The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-21
And Twenty.S Seven Lives Are
Lost in the Atlantic.
FOUNDERED AT SEA.
There Were Many Acts of Heroism and
Self Sacrifice. Twenty-Pour MN.
bers of the Crew We're Picked
Up at Sea and Carried to
Qoc{oo

Up at Sea and Carried to
Boston.
SUf srlng, mental and physical, from
numerous acts Of heroisn In saving
life, rarely eq1alled In the record of
tragedies Of the sea, attended the loss
of the Paosni1 ll1e steamer British
King, which on Sunday, March II, in
a raging Atlantic storm, foundered
about $50 miles south of Sable island
and clrried to death 81 members OF
tho crew. Thirteen men were rescued
from the sinking vessel by the Ley
land line steamer Bo ottoman, bound
from Manchester to Boston. and II by
the German tank steamer Mannheim,
Rotterdam for New York. Five others
who had been drawn down in the vor'
sex into which the British King was
engulfed we're picked up by the Bos-
tonian from a frail bit Of ~wreckage
which they had graepsd after q des-
perate struggle for life In the whir.
pool. The B%ostoDian arrived at Bos.
ton Wednesday afternoon and the de-
tails of the disaster became known.
Capt. James O'Hagan Ct the Brit
ish King died on board the Bestonian
from the effects Of terrible injuries
,ustained In trying to save bis, ship.
o l. of the boats of the Bostonlan wa
crushed to fragments and the volun'
seer crew which manned 1t were
thrown into the high running seas,
while engaged in the work of rescue,
but all we're SAFELY landed on board
the steamer.
Volunteers ( ON the. Mannheim
,fter q heroic battle with the waves
had taken IF II from the British
King, but af5er this neither Of the
steamers, in consf q fence OF the in
creasing gale, could make an attempt
TO reach the + underiug freighter
Moreoyer, darkness fell and it w2s ar
utter impcssibility to do else but wait
for the moonlight to guide them. IT,
the darkness the British King, which
vas then waterlogged and helpless,
olurged to the bottom.
For three days her captain anG
crew, working againsd uncor.Queraolt
odds, had tried to prevent, or at least
postpone, their ships destruction.
Barrels of oil and wreckags' forming
into a powerful arm, were driven down
upon her sides with c 'ushing force,
opening up the vessels plates and al
owing the water to pour Into her
holds.
The extent of the leak was not ia
lerstood until the following day, how
sver, and then, although all hands
we're placed at the pumps, the water
gained considerably. The fires had
been extinguished and the engines
rendered useless by the rising water.
The only n msdy at hand lay In re
pairirg the damaged sections, and
While personally experimenting bis
work, Capt. O'Hagan sustained q
fractured leg and internal If jlries. Al
enough he was unable to s'aud he cor.
tinued to direct the Efforts OF his
At the end of the three days
when all hands had labored cesseless
ly without rest and with little fJod,
5he Bostonian and Mannheim were
sighted, ard to these Capt. O'Hagan
displayed the signal for assistance.
Both the B ,stonian and Mannheim
stood b. the scene Of the wreck until
Monday morning, but no bodies were
rec rvered.
The British K ing sailed from New
York bound for Antwerp with a MIL
cellanecuS cargo OF $50 head OF cattle
The passage was u%nsventtul until Ed
day morning, when the ship was struck
by a strong northwesterly wind, which
suddenly developed into q hurricane.
Some # the matches were torn open,
great volumes of water pouring into
the ships compartments, disabling
the engines, and soon the ship became
absolutely helpless, the rudder also
having been swept away. Railing
the necessity of quick action, Capt.
O'Hagan himself went into the holo
and strove to repair the most damag'
ed sections.
1t was while doing this that a bur
rel of oil fractured one of his legs IN
TWO places. The Injury was 80 severe
that a piece OF the bone pto:ru1eo
through the flesh. In spite Ct this he
ordered that his leg be bouud up and
when this had been done, resumed
command and directed the IF Irts
which we're being made to plug Up the
hole In the ships side. But all efforts
at repairs were fruitless. All hands
we're forced to take refuge on the
main deck. The cattle were swept
Jverboard gradually by the seas and
dro Wned.
At 6 o'clock Sunday morning Capt.
'O'Hasan sighted the Mannheim ano
shortly afterwards the Bostonian,
b1th OF which hove to. The Bfltish
~, --1I-l 49, 49, x-.n pnntnr1rr