The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-17
EXPERIENCES ON THE PATRIA.
PASSENGERS RUSHED ON DECK
JUST AS THEY WERE.


Died as the Result of the Excite
ment-His wife Gave "A Thrilling
Account of the Burning of the
VcsseI-Cnpt. FrOIich JoIxed with
His Passengers and Kept Them
Cheerful.
southampton. Nov. 1.-THE rescued
passengers of the Pntria spent last night
at southampton awaiting the arrival OF
the Kaiser Friedrich.
Four of the passengers were left at Do
YER, and one Of these, q man named Du-
place, 1t Is believed viii die because OF
his terrible experience In the English
channel.
II now seems probable the Patria Will
be at least partly saved. What caused
the fire Is stil a mystery, but II is asserted
that the fact the steamer was on fire was
withheld from the passengers for some
time, Capt. Frolich apparently wishing to
take his ship to Hamburg without causing
alarm II possible.
Mr. Duplace has been for twenty years
German consul at San Juan de Porto Rico.
with him are his wife and Mrs Ivere OF
New York city, a fellow cabin passenger,
who, being trained nurse and seeing
the distress of Mr.. and Mrs. Duplace. has
generously volunteered to stay and nurse
the consul declining the opportunity to
continue her journey TO Germany.
The fourth survivor left at Dover Ii
Capt Frolich's steward, VINO went to tho
help Of Mr.. Duplaee when the passengers
were ordered on deck Mr.. Duplace was
|
che exposure aggravated the complaint to
such am extent that the attending physI-
clan told the correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press this evening that the consul
had but little chance of life. Like tha
! other passengers, Mr.. and Mrs. Duplaca
saved nothing but what they we're wear-
| ing al the time.
Mrs. Duplace's Account.
Mrs. Duplace gives the following de-
| scription OF their escape:
1T was about 1870 yesterday morning.
the weather being calm and fine and sew
| eral of us being seated in the deck saloon.
when suddenly Capt Frolich appeared
and shouted, All passengers on deckg
Everybody started forward with a rush.
| we are afire,' said the Captain. but there
Is no danger. Don't get excited
Just then smoke began 10 pour QUE
| through the deck near the smokestacks.
'tMy sick husband was in his cabin and
undressed. 1 hurried to him and began
10 dress him, when in came the steward
shouting Get out Of this QuickI- lie took
my husband by the feet and l Supported
his head. We started to carry him TO tho
| 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 passage
we managed to reach the deck In safety.
| nj the .s0VVdaft
together
"Thick clouds of smoke were blowing
over the whole ship, and distress signals
were flying. One passenger, who had hasti-
ly come from the bathroom, appeared with
| scarcely any clothing on. Others found
themselves equally unprepared. The cap
tain told us that he was lowering the
boats as a precaution. SO we tined up.
Women and Children First.
"'Women and children flrstp shouted
! the Captain, VINO was standing near me.
| replied that ] supposed | would have to
walt for the mems return, as ! could not
| leave my helpless husband. Capt. Fro
Itch 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 terribly frightened; butt
though a few cried. there was no disor-
der 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 90 give way. The wo-
men screamed and for moment 1t seemed
| as II the bottom would drop out, but inc
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 boarded
them, but Capt. Froich beloved through
| the smoke that no one must leave the
Patrias boats, so they left the smacks-
From this on we inferred that the sailors.
who working ceaselessly, hoped to put
out the fire.
Captain JoISed with Them.
For more than an hour we lay along-
side The liner now hot and smoke COW
cred, cinders and debris falling over our
boats. Through the fire we occasionally
| caught sight of Capt Frollch on the
bridge, while he divided his attention be-
tween giving orders to the crew and Jok-
Ing with US Once he shouted laughingly:
"'The fire Is I'm my cabin. Now, can't
get my pipe, and you all know l can't do
| anything without my pipe
"Then the Ceres came up and her cap
tain sang out Your ships afire Shall
take your passengers? frightened as we
were we laughed. Capt. Frolich made the
| Ceres promise to take us 10 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 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.
III the captain had put us ashore as
soon as The fire was discovered, we would
not have lost our belongings, nor been ex-
posed to such danger"
Dover. England, Nov. 16.-Mr Dupiace
died here this evening from shock
Sixteen valuable race horses on board
the Patria were suffocated and burned to