The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-23


Hundred Horses Stampcdcd and
Tramplcd Each Other to Death.
BALTIMORE. Feb. 222.-Thc British
steamship VittorIa, Captain WetherfIt,
arrived to-day from Hull via Hampton
Roads. with four OF the crew of the
missing Hamburg American liner Bull
garla The rescued mariners are: Sec
ond Mate o. Scharges, quartermastcrs
Carl Ludtke and John Schulz and sea-
man William Siarkc.
They were picked up by the Nittorla
from an open boat OF the Bulgaria three
and half hours after they had been
cast adrlft in lat. 40 North. long. i3
West. on February.
These. with the twenty-five women
and children who were picked up by the
tank steamer Weehawken and landed in
Ponta del Gada. Azorc Islands week
ago, are all that have been heard from
of the crew OF eighty-nine men and for
ty-onc passengers which the Bulgaria
had aboard when she sailed from New
York for Bremen. January eS.
The story OF the experience OF the Bull
garia as told by Second officer Scharges,
Is Il thrilling one. "0n February |, at
about p. m.." said he, a hurricane OF
so severe nature was encountered that
1t was found impossible to make any
headway, and at . a. III. the following
day we were forced to heave TO. The
flying bridges, both fore and aft. were
carried away and seamcn and passen-
gers were afraid to venture on deck for
fear Of being swept into the sea. About
Z a. M. the spring In the rudder which
is used 10 break the strain OF heavy
seas. collapsed. and soon afterwards the
entire steering gear was washed away.
The steamer then fell In the trough and
was left ut the mercy OF the wind and
waves.
Horses Stampcdcd.
Sea after sea swept over us" con-
tinued second officer Scharses, smash
ing in the doors of the cabin and deck
houses. flooding the main decks. wash
ing in the awning deck and creating
havoc and disorder all over the ship.
To make matters worse. 100 horses that
were stabbed on the upper forward deck
stampeded and In their fright made Il
y,ld dash. tramplng each other 20
death. This state of affairs lasted un-
Ill all but twenty had been killed or
drowned in the wash OF the waves.
Then the butcher OF the vessel. within
number of seamen, went into the pen
and tried to quiet the beasts that re-
mained. This failing. as did ais" the
attempt TO force the frcnzied animals
rh,,a a,l th.i, fi,rnufL 81 Re-
fore THE maddcned animals were dis
patched however. the butcher had both
his legs broken and one Of the seamen
was badly injured.
Any idea that our troubles We're over
was soon dispelled when 1t was found
that the vessel was leaking. All the
hatch coverings had been blown off and
before they could be- replaced four OF
the seven holds filled ana all had con-
siderable water In them. The cargo
next shifted. listing the steamer heavily
to port. In addition the carCasseS Of
the dead horses washed aport, adding
TO the heavy list
For Seventy-two hours" said Mr..
Schargcs, passengers and crew worked
like slaves. throwing cargo overheard 20
tighten the ship, hut II was of little
avail. Inch by inch. foot by foot, the
ship settled. and as she sunk deeper the
waves washed with greater force and
freedom over her. One wave carried
away eight OF III. life boats from the
low lying port sid. and with these went
much Of the hope from the hearts Of
passengers and crew.
AT o'clock on the morning Of the
fifth" he continued. the order was
given TO call ali hands on deck To pre-
pare TO take TO the small boats. The
water had flooded the engine room and
four pumps could not keep it down. 1t
was then up to the crate bars, but the
iIremen still managed 10 keep the fires
burning. Each passenger and seaman
was given II life preservcr and the re-
manning boats We're gotten ready and
proylsloned.
Timely Aid.
Shortly after daylight the three
steamers uhc Wcchawkcn, VittOria and
KoordlStan), one after another hove In
sight. The Weehawken was the first to
be of service as she sent two boats in
which the twenty-five women and chill
drcn We're placed. These were landed
safely on the Wcehdwkcn. but after
that the storm increased In violence.
One OF our boats was smashed and it
became almost impossible to lower an
other on account Of the vessel being so
far down on the port side and cores
pundingly high on the sturbOIrd. where
the remaining boats We're made fast.
Another attempt was made and one was
successfully gotten into the sea. | and
The three men who were saved with me.
iumnpd into her to take the oars when
by some unfortunate accident we were
cut loose. The men on the vessel were
seen after that to try repeatedly TO
lower another boat, but without sue
cess"
The second officer stated that
throughout all. the conduct of the crew
and passengers was excellent The
women were especially brave. lie
thinks there Is little likelihood that the
Bulgaria wcathcrcd the storm that
night, as she was sinking when he left
her.
The koordistnn, the third vessel that
saw the distress of the Bulgaria with
out being able to be OF assistance be-
cause OF the tempestuous seas. arrived
I'm Bremen OF the 18th instant and Sc
ported that the Bulgaria had founder
ed. Second officer SclarGes is reason
ably positive that none were rescued
from the III fatcd vessel after he left
ther and II IL feared that lOl persons
went down with her.
The Bulgaria had no accommodation
for first class passengers and all the
passengers on board were IN the Steer
ugc. They were mostly Germans from
different parts Of the United States.
She was not regular liner. and had
been In the service Of the Hamburg
American line about u year.
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II