Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-17
THE PATRIA'S LOSS.
Passengers at Southampton :
One Dies at Dover.
Few Save Anything, Most Losing All
Of Their Possessions.
Thrilling Scenes as They Are Taken from the
Burning Steamer.

Southampton. Nov. 16.-The rescued
passengers of the Patria will spend the
night at Southampton. They were
housed At the Hamburg American Cos.
expense while awaiting the arrival of
the Kaiser Friedrich. Four of the
passengers We're left at Dover and one
OF these. man named Duplace. will
probably be dead before tomorrow, as
result of his terrible experience in
the English channel
Ii now seems probable that the Pat
ria will at least be partially saved.
What caused the fire is still mystery,
but il is asserted that the fact that the
steamer was on fire was withheld from
the passengers for some time, Capt.
Frohlich wishing To take his ship To
Hamburg without causing alarm, if
possible.
Mr.. Duplace has been for 20 years
German consul at San Juan De Porto
Rico With him are his Wife and Mrs
lvers Of New York City, fellow cabin
passenger. who. being a trained nurse
and seeing the distress Of Mr. and
Mrs. Duplace. has volunteered TO stay
and nurse the consul.
The fourth survivor left at Dover is
Capt. Frohlichs steward. who went to
the help of Mr.. Duplace when the pas
sengers We're ordered on deck Mr.
Duplace was suffering from anaemia
and the shock of the exposure aggra-
waited the complaint to such an extent
that the attending physician told the
correspondent Of The Associated Press,
this evening. that the consul had little
chance Of life. Like the other passen-
gers Mr.. and Mrs. Duplacc saved moth
ing but what they We're wearing at the
time.
Mrs Duplace gives the following de
scrption of their escape: 1t was
about 1880 in the morning. the weather
being calm and fine and several of us
being seated in the deck saloon when
suddenly Capt. Frohlich appeared and
shouted: All passengers on deck.
Everybody started forward with rush
We are afire.' said the captain, but
there is no danger; don't get excited.
Just then smoke began To pour out
through the deck near the smokestacks.
My sick husband was in his cabin and
undressed I hurried to him and began
To dress him. when in came the stew
ard. shouting Get out Of this quick
supported his head. We started toI
carry him to the deck but the smoke
choked us and the water from the fire
hose swished around our knees. II
feared that all was lost: but, going
backward through another passage. we
managed to reach the deck in safety.
There all the passengers We're
crowded together. Thick clouds Of
ship and distress signals were flying.
One passenger. who had hastily come
from the bath room, appeared with
scarcely any clothing on. Others found
captain told us he would lower the
boats as a precauton. So we lined up. |
Women and children first shouted the |
captain. who was standing near me. l
replied that l supposed I would have to
wait for the mems turn, as | could not |
leave my helpless husband. Capt. |
Frohlich answered me by lifting my |
husband. placing him in the bottom of |
one of the boats. ordering me to follow |
and telling the steward to go with US. |
Our boat was the first lowered.
I'VE were all frightened. but though |
few cried. there was no disorder. The |
officers and crew did all they could ana |
encouraged us 10 be brave and cool |
While one boat was being lowered. the
bottom began to give way. The women
screamed and for a moment ii seemed |
as if the bottom would drop out. but |
the boat was quickly hauled back. An (
other boat had no crew. the passengers |
doing the rowing
Meanwhile some fishing smackS had |
come up and several passengers board |
ed these. but Capt. Frohlich beloved |
through the smoke that no one should |
leave the Patria's boats, so they left |
the SmackS. From this order we infer |
red that the sailors who We're work
ing ceaselessly. hoped to put out the
fire. For more than an hour we lay
alongside the liner now hot and smoke
covered, cinders and debris falling over |
our boats. Through the fire we occa-
sionally caught sight of Capt Frohlich
on the bridge He divided his atten-
ton between giving orders to the crew
and joking with us. Once he shouted |
laughngly: The fire is in my cabin |
Now | can't get my pipe and you all |
know | can't do anything without my
pipe
Then the Ceres came up and her
captain sang out: Your ships afire.
Shall | take your passengers?' Fright
ened as we We're, we laughed. Capt.
Frohlich made the Ceres promise to
take us to Dover and then our boats
pulled over to her and we were taken
aboard. The last we saw of the Patria
she was just a mass of smoke and 60
ing slowly toward Hamburg. Many of
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