eight additional survivors of the crew of the lost steam ship Londonan were brought into this port to-day by the North German Lloyd steamship Maria Richmers. They are Captain E. B. Lee, Third Officer Jo- seph Cottier, Boatswain T. Behm, Quartermaster F. Carlsen, Seamen J. M. Webb and w. Carness, Second Steward D. Dardell and Second Cook w. Martin. These, with forty-five pre- viously rescued by the Johnston line steamer Vedamore, complete the list of survivors, eighteen having been lost in an attempt to leave the disabled ship ! in one of her boats.
 The Londonian left Boston on No- vember 16, loaded with general mer- chandise and carrying five hundred cat- tie bound for London. How she became helpless through an acident to her steering gear and widowed in the trough of the sea from November 22 to November 25, how she was sighted by the Vedamore, which lay alongside for three days and how, before the rescue Eof the crew the two steamers became 1 separated in the darkness has already been tld On November |29 the Londonian 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 Londonians' life boats with oars in it was sighted but nothing else was there to indicate what might have been the fate of It's occu- pants.
 | A week has elapsed since the arrival of the Vedamcre and during the interim but little hope has been felt that any of those who remained on board the Londonian when she and the Vedamore | from again. That another chapter of this tale is to be told seems miracu- lous.
 The thread of the narrative is again 1 taken up on the night of November 2S. just before midnight, in Lat. 45.46N.,,a Long. 1522W. when the Rickmers, bound from Bremen, whence she had departed four days previous, for Balti- I l.. l f1are-llght upon her bride. Captain Paul i Grosch, of the German liner altered the course of his vessel and in the moon- light made out large steamer with such list to starboard 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, together with a fresh east wind, making it difficult to launch a boat, but without an instants hesitation the at- tempt was made and Second Mate Lenz 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 ascertained to be that of the Lon- donian. Finally as last resort the res- cuers got in close to the stern of the disabled craft and shouted to those on board, all of whom were huddled on the bridge, to make their way aft and throw them line. This being compiled with the shipwrecked sailors were in- structed 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 ilife-boat
 When the rescuers and rescued near- ed the Rickmers it was found impossi- be to bring the boat alongside and one after another of the little craft were hauled aboard by life lines and the life- boat set adrift. The Rickmers resumed her course and to-day brought to this city Captain Lee and his seven ship mates, none of whom had ever expected to reach land after losing sign of the | Vedamore. Captain Lee, as he sat in the cabin of his rescuer, showed plainly effects of the anxiety and hardships he had undergone. His face was thin and careworn and marked with deeper lines than would be ordinarily imprinted by the fifty years through which he has lived. The captain said:
 Everything in the shape of provis-
 ions and almost all the fresh water were in the hold under water and we were unable to reach them. We tl1ere- fore had nothing to eat except few sea biscuits, soaked in salt water, and by the time the Vedamoce left us there was but little fresh water aboard. All day Monday we looked in vain for a sail and when night came we were reasonably certain that we would nev-
 CT see another sunrise. The ship was
 slowly sinking and we felt that any
 hour might see her take her final plunge. Our food was almost gone and
 there was not enough water in our casks to last us twelve hours longer. We had had but little sleep and hardly fdared to hope. Nothing but the des-
 peration that comes to men in their
 last hours gave us courage to make
 another effort and to show light that
 we scarcely expected that anyone
 would see. That it was seen and that
 we would be taken off gives me more
 faith in the inscrutable ways of Prov
 idence.''
 Confirmed by Senate.
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