The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-28
SHIP BURNED AT SEA
HALE A DOZEN MEN OF HER CREW
WE'RE LOST.
One burned and Six Drowned-Four
Others Are Likely To Perish
of Their Injuries.

Boston, Mass. February 2I.--The British
steamer Legislator, Captain Tenant, bound
from Liverpool for Colon, was burned at sea
February IL. The fire broke out on February
% and burned fercely for three days, during
which time Fireman Thomas Roberts was
burned to death, Second Officer James Bate
man and Seaman William Angel We're drown
cd by the capsi2ing of a boat, Third Officer
Martin and Chief Steward John Gaffney went
adrift in another boat and Chief Cook Fred
z. Lee, crazed with fearful burns, jumped
overheard. The rest of the crew of thirty
men with two passengers, DR.. William Wet
more and wife, of London, were rescued by
the fruit steamer Flower Gate and brought
to this port, arriving hero today Four OF the
crew, Chief Engineer John Troughear, See
ond Engineer John Holden, Fourth Engineer
Robert Milne and Seaman Charles |. Bitten
were so severely injured that they We're taken
to the marine hospital on arriving at this
port. Holden is not expected to live. 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 fre-eaten steamer to
the bottom, makes tale seldom equalled in
the lUHulS Ol luG
The Legislator left Liverpool on February 3
with a miscellaneous cargo including phos-
phate and percussion caps for Colon ana Cen
tral American ports, Nothing out of the ordi-
nary occurred until o'ciocl, on the mornng
Of the 18th, when an explosion took place
from the hatchwsy forward OF midships, fol-
lowed by a tremendous outburst of smoke and
flames All the fremen aud engineers but one
came tumbling on deck, the missing man be-
ing Thomas Roberts, whose charred body was
recovered later. The crew were badly handi-
capped in fighting the fire, as the pumping
engines were disabled or choked Soon after
the fire started it spread so rapidly that the
forward part of the boat in which were seven
men was cut of and Captain Tenant asked
for volunteers to rescue the remainder of the
crew. After their heroic work, they were
taken on board. In the meantime, through
some confusion, another boat had been
launched; In II were Third Oficer Martin ana
Chief Steward John Gaffney. Another big
sea swept them away aud they nave not peeh
seen since.
The fighting of the flames still continued,
and as the fire reached the boxes of percus-
sion caps there were almost constant explO
sions In one Of these Fred 4. Lee, the chief
cook, was so severely burned that he jumped
overheard in his delirium and could not be
saved.
At o'clock in the morning of the 18th, the
steamer Flower Gate, bound for this port
from Palermo, Italy, hove in sight. Two
boats were Immediately lowered from the
Flower Gate and after three hours all OF
those on board tho burning vessel were safely
transferred, Captain Tenant being the last
to leave. Some of the crew, saved part Of
their clothing but u majority of those on
board lost everything. The rescue was none
too soon for as the Flower Gate started her
engines the fire was seen bursting from the
aft decks of tho Legislator and the steamer
was subsequently entirely consumed
The Legislator was steamer OF 1893 tons
net register, 1887 gross tons Her dimen-
sions were: Length $50 fact, breadth beam ~
feet 1 inch depth 20 feet inches.
She was built at Middlebnionsh England,
in 1858 and was owned by the Charnnte
steamship company OF LIVERPOOL, England.