The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-28
sTEAMER BURNED AT SEA.
Crew Fought the Flames Three Days
Before Relief Came.


BOSTON. Feb. 2S-The British steamer
Legislator, Captain Tennet, bound from
Liverpool to Colon, was burned at sea
February 16. in LATITUDE l7, S1;2S 20. north north
out on February 18th and burned fierce
~ for three days, during which time
Fireman Thomas Roberts was burned
to death; Second Officer James Bate
man and Seaman William Angel were
drowned by the capsizing of a boat;
Third Officer Martin and Chief Steward
John Gaffney went adrift in another
boat, and Chief Cook Fred E. Lee,
crazed with fearful burns, jumped over
board. The rest of the crew Of thirty
men, with two passengers, DR.. William
E. Mortimer and wife, of London, were
rescued by the fruit steamer Flower
gate and brought to this port, arriving
here today.
Four of the crew, Chief Engineer
John TrOughear, Second Engineer John
Holden, Fourth Engineer Robert Min
and Seaman Charles Ibblitson, were so
severely injured that they were taken to
the Marine hospital upon 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 by the waves while eXplos-
ion after explosion threatened to send
the fire eaten steamer to the bottom
makes a tale seldom equaled in the an
nails of the merchant marine.
The Legislator left Liverpool on Feb
ruary B. with a miscellaneous cargo,
including phosphate, cotton goods and
percussion caps, for Colon and Central
American ports. Nothing out of the
ordinary occurred until o'clock in the
morning of the 18th, when without
warning, an explosion took place from a
hatchway forward of midships, fol-
lowed by a tremendous outburst of
smoke and flames. All the firemen and
engineers but one came tumbling on
deck, some of them more or less burned.
The missing man was Thomas Roberts,
and it was not until two days after that
oh hn7 in
a luIl in the fire.
The crew was badly Handicapped in
lighting the fire, as the hose and pump
ing engines were disable or consumed.
Soon after the fire started, it spread so
rapidly that the forward part of the
boat, on which were seven men, was cut
off, and Captain Tenant asked for vol
unteerS to rescue the remainder of the
crew. Second officer Bateman and
Seaman William Angel at once Of
fered to row along the side of the ship
and bring the men aft One of the
boat was launched with difficulty, as
there was a heavy sea running, and by
careful work managed to reach the al
most doomed men. All were finally ia
ken on board and the boat dropped
astern, but before the nine men could
be pulled on the aft deck a tremendous
sea capsiZed the small boat and every
man was thrown into the water. After
their heroic work, Bateman and Angel
were the only ones who were not res
cued.
In the meantime, through some con-
fusion, another boat had been launched
and in it was Third officer Martin and
Chief Steward John Gaffney. Another
big wave swept them away, and they
have not been seen since.
The fighting of the flames still con-
tinued, and as the fire reached the box
es of percussion caps there were almost
constant explosions. In one of these,
Fred M Lee, the chief cook, was so Sc
verely burned that he jumped overheard
and could not be saved.
At O'Clock in the morning of the
18TH, the steamer 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 burning
vessel were safely transferred, Captain
Tenant being the last to leave.