The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-17
The Half-Dressed Survivors of the
Burned ship Placed Aboard the
Kaiser Fricderich.
DEATH RESULTS FROM SHOCK
GERMAN CONSUL To SAN JUAN THE
ONLY VICTIM OF THE FIRE.
His Wife's Story of the Rescue of the
Passengers-The Patria lowed
to the River EIbe.

DOVER. Eng, Nov. 16.--There seems to
be general complaint among the passengers
OF the Hamburg American steamer Patria,
Captain Frolich, which caught fire off this
port yesterday morning, while on her way
from New York Nov. 4, for Hamburg, that
they were kept in ignorance Of the out
break of the fire for about five hours. The
passengers who were landed here assert
that IL they had been notified in time all
their baggage could have been saved. A sa-
loon passenger says: 1.-The passengers were
not notified of the fire until IL o'clock
Wednesday morning and there is good rea-
son to believe that the officers knew of the
outbreak Of the fire at in the morning. l
was standing deck saw smoke curling up
behind the smOkestack and forthwith in
formed my companions. The officers then or
dered all on deck, putting the women and
children in the boats first. They were safely
lowered"
A Swedish passenger named Ernest Monk,
In an interview, said: "The crew acted like
heroes from the beginning to the end The
fire originated in the grain, amidship /
heard 1t was due 20 spontaneous combustion
and may have been smoldering for days.
But the crew kept the matter quiet until
"a passenger. a German, Hans Schall, was
told by one OF the crew yesterday morning
and the news soon spread, though it was
kept from the women. The smoke, however,
began toashow at 11:30. and it was no
longer possible to conceal the fact. The
captain told US we would have to leave the
ship. The women and children were alarmed
and cried great deal, but there was little
confusion, though most of us only saved the
clothes we were wearing. Many of the
women refused to leave their husbands and
had to be forced into the boats, the men
comforting them as much as possible. We
followed Immediately. AS we left the YES
sells side we heard the race horses in the
hold screaming with pain
The latest accounts say the flames are
being overcome by the crew, who are work.
ing energetically. and that the captain is
confident he will succeed in bringing the
steamer into German port. 1t was also
said the effects Of the passengers had been
wholly or partly saved
As an instance of the GOODNESS displayed
by the passengers 1t is related that Ger
man girl who had been studying art in New
York devoted her time dsing the fire in
sketching scenes on the deck. Finally she
hurried to her cabin to secure her clothing
and found it filled with smoke and all the
pictures which she had made in New York
destroyed She struggled back to the deck
in almost suffocAted condition and was
with difficulty placed I'm a boat.
The Patria's passengers left here to-day
for southampton. apparently in great
spirits. though many of them were COM
PEELED to purchase additional clothing. The
reports of the restitution Of the passengers
were overdrawn. The company did every
thing possible for their comfort The pas
sengers were entertained with dinner at
st. Johns school previous to their de-
parture.