The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-13
RESCUED IN MID OCEAN.
Gallant Rescue of the Passengers
and Crew Of the veendam.
HEAVY GALES WERE ENCOUNTERED.
Two Hundred and Twelve Trims
fcrrcd In Three Hours In Heavy
Seas-Abnndoncdv Vessel burned.

New York, February 12.-The American
line steamer ST. Louis, Captain Rabdele,
which arrived today from Southampton,
reports the loss at sea of the Holland
American line steamer Veendam, Captain
Stenger, from Rotterdam for New York.
The passengers and the crew OF the Veen-
dam were saved by the ST. Louis.
AT quarantine Captain Stenger of the
Veendam reported as follows;
The veendam left Rotterdam February
8 with full cargo, nine cabin, lis steer
age passengers and eighty-ive crew, bound
for New York. Had strong northwest gales
and high west and west-noithwest seas.
February g. at 5;17 p. M, ships time, be-
ing Ia latitude 80 north, longitude 20.V1
west the steamer struck submerged
wreck or wreckage, which probably tore
a hole In the ships bottom and broke her
| propeller snaft. We found that our snip
was making considerable water We iin-
mediateiy set all pumps to work, but Il ~
withstanding this the water gained ON US.
| In The meantime all our boats We're made
ready in order, If necessary, TO leave the
snip at a moments notice, because she
was now sinking rapidly by the stern. AT
$50 o. M, we observed the masthead lights
of q large steamer bearing about east BY
south from us. We made signs 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 70
| American line, bound from Southampton
| for New York. We hailed her ald reported
| that our ship was sinking and that we
wished TO be taken off. AT i:l3 A. III. We
| commenced to transfer our passengers ard
| usipn thraa h1pts Of the I,OMiS
| and one OF ours. Our men were kept at the
pumps.
| at 453 a. m. Monday morning every
| body had been transferred to the ST. Louis.
When the last boat left the Veendam was
laborlng very heavily and sinking rapidly
by the stern. The transfer of the passen-
gers and crew took, Notwithstanding the
great difficulties and high seas running,
three hours and ten minutes and was ac-
complished without the slightest accident.
"As the wreck was a dangerous obstruc-
tion to navigation we decided to set her on
fire, which was done. The position of the
wreck was then latitude 1919 north, longi-
tude 20O5 west. We were warmly received
on board the st. Louis and the officers did
everything possible for our comfort. We
take this opportunity to express our utmost
gratitude also in the name of the passen-
gers of the Veendam."
The captain of the st. Louis made the
following statement:
The st. Louis left Southampton Febru- |
airy s. at 1924 a. M, with 22l cabin and
1873 steerage passengers She experienced |
west and northwest winds and heavy seas
until the morning of the eth, when at 1927 |!
she sighted a steamer bearing west-south- |
west, seven miles distant. sending up dis
tress rockets. The ST. Louis bore down and |
stopped near at 1:4S a. m. The captain re-
ported her to be the steamer Veendam of |
the Holland American line, from Rotter-
dam TO New York, in a sinking condition. |
The captain asked to be taken off. as the |
Veendam was sinking rapidly. We i'm
mediately responded to his wishes by send I
ing three of our life boats to their as iist
ance. In three hours and ten minutes. or /,
at 453. they had succeeded in Transferring
all the passengers and crew. 2l2 in all
safely on board on the ST. Louis without
the slightest accident. Our boats were
damaged by the heavy seas. At
4 % we proceeded on our course. leaving
the Veendam sinking low in the sea aft and
cast her boats adrift near her. We dis
tributed the passengers and crew amongst
our own and made them as comfortable as
possible The position of the Neendam was
latitude 4a.l9 north, longitude 10 A west
We take pleasure in saying that Captain
Stenger and his officers maintained perfect
discipline on their ship and very ably as
sisted MS in disemharking the passengers
The passengers Of the ST. Louis passed
resolutions commencing the gallant serv-
ices and splendid seamarshp displayed by {
the officers and crew of the st. Louis in tn, {
rescue of the Veendam's passengers and
crew.
The Veendam was formerly the White |
Star steamer Baltic. She was built at Bal I
last. Ireland, by Harland & Wolf. in 1876. I
she WIS a four masted barkenline iyged g
screw steamer; registered 1886 gross and
1857 net tons, and was rs feet long, Al c
eet beam and Sl,a feet deep. i
The st. Louis was very slow in making I
he dock owing to the dense fog today. 4 a
'reat crowd awaited her arrival When at !,
'oon the American liner was finally moored s.
'homas b. Seagrave, first officer of the Ii
i. Louis, who commanded the first boat
hat went TO the rescue and who. accord D
ne to all accounts is the real hero of the ~
escue. told a modest story of the occur W
ence. He said:
1t was shortly after O'Clock MONDAY tv
Forming last that the officers on board the .,
I. Louis noticed the signals Of distress.
ne rockets were being fred about hve 6,
'iies TO The starboard of us, Grac.s were al
once gwen and the 81. Lous promptly w
hanged her course fin
as soon rs We got close enough 10 the sh
-lated vessel Signals IRE ran up tell,us IN
tN'.t the Vessel was IN sac distress a MI
az Inc passengers AID cr@N desired 10 20 to
ken OIL with the ana VI ,.iaases we dis dc
ftfeu mat the snip ~ distress nti an 10
iinense Gole IN nvt ,ie 20 INC nit, and We
rs SLOWLY but steadily setting a high wo
uIng sea MAS ruan.n.s at Ire tinir. Our we
pia'n ordered the .ife lo4ts manned ard no
work OF restuc b9gan. WIS given COM an
ana OF the iiist uclt lowered We 1.rye IN
en- lying about GDafter If mite non ms
Neendam. AS oar lis3 loa.s drew 2
arer We could plaialy hons tao ,liss Of dan
itless rlom the .righ tned rassergfrs the
s0on as We got cloi, by CAPTAIN ste.r,, lac
q me there was 10 hope OF Sing the TIL
'sel and all haste should 20 male in dai
nsierring the pass ayers To- ne 81 daI
us The first 10 ae ,akeA ir5Jn The
endam Was 6-;nan,as-oi hahy. 20
ing this asot; twenty more c,iiltlrsn
re lowered into GU haats AZ son a, lin
s was done lushcl III ana MATS