The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-13
ing the scene on the St. Louis while

the rescue was in progress, he said:
Nearly all Of the passengers on the st.
Louis were in bed when the news hastily
spread that wreck had been sighted. Then
we crowded on deck. We could see the
glare of the skyrockets as they burst in
the air and we could hear the shrieks Of the
women on the Veendam. The excitement
on board the St. Louis-that Is, among the
passengers-was intense. We cheered the
rescuers as they pushed off for the Veen-
dam.
1t was perhaps three-quarters of an hour
before the first life boat returned. In 1t we
could see about twenty-five children, all
huddled closely together and crying Justify.
Officer Seagrave was doing his best to quiet
them.
1t was a sight worth seeing the way our
American women administered to the wants
of the poor wretched creatures, who were
hauled on board more dead than alive. The
rescued women, after they had partially re-
covered. began to cry aloud for their chill
dren, and when they found them they cried
for JOY 1t seemed to me that come of the
men sniveled bit about that time.
AS the last boat hove in sight, a glare
burst out. The Veendam fire. The
rescued passengers huddled together set up
wall They had nothing in the world ex-
cept what was on their backs.
Mendel Mandoff and David Devinishke,
two steerage passengers of the Veendam,
both hailing from Koyno Guberna, Russian
Poland. told joint story of what befell the
ill-fated Holland-American liner.
1t was after o'clock Sunday and we were
three days out, that there came a terrible
crash. We did not know what was the mat
ter People sprang from their cots and be-
gan to rush about. They shrieked dread
fully. The ship stopped, and from the rush
ing around we all knew that there must be
some grave trouble. Suddenly one OF the offi-
came into the steerage and ordered all
the men on deck. We obeyed, and were put
to work on the pumps.
The crew of the Veendam were brave fell
lows. Not man would get off 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
God. We have been splendidly treated on
this ship. We have no clothing except what
wearing.
CHA Nytka, who came to this coun-
try with her father from Rushkovalen,
Kalish Guberna, Russia. spoke for the
women who were rescued. She said:
We were all mostly sick when the crash
came But we became suddenly well.
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 of the men
were ordered upon the deck we followed,
because we were afraid to stay where we
could not see. On the deck we saw men at
work at the pumps and we felt the vessel
settling. We strained our eyes through the
darkness to see ships, but there were no
ship In sight.
Then great lights shot out and they said
the rockets would bring us help. FIR five
nGurS we WaJCnGQ tDeIq SUsOjlUS up dHu
then dropping into the rough sea.
Then in the distance saw light. At
first we said it was another rocket, but the
light burned steady ard it grew larger and
then the sailors said il was a ship. The
rockets flew faster and the lights In the dis
tance grew many. Out of the darkness
there shot boat and we were all saved.
Capt. steneer's Version.
Capt. Stenger. of the Veendam, gives
the following version Of the loss Of the
vessel:
The Veendam left Rotterdam Feb. 3, with
a general cargo, cabin, 11S steerage pas
sengers, and So crew, bound for New York.
Had strong northwest gales, and high west
and west northwest seas. Feb. 6, about
5:17 p. M, ships time, being in the latitude
1885 north, longitude 20.01 west the steam
struck submerged wreck, or Wreckage,
which probably tore a hole in the ships bot
tom and broke her propeller shaft.
We found that our ship was making con-
siderable water. We Immediately set all
pumps to work, but, Notwithstanding this,
the water gained on us. In the meantime,
all our boats were made ready, in order, If
necessary, to leave the ship at moments
notice, because she was sinking rap
idly by the stern.
At 1:30 a m, observed the mast head
lights of a large steamer, bearing about east
by south from US. We made signals of dis
treSS, which the vessel bore down on
US. We decided, for the safety of the pas
sengers and crew, to abandon the ship. The
vessel proved to be the ST. Louis, of the
American line, bound from Southampton for
New York. We hailed her. and reported
that our ship was sinking, and that we
wished to be taken off, At ! :43 a. M, we
commenced to transfer passengers and
crew, using three boats of the ST. Louis
and one of ours.
The 118 steerage passengers or the
Veendam were taken to the barge of
flee. OF these, seventy were detained
because Of lack of visible means Of
support.
The captain, officers and crew Of the
Veendam sailed for Rotterdam on the
Sparndaam this afternoon
The Veendam was formerly the
White Star steamer Baltic. She was
built at Belfast, Ireland, by Harland
q Wolff, in 1871. She was four-mast-
ed, barkentine-rigged, screw steamer
She registered 4,036 gross tons, and 9, ,767
net tons, and was 41S feet long, Al feet
beam and 31.9 feet deep.