The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-11-22
FIRE AT SEA.
Burning Of the American.Ham
burg Liner Patria.
ALL THE PASSENGERS SAVED
They Lost All Their Baggage and
Many of Them Was En-
yeIoped in Blankets
Only.


Only.
A dispatch from London says the
Hamburg-American steamer Patria,
Captain Frohlich, which left New York
Nov. +, for Hamburg and passed the
Lizard Wednesday, is on fire near
Dover. All the passengers were res.
cued and have arrived at Dover. The
Russian steamer Ceres sighted the
Patria, showing signals Of distress, and
demanding immediate help, about II
miles from North Hinder lightship.
TIE liner was enveloped in smoke.
Puttiny on full steam the Ceres soon
reached the Pasria and sending boat
learned that Captain Frohlich was in
urgent need Of assistance. The hurry
Of the rescue was Indicated by the fact
that most Of the passengers 'gere en-
yeloped in blankets only. They were
rapidly distributed among the hotels or
sent to the Sailors home, and every
thing possible is being done for their
comfort.
\ lady passenger gives the following
account Of the fire and the escape Of
the passengers, which numbered one
hundred and fifty, and included many
women ard children:
1T vas about half-past 10 yesterday
morning. the weather being calm and
ine and several of US being seated in
the deck saloon when suddenly Capt.
Frohlich appeared and shouted: AL
passengers on deck! Everybody start
cd forward with rush. We are afre,
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 steward
shouting get out Of this quick. He
took my husband by the feet and |
supported his head. We started to
carry him to the deck, but the smoke
choked US and the water from the fire
hose swished around our knees. l
feared that all was lost; but, going
backward through another passage, we
managed to reach the deck in safety.
There ali the passengers were crowded
together. Thick clouds of smoke were
blowing over the whole ship and dis.
tress signals were flying. One passen-
ger, who had hastily come from the
bathroom, appeared with scarcely any
clothing on. Others found themselves
equally unprepared. The captain told
US that ne was lowering the boats as a
precaution. So we lined up. Women
and children first shouted the captain,
who was standing near nee. | replied
hat l supposed 1 would have to wait
for the mems turn as 1 could not leave
ny 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 60 with US. Our
boat was the first lowered.
''Wc were all terribly frightened, but
though few cried, there was no dis
order. The officers and crew did all
they could and encouraged US to be
brave and cool. While one boat was
being lowered, the bottom began to
give way. The women screamed and
for moment it seemed as if the bot
tom would drop out; but the boat was
quickly hauled back. Another boat
had no crew, the passengers doing the
rowing.
meanwhile some fishing smacks had
come up, and several passengers board
ed them, but Capt. Frohlich beloved
through the smoke that no one must
leave the Patria's boats, SO they left
the smacks. From this order we in
ferred that the sailors, who were 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
out boats. Through the fire We occa-
sionally caught sight Of Capt, Frohlich,
on the bridge while he divided his at
tentl0n between giving orders to the
crew and joking with US. Once he
shouted laughingly: The fire is in my
cabin: Now | cant get my pipe, and
you all know I can't do anything with
out my pipe
Then the Ceres came up and her
captain sang out: Your ships afre.
Shall | take your passengers?' Fright
ered as we were we laughed. Capt.
Frohllch made the ceres promise to
take US to Dover, AID then our boats
pulled over to her, aad we were taken
aboard. The last we saw of the Patria
she was just mass of smoke and going
slowly toward Hamburg. Many Of US
had to pay for what little We could get
to eat on board the Ceres. At Dover
everybody was very kind.
IF the captain had put US ashore as
soon as the f:e was discovered, we
would not have lost our belongings, nor
been exposed to such danger .