The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-28
BATTLE WITH FIRE AT SEA.
THREE DAYS FIGHT ON THE LEG
ISLAT0R-SIx LIVES LOST.

Engineers Cut on from tho EnEine-Most
OF These Lost were Drowned = Rescued
at Last By the steamer FiowerEate.
Boston, Fob. 27.-The British steamer Flower.
gate arrived here at 8 o'clock this morning and
reported the total loss by fire of the British
steamer Legislator on Feb. 10 and the loss Of
six Of the crew. The Floworgate brought DR..
William Hadden Mortimer and wife, the only
passengers, and thirty of the crew who were
rescued. four OF whom nre very seriously
burned. They were at once removed to the
Naval Hospital In Chelsea. Their names are
John Troughear, chief engineer, aged 40; John
Holden. second engineer. aged SO; Robert Milu.
fourth engineer, aged 80, and Charles Ibbotson,
ordinary seaman. aged II years. The dead arc
Mr.. Bateman. second officer; Mr.. Martin. third
officer; John Gaffney. chief steward; William
Angel. fireman; Henry Roberts. fireman. and
John Lea, cook.
The Legislator. Capt. Tenant, sailed from
Liverpool on Feb. 3 for Colon with q general
cargo, including sulphur. phosphorus. percus-
sion caps, liquid acids. and chemicals, part Of
which were stored on deck amidships. She was
making a straight course under favorable con-
ditions until Sunday, Feb. Is. whom, at 4:10
o'clock in the morning, ten minutes after tho
watch was relieved, there was an explosion in
the cargo Of percussion caps and chemicals. and
instantly the entire vessel amidships was ablaze,
shutting of tho engine room.
The flames quickly extended to 1.4Co tons of
coal. 1t was impossible to get near the engine
room. and the vessel continued under full steam
OF about IL knots an hour. The first mate. Mr..
Arnold, took charge of the wheel and managed
to hold the vessel 30 that the flames and smoke
were kept away as much as possible from the
after part. On Monday night n sailing vessel
was sighted, and, as the Legislator thon was In
flames. this vessel must have seen her, but she
took In her lights and went on her course with
out offering to give assistance.
The Flowergate sighted the Legislator at $3.50
A. NJ. on the following Wednesday. three days
and Eve hours after the explosion. and with
much difficulty. owing to q cross sea running.
rescued the survivors, who lost all they had.
DR.. and Mrs. Mortimer. who are bound to
Belize, were seen at Young's Hotel. They wero
apparently not the worse for their trying OK
perience. DR.. Mortimer tells the following story
Of the disaster:
About 4 A. NJ. of Sunday. Feb. IS, I was
awakened by a loud explosion and saw q great
sheet of flame shoot aft. 1t appeared to me that
the cause OF this flame was gas, and 1t looked
exactly like flaming hydrogen. have had ex-
perience with chemicals. and am confident 1t
was gas OF some kind. Although I waited only
q moment before 1 went out in my nightgown
to see what tho trouble was, by the time I
emerged from the cabin door the entire vessel
amidships was aflame. Tho engineers barely
had time to escape from the engine room with
their lives.
I'm two minutes 1t was impossible for q man
to pass amidships. 1t is my opinion that among
the cargo there was some explosive that should
not have been there. some nitro compound.
When the watch was changed ten minutes be-
fore the explosion no ono had smelled smoke.
and it Is certain there was no fire. The fire was
due to an explosion. and 1t killed. probably by
suffocation. Henry Roberts, q fireman, who was
in the stoke hole. That was the first death.
The second followed Immediately. The chief
cook. Lea. ran up In the rigging and jumped
into the sea.
Tho vessel was forging ahead at twelve knots
an hour until II A. NJ. on Sunday. Nothing
was being done to put out the FIRE. Apparently
nothing could be done but what the first mate.
Mr.. Arnold. was doing. holding the vessel SO
that we would not suffocate. The steam pump
could not DO gotten at. and there was no hand
pump.
There were a number Of men cut of in tho
forward part of the vessel by the explosion, and
1t was necessary to rescue them at once II pos
sible. There were two lifeboats and two gigs.
About 7 A. NJ. on Sunday, John Gaffney. the
steward, and Third Mate Martin entered tho
port lifeboat, which Immediately broke loose,
and both were thrown into the sea and drowned.
There was a high wind and q heavy sea running,
and we could do nothing for them, especially as
the vessel. under full steam, was forging ahead
at the rate Of twelve knots an hour.
"Quartermaster George Garnet jumped
through the flames aft and escaped with slight
burns. About 0 A. NJ. on Sunday one of the gigs
was lowered and the men forward we re lowered
into 1t. The gig was swamped. however, by
getting under the steam exhaust pipe. and VIII
liam Angel and Second Officer Bateman were
lost.
There were eighty tons of coal In an alleyway.
and there was one side coal bunker. This was
all ablaZe. Nothing was done to cxtinRuish tho
FIRE until Monday at Q A. NJ. when buckets wero
used with such good effect that on Monday
afternoon the engine room was reached. and to
the general qualification it was found that in
spite of the intense heat the engine could be put
in working order and a pump was made to work.
THE fire had gained such Roadway that al
most all OF the 400 tons Of coal were burning.
and 1t WAS impossible to extingulsh it. Still
the fire was partially controlled. The furnaces
were fed with burning coal ana a large quantity
OF 1t was also shovelled into the sea. The en-
gines must have been made of excellent ma
terial. Tho Captain sighted the FlowerRate
about $3.50 on Wednesday morning. There was
a bad sea running. The Flowergate stood OF
about three-quarters of a mile.
when our second lifeboat was lowered, and
myself and wife and some OF the crew were
lowered into 1t. 1t Immediately began to break
up and sink, and / noticed two great sharks just
beneath her. We were taken back on board the
vessel AS quickly as possible and soon afterward
went aboard tho remaining gig. and with the
assistance OF tho Flowergates two boats were
transfnrred IN that sigamer.
SHORTY after tho explosion Capt. Tcnnant
threw all the rum overheard, and 1t is probably
we'll that he did. All the officers are to DO COM
mended for their bravery in the three days bat
tie for life. and ] think especial credit is due to
First Mate Arnold and Second Mate Batoman."
The explosion took place $500 miles from
Boston and 700 miles from the Azores. The
heat OF the great coal fire was SO intense that
1t Is remarkable the vessel kept afoat 80 long.
The bolts were heard to snap and the iron sides
to warp, and there is little doubt that the Leg.
islator sank soon after being abandoned.
The Legislator was one OF the large iron ships