The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-25


We four are all that are left" I saiC
to Mr. Scott. Let's go aroC7.d and see
who is alive
Everywhere that we went lay dead
men and women and dying people who
were so scorched and torn and disfg
ured by the fire that no one could iden-
tify them. 1 am sure they must have in
hailed the flames besides being burned
by them.
When we went aft we saw Nurse
King and little Miss Margaret Stokes
| coming to US from the saloon. The nurse
was burned. but the child was entirely
safe unless she inhaled flame vapors.
took them into the stateroom and amid
ships in the cabin division
Lets put out The fire in the fore
hold, Mr.. Scott said, and we four got
fire buckets. We did pretty well with
the forehold. forrard Of that We found
the aremen's forecastle smoking and
went in there. The mattresses were
on fire in the iremen's hunks.
'As We pulled out the mattresses TO
throw water on 20 them one dead body
after another rolled out on the floor.
These We're the flremen. oilers, &c, who
were of duty at the time of the volcano
exploded. The door of their forecasue
was shut and the portfolios open.
They were not burned, and 1 believe
that they must have died from inhaling
the fame and the poisonous gases. We
put out the fire in this forecastle twice
but it blazed up again. BY this time
the rain of fire had ceased and we were
cropping our way in the darkness that
I'VE looked around for the Grappler-
but we could not see even a piece OF
plank floating on the sea to show where
she had been. A big steamship. which
we knew must be the Roddom, came up
astern Of US as if she was gong 10 pass
Mr.. Scott ran up on the ridge and
burned three Coston lights. He got no
reply from the Roddam. She came up
so close that we could have thrown 4
stone aboard her. Then she backed
away in the darkness.
I know now that the only reason
Why she did not answer US was that
everybody aboard her was killed or dis
abled by the fire blast except the cap
tain and three or four men. At the time
we thought that they were abandoning
US, but now I understand that their
steering gear was fouled and the dying
men had to run her forwards and back
wards many times before they could
make it work
"WeH. 1 am going to stick to the ship
as long as she floats said Mr.. Scott
when he looked around and saw that
we were left there alone with the dead
and dying.
Although so many things had hap
pened. 1t was now long after 8 o'clock.
Cooper Daniels suggested that we throw
one of the skids overheard and use that
as a raft. A skid is a heavy chute made
Of stout planking or which we slid bales |
down into the hold. I don think any |
four Iongshoremen could lift the thing /
but under the influence of the excitement I
we four picked it up and hurled it over
board
Let's see what we can do for these |
lying people, said Mr.. Scott. we must /
help them before We leave the ship
We went around and gave them all /
water Then Mr.. Scott called us to a
life boat which hung on the starboard
side near the remains of the, ships
bridge. We tried TO lower it, but the
lavits were so jammed that We could
rot move them outward So we took a
ask from the boat and filed it with
water and got ready to lower it with a
skid
Before we could do this however, we
Jaw a ships lights coming toward US
md soon we made out the French
Cruiser Suchet. Her captain had seen
he Coston lights when Mr.. Scott burned
hem and he came straight into that
loating hell. In spite of all the danger,
o see if he could save sailors in dis
ress. The Suchet is a fine big cruiser.
With two large tunnels. She is all paint
d white and looks like our cruiser the
Baltimore.
I think it was the paymaster of the
,uchet who spoke the best English and
ailed US from the bridge as his ship
ONE alongside Of ours
What ship is that he asked.
The Roraima," replied Mr.. Scott.
How many Of you are there on
oard?" asked the Frenchman.
I don't know answered Mr.. Scott
but most of us are dead"
Get all the living together and we will
Ike you aboard Of our ship. the French
ian called TO US. We heard the boat
vain piping and presently there came TO !
: OUT OF the darkness a big cutter man
ed by French blue jackets. I
Now for the first time we began to =
Ike an accurate account OF how many .
wing there were aboard our ship. IN
uding those who showed signs OF life.
iere were only twenty-five left out OF 5
II ships company OF si,lty-eight Twelve
s.-e- I
lchet at $50 a n The rescuers were
UGH delayed in taking our people aboard
their terrible condition. do not like :
think of this part of the story. n
The poor, scorched. crippled men were
torn and disigured by the flames that
ey were hardly recognizable as human
.ings. Most of them had the hair burn
OF their heads. The faces OF all OF
EN- were swollen and cut anu disfgured.
that they did not even look human 2
heir clothing hung in scorched AMI o
cody tatters. RI
From many hands the skin hung loose y
Re old gloves. Il was necessary TO place
oh sufferer on a sheet. which was car
ID by four men OF the Suchet With
10 men lowering the sheet by the cor -
rs and two standing below az the edge
the slanting deck Of the Roraima 10
ceive them at the ratl. our poor fellows o.,
ere lowered with great care and then q
nded down aboard the man-of-war $ u
tier. Last OF ell we took Nurse King
d the little Stokes child and Mrs =
cAiiister- y
AIRS. MoAliister's delicate health really u
we'd her life. Tor il really kept her from
ing OF deck with the others. who lost
cir lives. Her husband Is a friend Ct
ne in New York and she was confdel / -,