Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-03-15
HEROIC WORK
IN RESCUING
SHIPS OR EW.
Steamer British King FIOundered
Off Sable Island Many
Lives Lost.
STEAMER BOSTONIAN IN
Brought Some Of The Crew Of
the Lost VesssI-. Others Bound
for New York.

BOSTON, March ID Suffering men
tai and physical, and numerous, acts of
heroism in saving life rarely eXlmpled
in the grim record Of tragedies of the
sea attended the loss of the PheniX
line steamer British King, which in
raging Atlantic storm foundered about
100 miles south of Sable island and
carried to death twenty-seyen Nom
bers of the crew.
Thirteen men We're rescued from the
sinking vessel by the Leyland line
steamer Bostonian, bound from Man
chester to Boston, and eleven by the
German tank steamer Mannheim, Rot
terdam for New York. Five others
who had been sucked down in the vor-
tex into which the British King was
engulfed We're picked up by the BOs-
tonian from Il frail bit of Wreckage
which they had grasped after IL des-
perate struggle for life in the whirl-
pool. When the 3ostonian arrived here
the details of the disaster became
known.
Captain james OHagan of the Brit
ish King died on board the Bostonian
from the effects OF terrible injuries
sustained in trying TO save his ship.
The rescued who We're brought here
include James Flanagan, the second Of
licer; j. u. Crawford, the chief engi-
neer; Adolphus Beck, the fourth engi-
ncer. and William ]. Curry, the stew
ard The others We're coal paSsers and
sailors. mostly Belglans, and one stow
away, Henry Parllotch of New York.
During the storm the ship sprang Il
leak, and at the end Of three days,
when all hands had lubOred ut the
pumps ceaselessly without rest and
with little food. the Bostonian and
Mannheim We're sighted, and 10 these
Captain O'Hagan displayed the signal
for assistance
Realizing the necessity of quick ac-
ton, Captain O'Hagan himself went
into the ships hold and stroye TO re-
pair the leaks. 1t was while doing this
that barrel of oil fractured one of his
legs in two places. The injury was so
severe that Il piece of the bone pro
truded through the flesh. In spite of
this injury and in spite of internal
hurts caused by his fall Captain
OHagan refused to be carried to his
cabin. He ordered that his leg be
bound up, and when this had been
done he resumed command and direct
ed the efforts which were being made
to plug up the hole in the ships side.
The men of the British King were
brave for during the rescue they push
ed one another forward, all apparently
willing to wait for the last chance of
being saved. They almost overloaded
the small boat, which after a danger
Gus passage reached the Mannheim in
safety. Whether the Mannheim had
lowered other boats which had been
stove in was not known, although sur
vivors of the lost steamer say that this
happened.
Sailors of the Bostonian We'd with
each other for the honor of sitting in
the lifeboat and We're not deferred
from this when the first boat was dash
cd to pieces against the steamers
stern. First Officer William Brown
and six seamen with him were left
struggling in the water, but eventually
the lives of every one of them were
preserved by means of lines thrown
from the Leyland boat. Many were
wounded and bruised.
Two lifeboats from the Bostonan
were crushed to fragments, and the
volunteer crews which manned them
were thrown into the high running
seas while engaged in the work of res
cue. but all were safely landed on
board the steamer.
On the decl; of the Bostonian touch
ing scene was witnessed. In pine
box lay the body of Captain OHagan.
Covering the box was the British flag,
and near by stood the survivors OF the
British King. The body was taken
ashore before dark. AS the captains
body was swung over the side one OF
the men removed his hat and his head
dropped to his chest and tears coursed
down his cheeks. His companions un-
covered. and they, too. cried as the
pine box was landed on the wharf.
The value of the ship was estimated
here at 100000 and her cargo ut be
tween S400.0OO and 100000.