The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-18
STEAMER FOUNDERS; II LOST.
TRAMP MEXICANO SUNK Off
HATTERAS-SEVE SAVED.

We're Picked Up Clinsing - Wreckago
One Heard shsts % tho Steamer
went Dswn-Thinks ssme ONcers Took |
Death That way-story Of the Wreck.
The British tramp steamer Mexioano.
under charter to the Standard Oil Company
and bound from Philadelphia for Vera
Cruz with cargo OF petroleum, went down
on Tuesday night of Cape Hatteras in tho
storm which passed over here on We'd
nesday.
OF her crew Of twenty -four mon, six were
picked up clinging to pieces Of wreckage
by the steamer Vidar which arrived at
Quarantine last night from Caibarien.
One other survivor, = Spanish seaman, was
saved by the steamer Roxby and reached
Norfolk, Va, yesterday. The other seven
teen are believed to have been lost.
The Mexicano left Philadelphia on Mon
day. On Tuesday night she met the hurri-
cane and the waves began to roll over her.
Capt. King had large amount OF the oil
thrown in the water. It had no effect on
the waves. They mounted higher and
higher till they rolled into tho funnel and
put out the flres in the furnaces, so that the
vessel was helpless.
Tho Mexicano rolled violently. Seeing
that she was going down. Capt. King called
the men about him, instructed them to put
on life preservers and save themselves.
The boats had been smashed and there was
nothing OF which to make raft.
In q few minutes more the Mexicanos
bow was lifted by great wave. Then,
stern hrst, abe went to the bottom.
The vessel sank about forty miles on Cape
Hstteras There were two other steamers
fighting the storm in the neighborhood.
The Rothby, Capt Shields. bound for Ham
burg with cargo Of phosphate from
Florida ports. picked up Domingo Veral-
lobre. seaman. at 1890 o'clock the next
morning. He was astride a piece OF the
bridge and dashed to it.
Capt. Shields saw the man waving his
arm as a signal. stopped his vessel and sent
out q boat to rescue him. He was landed
q. Norfolk by the Rothby yesterday and
the British Consul sent him to Philadelphia.
In a statement made before the British
Consul the sailor said that when the Mexi-
cano sank he went into the water with the
rest Of the crew. As soon as he came up
he swam for tho maelstrom OF the sink
ing vessel and caught piece OF the bridge
which had hoated from the wreck
He had a length OF rope and dashed him
self to the wrecksge, thus saving HIMSELF
Tho third engineer got on tho same piece
u wrec kage, but was unable to keep his
place, and after terrible stru ggle. he
gave way and WAS lost.
That was about midnight Tho sailor
held on till 1880 tho next morning. His
legs are deeply cut with ropes and the
wrecksSe to which he Was bound. IL
Az ~,SSsSla Have besm inpoaDtbls for him 70 ride
astrids Of the wreck, he said, except for
tho rope which held him against the raging
sea.
Athrilling story Of the rescue Of the other
six OF the crew was told by Capt sorrensen
OF the Vidar when she arrived at Quarantine
last night
.Iwas sitting in my cabin about Q o'clock
yesterday morning." said the captain,
when heard a cry. Thinking some one
was iooling on 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 l could not see any one.
ordered boat got ready and when heard
Inc CRY Il IIllTu tlInt L sat" 5ohCbthhA AL WIG
water like small log about half mile
On Bringing my glass into play found
!, to he small hatch with a man In oil
>Lins stretched full length on It,
Il steered for the man and rescued him
He was completely exhausted and had to
bo hauled aboard tho boat. He was nable
To say word, and thinking there were nc
more. as could see no wreckage. started
on my way,
We had gone about mile when saw
overall objects in the water which could
rot plainly make out. Upon going closer
found five more men clinging to pieces
OF wreckaee. had the boat lowered again
and picked them up.
They were exhausted and one was nearly
crazy. My men had to hold him in the
lifeboat, for he was determined to jump
into the sea. There was another steamer
some distance of and could see that they
had lifeboat out, but could not distin
guish her name
One Of the survivors, August Osterlind
Finn, told this story Of the ships loss:
About o'clock on Tuesday we encount
cred a severe hurricane blowing from the
northeast. About IL o'clock it shifted tt
northwest and blew with tremendous force
A heavy sea swept the steamer from stem
to stern carrying away the ifeboats ane
ventilators, flooding the engine room ant
putting out the Ares.
sThe steamer became unmanageable, ant
was soon in the trough Of the sea. Sh'
rolled about for little over an hour. Ther
she sank, stern first. We men in the fore
castle were called out and told to be read,
to save ourselves the best way we coult
when the steamer went down.
sThe boatswain refused TO leave his bunk
He said II he had to die he'd rather die il
his bunk than in the sea Two firemen re
fused to leave the stoke ROOM preferrinl
to take a chance on the steamer standing
out the storm.
'We were on the bridge with the officer
and jumped overheard just as the steam
went down. Just before jumped heart
Two pistol shots. think some Of the Of
foers shot themselves. preferring tina
death TO drowning
We drifted about for several hours
doing our best to keep together. but wher
daylight came there were but seven Of III
together. The second mate was abou
exhausted. He took OF his life buoy
gave II to one Of the sailofs, said good-by
TO all OF liza and went down