The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-14
FIVE HOURS or AGONY;
.,.,m,h,p vs.ndam straeh wrtekars tn
w,d. Ocean Steamer ST. rani ns'eaes
~, a,a Persons on Bosr,i--ssms Affect

Ei,amshlp Nffn"e" o'h"s> ''sH''-'>>S -
ma. ,sn-stsan,er st. raui Hs'eaes
~. ~, pst,oni on Bosrd-ssms Affect.
ips SEEMS
new YORK. Feb. 1.-THE Holland.
m,,lcnn line steamer, Yeendam. bound
~, po,,erdam 10 New York, struck a
,,,Sm,rced wreck or wreckhBe which
.,o.c her propeller shaft md stove a
,aI, into her bottom. The crew and
,,g.as,rs were nil rcscued.
r,otaln stengcr reported that the
r,.rdam le,t Rotterdam February ).
IN a general cargo. nine cabin ono
,nnsred and eighteen steerago passen-.
1,u and elghly-ive crew, bounu TOT
S,, York and that on February at
.sout SIT p. m, ships time, In latitude
,ss0 north, longitude 2O,0l west, as
,,,tlt Of the accident above mentions
~ hs found his ship was making con-
.Gsrable water. He Immediately set
~ nnmps 10 work, but the water gain
~ In the meantime all the boatI
Wv, made ready. At 1850 q. m. the
s,,,bsnd lights of large steamer.
,.,rinr nbout east by south were sight
u signals OF distress were made and
~. vessel tore down on, them, 1t was
S,n decided for the safety OF the pas
'.,r,rS and crew, 10 abandon the ship.
~. Vessel moved to be the 81. Louis.of
~ American line. bound from South
",rn,on 70, New York. She was hailed,
nd AZ l:I3 a, IN. the transfer OF pas
s,,rsrs and crew was begun, three
tn,is OF the 81. Louis and one OF the
yeepdlm being used,
At $50 o. m. Monday morning every
hody had been transferred TO the st.
Inuls. and when the last boat left the
T..ndam, she was laboring heavily and
sinking rapidly by the stern. The trans
f,r Of the passengers and crew took, not
rith,,anding the great difficulties and
hIrh seas running. only three hours and
ION minutes and was accomplished
without the slightest accident.
As the wreck waB u dangerous OBJ
s,ructon to navigation II was decided
IN set her on fire, which was done. The
po,,,lon OF the wreck was then latitude
iSls north. longitude 19.41 west.
On board the st. Louis all were
warmly received and the captain and
nj. officers did everything possible for
The comfort Of the wrecked ones.
The captain OF the St. Louis corrobor-
a,es this entirely, and expresses his
pleasure at the discipline maintained
BY Captain Stenger and his officers.
The St. Louis was slow In making
her dock to-day, owing TO the dense fog
which oyerhung the river. A great
crowd awaited her arrival, When at
uooa she was finally moored. Thomas
B. Seasrave, first officer OF the ST.
Louis, who commanded the first boat
that was lowered. talking Of the rescue
said: AS our llfcboats drew near to the
veepdam we could plainly hear the
cries Of distress from the shiverIng and
frightened passengers. The first to be
taken from the sinking steamer was
s,x.nonths. old baby. Following this
about twenty more children, ranging In
age from the swaddling clothes period
TO ten and twelve years, were lowered
TO our boat We then made back to the
s. Louis, where the youngsters were
taken on board. The excitement on
board the Veendam was intense Many
Of the women were SO overcome that
they had to be picked, up and dropped
overheard into the arms Of the lifeboat
crew. Captain Stenger behaved like
hero.
The second boat to be lowered from
tee St. Louis was commanded By
George Beckwith, senior second officer.
No sooner had this boat settled into the
sea than an immense swell smashed
Il against the ships side and crushed
f. Another boat was quickly lowered,
and into this Officer Beckwith and his
e.sx were transferred. This boat took
eighteen women from the Veendam.
Henry Campbell. second officer OF the.
s.. Louis. commanded the third boat,
Sh!ch took eighteen passengers. By the
time the third boat had pushed of from,
the Veendam had again arrived with
ny boat. and In the meantime two OF
tie Veendam's life boats had been low
| t.et, manned by the first and second
officers OF the Veendam. The second
boat toundsred before any passengers
had been taken aboard. The crew, how
ever, was quickly rescued.
1T was 1853 4. m. when the last boat
pulled up TO the side OF the St. Louis.
Ny boat made four trips and transfer
rid ninety passengers; Beckwith's made
tHo. and transferred thirty-si1 passea-
ee7s: Campbell's made two, and also
transferred thlrty-six passengers.
The last man to leave the Veendam
was Captain Stenger. had to call
MIN several times before he swung him.
sell over the side and left the ship to
her fate. :. ~
Aside from the women and children,
most OF the passengers OF! the Veen-
Cam oehaTed hero!cally. The passen-
gers were drenched to tae skin, though
We protected them as much as possible
with ollsSins and tarpaulIns. When,
tae work OF rescue was over, the St.
LOUIS had dristed until she was mile
ahu quarter from all that remained
aoo'e water Of the Veendam."
ms Is the second rescue In which Mr..
eessfafe mas played prominent part.
Neaer Brown. OF this city, passen-
set Cd the st. Louis. describing the
said: g - % 80 S'7'
Nearly oil the passengers on the st.
A1uis were In bed when the news
s I.saiy spread that a wreck had been
~: linen We crowded on deck.
e cou!a see the glare OF the sky-rock-
e e's as taey burs, in the air. and we
~, ,outu near the shrieks OF the women on
.he seendam. The excitement on board
zee 81. Louls-that is. among the pas
seaseis-"as Intense We cheered the
W ,sscleFs as they pushed OF for the
bon 1T was perhaps three-quarte-s OF NJ
In oe'o7e he first lifebont returned.
III u We CnuI1 coa , $50, .,,a,..,F g.
eni:afen, all huddled closely together
t tna eFsing lustily,with Officer Seagrave
-V .r. MS best 10 quiet them. f.
MN wa. vas memorable sight to see our
,.s.,afessed American women minister
e ~ we wants OF the poor, wretched
r,o oa'uIes who were hauled on board
r.H.e aead than alive. The rescued
.r "'1eh, after'they had partially recov,
d, 49, oesaa to cry aloud for their chill
cria I; ana when they found them they.
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