The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-17
Instances Of Goodness Displayed by
Passengers During the
Trying Ordeal.
LADY AND INVALID HUSBAND.
"wOmen and Children First" Cried
Captain Frahlich, to Whom
Much Credit is Due.

ampton.
AS an instance of the coOlness dis
played by the passengers. 1t is related
that a German girl. who had been
studying art In New York, devoted her
time during the fire in sketchIng scenes
on the deck. Finally she hurried to
her cabin to secure her clothing and
found it filed with smoke and all the
pictures which she had made in New
York destroyed, She struggled back to
the deck IN an almost sutocated con-
dItlon and was with difficulty placed In
boat.
Mr.. Duplnce has been for twenty
years German consul at San Juan De
Porto Rico. With him are his wife and
Mrs. Ivers, of New York City. a fell
low cabin passenger, who. being q
trained nurse and seeing the distress of
Mr.. and Mrs. Duplace, has generous
ly volunteered to stay and nurse the
consul, declining the opportunity to
continue her journey to Germany. The
fourth survivor left at Dover is Cap
tain Frohiich's steward, who went to
the help OF Mr.. Duplace when the
passengers were ordered on deck. Mr..
Duplace was suffering from anaemia
and the shock of the exposure aggra-
vated the complaint to such an ex-
tent that the attending physician told
the correspondent Of the Associated
Press this evening that the consul had
but little chance of life Like the other
passengers Mr.. and Mrs. Duplace saved
nothing but what they were wearing at
the time.
MIRA. Duplace gives the following de-
scription Of their escape:
''It was about half past ten yesterday
morning, the weather being fine and
calm and. several of US being seated In
the deck saloon when suddenly Cap
tain Frohlick 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 smoke
stacks. My sick husband was in his
cabin and undressed. 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. ! feared that all was lost; but,
going backward through another pas
sage, we managed to reach the deck in
safety.
There all the passengers were
crowded together. Thick clouds OF
smoke were blowing over the whole
ship und distress signals We're ayins.
One passenger who had hastily come
from the bath room appeared with
scarcely any clothing on. Others found
themselves equally unprcpnred. The
captain told us that he would lower the
boats Us u precautlon. So we lined up.
Women and children first shouted the
captain, who was standing near me.
replied that supposed l would have to
wait for the mems turn, as l could not
leave my helpless husband. Captain
Frohllch answered me by lifting my
husband, placing him in the bottom OF
ono of the bonts. ordering US to follow
and telling the steward to go with US.
Our boat was the first lowered.
I'VE were all terribly frightened, but
though a 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 1t seemed as II the bot
tom would drOp out; but the. boat was
quickly hauled back. Another boat had
no crew, the passengers doing the row.
ing.
Meanwhile some fishing smacks had
come up and several passengers board
ed them, but Captain Frohlich below
cd 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 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, with cInders and debris fall
ing over our boats.
Through the fire we occasionally
caught sight OF Captain Frohltch on
the bridge. He divided his attention
between giving orders to the crew and
Joking with us. Once he shouted
laughlngly, The fre Ia In my cabin.
Now can't get my pipe and you all
know l can't do anything without my
pIpe.'
"Thcn the Ceres came up and her
captain sang out Your ships airc
Shall take your passeugers?' Fright
ened as VIC We're. we laughed. Captain
Frohllch mnde the Ceres promise to
take us to Dover, and then our boats
pulled over Ia her aud we were taken
aboard. The last we saw Of the PatrIa
she was Just mass of smoke and go-
ing slowly toward Hamburg. Many Of
us had to pay for what little We could