The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-09
LOST ON LONDONIAN.
Tventy.three Officers and Men Went
Down With Ship.
FORTY.FIYE WERE PICKED UP
BY STEAMER VEDAMORE.

Tho LOndoniau's Cargo Snitteu anu SHe
Capsized-Drifted About Until the
vedamore Was sighted-The Rescued
Were Saved After Heroic Effort
BY vedamore's Crew.
Baltimore, December 8.-The Johnston
line steamship Vadamore, Of Liverpool,
Capt Baltlstt. for whose safety fears
were bsgianing to be felt as she was sew
eral days overdue, arrived here this morn
ing, with 45 shipwrecked mariners from
the steamer Londonian. whom she had
picked up at ssa. Twenty five others
went down with their ship The rescued
are:
Second Officer T. Cuttings, Second En-
giueer j. W. Graham, Fourth Engineer
+. G. Ayres. Chief Cook johnson, Able
Seaman Tagan. Firemen A. F. Toge, P.
Leminske, j. McGowan, j. Vile, j.
Bright, H. Bartlett, ]. Clarke, W. Terry,
Thomas Cupid, J. Liss, G. Elliott, e.
Watts, r. Cross, o. Feske, ]. Mason and
20 cattle men. whose names were not OBJ
tained The supposed lost are: Capt. Will
liarn Lee, Chief Officer Murray, CHIEF
Engineer Stafford, Third Engineer Slater
and 81 other seamen, firemen aud cattle-
mon.
The men landed are the survivors of the
British steamer Londonian of London,
bound from Boston for London with a
large general cargo and $50 cattle on
deck. She left Boston November ] 5 and
on November %. in a violent gall, her
cargo shifted and she almost capsi2ed,
finally resting on her beam ends with
big sens breaking over her.
Her luck less crew were helpless to right
her. and for two days she driftsd about
at the mercy of the winds and waves.
Assistance crme on the morning of No
yember 25. The Vedamore hove In sight
five miles distant and as it WAS still quite
ark the Londonian burned signal fires
and fired distress rockets It did not Jake
the vedamore long to cover the five miles
that lay between them, and as soon as
she arrived alongside she was signalled to
stand by.
Capt Lee of the Londonian signalled
that be wanted the vedamore to tow his
1t as 1T would have endangered his own
ship Capt. Lee then signalled asking
that the Vedamore stand by to render
assist ance. Soon after he signalIed
"Will abandon Ship" and at noon in the
teeth of stiff gale Second Officer Hobbs
ana q VOlunuoer crew Rdiiantly lauHcueu
ono of the VedamoIe's boats and attempt
ed to reach the sinking Londonian.
For three hours the sturdy Rritons bat
tied with wind and waves in vain at
tempt to reach her, but were finally forced
to return to their ship. Capt. BARTLETT
then steamed to windward of the doomed
steamer and tried 20 fire rockets with
lines attached to tho wreck, hoping by
that means to establish a connection
with her, by which the searnen in peril
could be saved. After a number Of vain
attempts this idea was abandoned.
During the night the wind increased
and by morning 1T was blowing very
hard, Then it was that another means
was decided upon. For hours life bouys
fitted with life lines were foated to the
Londonian, and at last her crew succeed
ed In getting one aboard. A heavier
line was stretched between the two yes
sells ana one of the Vedamore's life boats
was impIovised as life car, to be hauled
between the ships. 1t made trip sue
cessfully and % half frozen. exhausted
men were hauled up over th Q high side
of the Vedamore.
AS the boat was going back to the Lon
dor ian big sea broke over 1t and cap
sized it. Another broke over it and de-
molished it. The lines were also carried
away and the communication broken.
Chief Officer Doran Of the Vedamore the
stepped up to Capt. BARTLETT and volun-
teered to launch another boat to attempt
to rescue. set of brave seamen dropped
into her as she touched the water, and
she bounded away on the crest of wave
ike race horse The seas We're by this
time terrific and that she lived five min
utes is miracle. 1t was only owing to
the splendid manner In which she was
handled that she lived it out. For two
hours the boats crew struggled at the
oars, but could not get within go yards
of the wreck. They were at last forced
to give up ana return to the ships side
and in doing 80 the bout WAS smashed
against the ships side and lost. They all
came near drowning, but were hauleu
aboard with lines. Another fearful night
Of peril and fear passed. The next morn
ing 25 of the men of the Londonian sue
ceeded in launching one of their boats
ana reached the Vedamore in safety.
Their boat WAS also lost and all day was
spent in trying to again establish COM
munication with the wreck The gale
was constantly increasing and all efforts
to save others were 10 vain. hven afte
night hal fallen the Vedamore was sept
cruisipg about in the vicinity. but
wnen day broke next morning the Lon
donian had vanished. The Vedamore theu
proceeded to Baltimore.
nCEn CTEh NJ