The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-28
BRITISH SHIP BURNS AT SEA
THE LEGISLATOR, MERCHANTMAN,
 1899 TONS NET REGISTER.

Hs Six Men Lost, Among Them the Second
 and Third Officers, the Chief Steward and
 the Chief Cook-One Man Was Burned to
 Death-Tale of Suffering Seldom Equal-
 led in the Annals of Merchant Marine. ~
 Boston, Feb. 27-The British steamer Legislator, Captain Tennant, bound from Liverpool for Colon. was burned at sea February 16 in latitude S126 N. and longitude 44.1O w. The fire broke out on February IS and burned fiercely for three days. during which time a fireman named Thomas Roberts was burned to death, the second officer. James Bateman, and seaman, Wil- liam Angel, were drowned by the cap- sizing of a boat, the third officer, Mar tin, and chief steward, John Gaffney. went adrift in another boat and the chief cook, Fred D. Lee, being crazed with fearful burns jumped overheard. The rest of the crew of thirty men with two passengers, Dr. William E. Mor- timer and wife of London, were rescued by the fruit steamer Flowergate and brought to this port, arriving here this morning. Four of the crew, Chief En- gineer John Trauger, Second Engineer John Holden, Fourth Engineer Robert Milt and Seaman Charles Silbertson, were severely injured and were taken to the marine hospital upon arriving at this port. Holden Is not expected to live.
 Terrible Suffering.
 The suffering of those who survived the fearful tragedy as they were toss ed about by the waves while explosion after explosion threatened at any mo- ment to send the fire-eaten steamer to the bottom, makes a tale seldom equal led in the annals of the merchant mar inc. The Legislator left Liverpool with miscellaneous cargo, including phos- phate, cotton goods and percussion caps for Colon and Central American ports. Nothing out of ordinary occur red until o'clock on the morning of the 14th instant, when without warning an explosion took place from a hatch- way forward. All the firemen and efl-s gineers but one came tlmbling on decky some of them more or less burned. The missing man proved to be Thomas Roberts, and it was not until two days after his charred body was recovered. The crew were badly handicapped in fighting the fire as the hose and punlp- ing engine were disabled or consumed. Nevertheless the fire was kept from spreading for three days through tfle# most persistent work.
 Fire Spread Rapidly.
 k Soon after the fire started 1t spread ! so rapidly that the forward part of the boat oraswhich. were seven men was eyit off and Captain Tennant asked for vol unteers to rescue the balance of the crew. Second Officer Bateman and seaman, William Angel, at once offered to throw water on the ship.
 The boats were launched with great difficulty as a heavy sea was running. All the men were finally taken on board and the boat dropped astern, but before the nine men could be pulled on the after deck. tremendous sea capsized the small boat and every man was thrown into the water. Sad as 1t seems after their heroic work, Batenlan and Angel were the only ones who were not rescued. In the meantime through some confusion another boat had been launched and in it was the third officer, Martin, and the chief steward, John Gaffney Another big sea swept them away and they have not been seen since. The fighting of the flames still continued and as the fire reached the boxes of percussion caps there were almost constant ex- plosions Tn one of these Fred E. Lee, the chief cook, was so severely burned that he Jumped overheard and could not be saved.
 Flowergate to the Rescue. At 8 o'clock on the morning of the 18th, the Flowergate, bound to this port from Palermo, Italy, hove in sight. Two boats were immediately lowered from the Flowergate and after three hours, all of those on board the burn ing vessel were safely transferred, Captain .Tennant being the last to leave. Some of the crew saved part of their clothing. but majority of those on board lost everything. The rescue was none too soon, for as the Flowergate started her engines, the fire was seen bursting from the after decks of the Legislator and the steam CT was probably entirely consumed not many hours after. The men who had suffered severe burns were tender1y cared for on the Flowergate, although everyone was forced to live on half ra- tions while on the trip to this port. The injured men are now at the marine hospital at Chelsea, and it Is thought that all will recover but Engineer Hol- den.
 The Legislator.
 The Legislator was a steamer of 1899 tons net register, 2997 gross tons. Her dimensions were: Length 330 feet, breadth beam 40 feet inch; depth 20 feet 2 inches. She was built at Middle borough, England, in 1888, and was | owned by the Charante Steamship company of Liverpool, England. The | following is list of those who were saved: Passengers-Dr. William Nor timer and wife of London, Captain | John J. Tennant, First Mate Peter Ar- mold, Super Cargo James H. Bain, John | Traughear, John Holdon, David Rog- CTS, Robert Miln, Henry Mulholland, assistant steward; William McCly- 1 mont, boatswain; Henry Roberts, sea- man; John Hulley, seaman; Patrick | Donoghue, seaman; William Peers,