Evening journal., 1898-02-28
ABLAzEN MIDOCEAN
British Steamer Burned to the
Waters Edge.
FATALITIES INCREASE THE DISASTER
Sailors Drowned, Fireman Burned TO Death,
Small Boat Containing Two Men Cast
Adrift, and a Man Crazed by
Burns Leaps Overheard.


Burns Leaps Overheard.
BOSTON, Feb. 2s.-The British steam
er Legislator, Captain Tenant, bound
from Liverpool for Colon, was burned
at sea Feb. 16 in lat 31.23, long. 4410
w. The fire broke out on Feb. 1S and
burned fiercely for three days, during
which time a fireman named Thomas
Roberts was burned to death; the Sec
ond officer, James Bateman, and a sea-
man, William Angel, were drowned by
the capsizing Of a boat; the third Off
GER Martin, and a chief steward, John
Gaffney, went adrift in another boat,
and the chief cook. Fred T.. Lee, being
crazed with fearful burns jumped over
board.
The rest Of the crew Of 30 men, with
two passengers, DR.. William e. Nor
timer and wife Of London. were rescued
by the fruit steamer Flowergate and
brought to this port, arriving here yes
terday -Four of the crew, Chief En-
gineer John Troughear, Second En-
gineer John Holden, Fourth Engineer
Robert Min and Seaman Charles Ibbit-
son, were so severely injured that they
were taken to the Marine hospital upon
arriving at this port. Holden is not ex-
pected 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 at
any moment TO send the fire eaten
steamer to the bottom, makes a tale
seldom equaled in the annals Of the
merchant marine The Legislator left
Liverpool on Feb. 3 with a miscellane-
GUS cargo, including phosphate, cotton
goods and percussion caps, for Colon
and Central American ports
Nothing out OF the ordinary occurred
until A o'clock in the morning Of the 18TH
| inst, when without warning an explo-
sion took place from a hatchway for
ward Of amidships, followed by a tre-
| mendous outburst of smoke and flame.
| All the hremen and engineers but one
came tumblng on deck, some of them
more or less burned. The missing man
proved to be Thomas Roberts, and it
was not until two days that his charred
body was recovered during a lull in the
fire.
The crew was badly handicapped in
fighting the fire. as the hose and pump
| ing engine were disabled or consumed.
! Nevertheless the fire was kept from
!
most persistent work. Soon after the
FIRE started it spread so rapidly that the
1 forward part of the ship. on which were
seven men. was cut off. and Captain
TennGnt asked for volunteers to rescue
the balance of the crew. Second OIL
Ger Bateman and a seaman, william
Angel. at once offered to row along the
side of the ship and bring the men aft.
! ..f fe launched
difficulty as there was heavy sea run
ming and by careful work managed tC
reach the almost doomed men. All were
finally taken on board, and the boa
dropped astern. but before the nine mel
could be pulled on the after deck tire
mendous sea censized the small boat
and every man was thrown Into tn
water sad as II seems. after their he
rclc work, Bateman and Angel wer
the only ones who were not rescued.
In the meantime through some con
fusion another boat had been launched
and In II was Third officer Martin ant
Chief Steward John Gaffney. Anothe
dig sea swept them away, and they hav
not been seen since. The fighting of tn
fire still continued, and as the fir
reached the boxes Of percussion cap
5 there were almost constant explosions
in one of these Fred y. Lee, the chic
, cook, was so severely burned that h
2 jumped overheard and could not b
: saved.
1 At s o'clock on the morning of tn
- 10th the steamer Flowergate. boun
e. to this port from Palermo, Italy hov
n In sight Two boats were immediatel
b lowered from the Flowergate, and afte
three hours all of those on board III
e burning vessel were safely transferred
n Captain Tenant being the last to leav
a Some OF the crew saved q part of the
e clothing. but a majority of those O
:. board lost everything.
II The rescue was none too soon, for &
n the Flo,eergate started her engines IL
e fire was seen bursting from the aft
- decks of the Legislator, and the steam
er was probably entirely consumed M
II many hours after. The men who ha
a suffered. severe burns while fighting II
n flames were tenderly cared for on Il
c Flowergate. although every one WI
!. forced to live on half rations viii
Il on the trip to this port. The injur'
Ie men are now at the Marine hospital
l. Chelsea, and II is thought that all W
ID recover but Engineer Holden