The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-16

ordered his leg to be bound up and
when this had been done, resumed
command and directed the efforts
which were being made to plug up the
hole in the ships side. But all efforts
at repair were fruitless. All hands
were forced to take refuge on the
main deck The cattle were swept
overheard, gradually by the seas and
drowned. At O'Clock Sunday morn
ing Captain O'Hagan sighted the
Mannheim and shortly afterwards the
Bostonian, both Of which hove to. The
British King signalled that she was
waterlogged and would have to be
abandoned. At 8 O'Clock she sent an
other signal which read: do not
abandon me-"
The half hundred or more men Of
the wecked steamer were in plain view
of those on board the BOstonian and
Mannheim who could, however, do
nothing at that time in the way of
rescue on account of the sea that was
running.
At / 40 D. m. the British King sig
nailed: Help us, we are sinking.
A slight moderation of the weather
permitted the Mannheim to lower
boat in charge of a volunteer crew
which. after a perilous and most diti-
cult row to the British King, rescued
eleven of the crew.
The men of the British King were
brave for they pushed one another for
ward. all apparently willing to wait for
the last chance of being saved.
Sailors of the BostOnian We'd with
each other for the honor of sitting III
life boat and were not deferred from
this when the first boat was dashed to
pieces against the steamers stern
First Officer William Brown and the
six seamen with him were left strng-
Cling in the water, but they were saved
by means of lines thrown from the
Leyland boat The men were all bad
ly bruised.
A great cheer went up from the B0s-
tOnian when at 4 O'Clock the StarbOard
life boat was successfully put out in
charge of Second Officer Cromwell.
The steward and four sailors went
with him, and the encouraging cheers
were kept up as the little crew gallant
ly struggled to reach the sinking
steamer This boat took off Is men,
including Captain O'Hagan, who was
'tenderly, but hastily lowered by his
men by means of a line from the stern.
The BOStOnian was reached and the
rescued seamen placed on board. But
before the life savers could climb to
the deck, a quick forming sea hurled
the fragile craft aginst the side OF the
steamer, forcing her apart, and then
the water receding carried the vOlun-
ters some hundred feet distant from
their ship. Cheering cries reached
them to cling to the wreckage while
the engines of the Bostonian started
and the ship manoeuvred to point
near the struggling seamen. Again
were the lines used with skill and sue
cess, for all volunteers were hoisted
to the ship, though Officer Cromwell
was almost drowned.
Captain Barry deemed it imprudent
to send another boat to the wreck, as
darkness was setting in and decided to
wait until the moon arose before con-
tinuing the work of rescue. About II
o'clock, when the gaze was running
with apparently reinforced velocity,
the British King was seen to stagger
in the trough Of the sea. raise herself,
plunge down. Both the Mannheim
and the Bostonian steamed to the point
where the ship had foundered and it
had just been decided that all those
on board had perished when feeble
cry from the darkness told that some
at least had not been drowned. Half
an hour later Captain Parry of the
Bostonian located small section of
cattle reck to which five men were
clinging. These were Second Officer
Flanagan, Chief Engineer Crawfod.
Arolphus Beck, fourth engineer and
two cattlemen. They had been car
ried down with the steamer, but after
coming to the surlace, had, after
mighty efforts, succeeded in swimming
beyond the whirlpool, and in finding
temporary refuge upon the wreckage.
All night and until 7:3O a. m. Oh
Monday both the Mannheim and the
Bostonian stood by searching for
bodies and then both ships resumed
their passages.
Yesterday, after terrible suffering,
Captain O'Hagan died.
Fifty six men, including a stowaway
were on board the British King and q
of these, it is deemed almost certain
perished with their ship.