The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-28
Three Days Fire Aboard the British
Ship Legislator.
FIVE OF CREW persisted
TWO ADRIFT AT THE MERCY OF
THE WAVES.
Suffering of Survivors Adds Thrill
ing Page to the History of Msr-
chant Marine-Explosion of Per-
cussion Caps Increased the Horror
Rescue of Survivors.

Boston, Feb. 27.-The British steamer
Legislator, Captain Tenant, bound
from Liverpool for Colon. was burned
at sea Feb. 16. in latitude 31.2S north and
longitude 44.1Ow The fire broke out
on Feb. IS and burned fiercely for three
days, during which time Fireman
Thomas Roberts was burned to death,
Second Officer James Bateman and Sea-
man William Angel were drowned Dy
the capsiZing of a boat, Third OIhcer
Martin and Chief Steward John Can
ney went adrift in another boat, ana
Chief Cook Fred Z. Lee, crazed with
fearful burns, jumped overheard. The
rest of the crew of 30 men, with TWO
passengers, DR.. Mortimer and wire OF
London, were rescued by the fruit
steamer F1owergate and brought TO this
port, arriving here today. Four OF the
crew-Chief Engineer John Troughear,
Second Engineer John Holden, Fourth
Engineer Robert Min and Seaman
Charles Ibblitson-were so severely
injured that they were taken to the
marine hospital upon arriving at this
port. Holden is not expected to live.
FEARFUL TALE.
The suffering of those who survived
the fearful three days. in. which they
were tossed about by the waves, while
explosion after explosion threatened to
send the fire-eaten steamer TO the bot
tom, makes a tale seldom equalled in.
the annals of the merchant marine. The
Legislator left Liverpool on Feb 5, with
a miscellaneous cargo, including phOs-
phate, cotton goods and percussion caps
for Colon and Central American ports.
At 4 O'Clock on the morning of the 18th,
without warning, an explosion toook
place from hatchway forward of mid
ships, followed by a tremendous out
burst of smoke and flames. The fire.
men and engineers but one came turn-
bling on deck, some of them more or
less burned. The missing man was
Thomas Roberts. and il was not until
two days after that his charred body
was recovered, during lull in the fire.
The crew were badly handicapped in
fighting the fire, as The hose and pump
ing engine were disabled or consumed
CUT OFF BY FIRE.
The FIRE. spread sa rapidly that the
forward pert of the boat on, zehich.
were seven men, was cut of, and Cap
tain Tenant asked for volunteers to
rescue the remainder of the crew Sec
ond Officer Bateman and Seaman An
CELL ct once offered to row along the
side of the ship and bring the men aft.
One of the boats was launched with
difficulty, as there was a heavy sea
running, and by careful work managed
to reach the almost doomed men. All
were finally taken on board and the
boat dropped astern. but before the
nine men could be pulled on the after
deck a tremendous sea cupsized the
small boat and every man was thrown
into the water After their heroic work
Bateman and Angel were the only ones
who were not rescued
In the meantime, through some con-
fusion, another boat had been launched,
and in it was Third Officer Martin and
Chief Steward John Gaffney.- Another
big sea swept them away. They have
not been seen since.
The fighting of the flames still con-
tinued, and as the fire reached the
boxes of percussion caps there were al
most constant explosions. During one
of these Fred e. Lee. the chief cook,
was so severely burned that he jumped
overheard and could not be saved.
At o'clock in the morning of the
18th the steamer Flowergate, from Pa Z
lermo, Italy, hove in sight.
RESCUED SURVIVORS.
Two boats were Immediately lowered I
from the Flowergate. and after three /
hours all on board the burning vessel .
were safely transferred. Captain Ten
nant being the last to leave. Some of
lile crew SdNeu d part Oh their clothing,
but a majority of those on board lost
everything. The rescue vas none too
soon. for as the F'lOwergate started her
engines the fire was seen bursting from
the after deck of the Legislator. and
the steamer was probably entirely con-
sumed not many hours after.
The Legislator was a steamer-of 1S99
tons net register 1897 gross tons. Her
were: Length, $50 feet;
breadth. 40 feet l inch; depth, 20 feet :
inches.