New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-18
HERE FIFTH SURVIVORS.
Officers Committed Suicide as the
Steamer SaHk,-OH Useless.

The steamer vidar Captain Sorrenson, ar
rived last night from Caibarien. having on board
six Of the crew Of the British steamer Mexi-
cano which foundered during gale on Septem-
Der 16 Captain Sorrensen said:
II was sitting In my cabin about o'clock yes
terday morning. when 1 heard cry. Thinking
some one was fooling on board the steamer.
went out on the bridge to investigate. When
reached the bridge heard the cry again.
The sound seemed to come from the ocean.
but could not see any ordered a boat
to be got ready. and when I heard the cry a
third time 1 saw something IN the water like
small log about half a mile off. With the aid OF
my glass found it to be a small hatch with
man in oilskins stretched full length on it,
Immediately steered for the man and rescued
him: he was completely exhausted and had 10
be hauled aboard the boat
He was unable to say a word. and thinking
there were no more. as I could see no wreckage
about 1 started on my way. I had proceeded
about mile when l several objects in the
water which could not plainly make out Upon
going closer l found five more men cingng to
pieces Of wreckage
had the boat lowered again and picked up
the Castaways. They. too. were exhausted. and
one was nearly crazy. Ny men had to hold him
in the Hfeboat. for he was determined 10 jump
into the sea. There was another steamer some
distance off. and / could see that they had a
Iifeboat out, but l could not distinguish her
name"
One o; the survivors. August Osterlind. ma
tive of Finland. tells the following story:
About t O'Clock on September Il we encoun-
tered a severe hurricane blowing from the south
About Il o'clock it shifted to northwest. and
blew it'll Tremendous force. A heavy sea swept
the steamer from stem to stern. carrying away
the lifeboats and ventilators. flooding the en-
CINE rooms and putting out the fires.
The steamer then became unmanagea and
WAS soon in the troush Of the sea She rolled
about for little over hour. when she sank
stern first The me in the forecastle were
called out and told to he ready TO save them
selves the best way possible when the steamer
went down. The bOqtswain refused 20 leave his
bunk. saying if he hadto die he would rather
die in his bunk than in the sea. Two fremen
refused 70 leave the stOkeroOm, preferring TO
take chance on the steamer standing out the
storm.
we were on the bridge with the officers. and
jumped overheard just as the steamer went
down lust before l jumped heard two pistol
shots and I think some OF the officers shot
themselves. preferTing that kind Of death 70
drowning We drifted about for several hours,
doing our best to keep together. but when day
light came there were but seven OF us To-
Eether. The second mate was about exhausted
He took off his lie buoy. handed it TO Of
the sailors said gOOdby 10 all Of us. and went
down. We had about given up hope, when we
sighted the steamer"
The MexiCanO was a tank steamer. and car
Tied crew Of twenty-five men. besides Captain
King. Some Of them were probably picked M
by the other steamer. The survivors aboard
aboard the Nidar are: Seaman August Oster-
lind and Simon Baderea, both Of Finland; Fire
men Leonidas KoTpedes. Of Greece. and Sappe
Pooh. Of Spain: Seamen ROs Clementine. OF
Manila. and Juan Fonts. Of Spain, fireman.
Norfolk Va Sept 1.-THE British steamship
Rocky Captain Shields. which arrived here this
BaIIo Reyarberay. a Spaniard. Of the survivors
Of the British steamship Mexicano. which foundered
of the Florida coast Tuesday night. Reyeroeray
caught piece Of wrockage and kept afost until he
was seen yesterday morning by the Roxby and
rescued
Reyarberay says that hundreds OF gallons o. oil
were poured over the ships side a vain attempt
to calm the sea and save the ship. When the Mex
icano went down the went with her All the
boats had been crushed bw the waves Reyarberay
went under with the vessel. but he became en-
tangled I'm some loose rigging AMI spars and these
brought him 10 the surface. where he made HIM
self fast TO the largest spar. For seven hours he
fOated in turbulent sea. until the hOXoy hove IN
sight.
me NexIcano sailed from Tampico on Monday
Was reported being bound from Marcus
Hook 70 TamniCo August 10. Fer captain was r. ,
ouEh. England. owned her Phillips. Phillips &
Co. Limited WeeT her managers. Her cargo was
petroleum in bulk. She was built at Sunderland
in ISIS.