Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-02-25
women BRAVE.
Bulgaria Believed Lost With
a Hundred Persons.
IN SIGHT Of HELP.
hut Wind and storm Prevented
Launching Of Small lSOat>-Pa>>en.
gers and Crew Working Like Slaves
to Tighten LOld-Twenty-,Limr Res.
cucd Alive 81 Far.

! to Tighten Lo,d--Twenty-niur Res.
cucd Alive 81 Far.
| Baltimore, Feb. 23.-Thr i-:ltish steam
ship Victoria, Captain Wethercll. ar
rived yesterday from Hull. with four
of the missing Hamburg American liner
Bulgaria. They Were picked up by the
| Victoria frnm AN open boat OF the Bul-
Sariu, three and Il half hours after they
had been cast ad'if on Feb. ). These
With the - Women and children. who
We're picked up by the tank steamer
Wcehawken. and landed il rnLta Dol
Gada, .Azore islands. Il week ago. IRE
all that have been heard Of the crew oi
So men ana II passengers which the
bulgaria had aboard V hen she sailed
from New York Tor Bremen Jan. y. The
four rescued men are: Second Mate D.
Scharges, Quarte"masters Carl Ludtke
and John Schulz, and Seaman William
Starke.
Captain Nethcrell said that he sighted
the Bulgaria in a disabled condition at
: Il. M, Feb. ., and tn" tank steamer
Weehawken standing iy and conmuni-
eating with her. There was Il heavy sea
ON, and his vessel drifted away from the
disabled craft, but he steamed toward
her and again located her. He saw
the men aboard the crippled vessel at
tempt to lower Il boat, and Just as four
of them got into it, it broke loose from
the steamer and drifted away. The four
men tried to row back to tn" Bulgaria
hut could not approach her on account
OF the high seas. Tho NittOlia was pre-
pairing to lower a boat to- go, to the as
SiStance of those ON the Bulgaria, when
the four men came alongside. With
considerable difficulty they We're taken
on board.
During a lull. the second officer Of the
bulgaria, accompanied by six of the
crew of the NittOria, manned the boat
Just vacated and started for tn" sink
ing steamer. They We're scarcely away
from the side of the Nittoria. however,
before another gale began. and the brave
fellows, not being able to reach the Bull
caria. found it impossible to return to
the Nittoria until several hours had
passed. Captain Wethelell remained in
sight of the Bulgaria until nightfall,
when a hurricane arose and carried the
waiting ship miles away. lit the morn
ms tiiC Id W dS llol " ne SttIl, ana
the Nittolia proceeded on her voyage
The story of the experience of the
Bulgaria and her passengers and crew,
as told by Second officer Scharges, is a
thrilling one.
"On Feb. l, at about S p. m" said he,
"a hurricane of so severe Il nature was
encountered, that it was found impos-
sible to make any headway, and at 9
q. m. the following day we We're forced
to heave to. The flying bridges, both
fore and aft, We're carried away, and
seamen and passengers We're afraid to
venture on deck for fear of being swept
into the sea. About a. m. the spring in
The rudder, which was used to break the
strain of heavy seas, collapsed, and soon
afterwards the entire steering gear was
washed away. The steamer then fell
into the trough of the sea and was left
at the mercy of wind and waves.
Sea after sea swept over us, smashing
in the doors of the cabin and dc deckhouses,
flooding the main deck, washing in the
awning deck, and creating havoc and
disorder all over the ship. One hundred
horses, stabbed on the upper forward
deck, stampeded. and in their fright
made wild dash, trampliny each other
to death. After about 20 had been
thus killed or drowned in the wash of
the waves the butcher of the vessel,
With a number of seamen, went into the
pen and tried to quiet the beasts that
remained. This failing as did also the
attempt to force the frenzied animals
overheard, their throats We're cut. Be
fore the animals were dispatched, how
ever. the butcher had both his legs
broken, and one of the seamen was badly
injured.
1T was soon found that the vessel was
leaking. All the hatch-coverings had
been blown off, and four of the seven
holds had filled and all had considerable
water in them. The cargo next shifted.
listing the steamer heavily to port. The
Carcasses of the dead horses washed
aport, adding to the heavy list
Then for y hours the passengers and
crew worked like slaves. throwing the
cargo overheard to tighten the ship. but
it was of little avail. Inch by inch, foot
by foot, the ship settled. and as she
sank deeper the waves washed with
greater force over her. One wave car
RED away eight of the life boats.
AT o'clock on the morning of the
9Th the order was given to call all hands
on deck to prepare to take to the small
boats. The water had flooded the en-
gine room, and four pumps could not
feep it down. 1t was then up to the
CRATE bars. but the fremen still man.
aged to keep the fires burning. Each
passenger and seaman was given a life
preserver, and the remaining boats were
got ready and provisioned. Shortly af-
ter daylight the steamers Weehawken.
Nittoria and KOoriistan. ore after an
other, hove in sight. The Weehawken
sent two boats in which the % women
and children We're placed. These We're
safely placed ON board the Weehawken,
but after that the storm increased in
violence. One of our boats was slna shed
and it became almost impossible to
lower another on account of the vessels
being so far down on the port side, and
corresponding!y high on the starbOard,
where the remaining boats We're made
fast. Another attempt was made and
one was successfully got into the sea.
|, and the three men who were saved.
jumped into her to take the oars
when, by some unfortunate" accident we !
We're 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 through /
out all, the conduct of the crew and pas /
sengers was excellent. The women We're /
brave. He thought there was /
little likelihood that the Bulgaria wealth !
cred the storm that night. as she was
when he left her.