The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-16
q LOST IN SPITE
OF BRAVE EFFORT
HerOism in Saving Life Rarely
Equaled in Record of
Sea Tragedies.
STEAMER BRITISH KING
FOUNDERS IN ATLANTIC
Boats Smashed to Splinters;
Captain Dies in Effort to
Save His Ship.

BOSTON, March 15.-SufTerlng mental
and physical. and numerous acts of hero
ism In saving life rarely equalled in the
record OF tragedies OF the sea. attended
the loss OF the Phoenix line steamer
British King. which on Sunday last, I'm a
raging Atlantic storm, foundered about
LOO miles south of Sable island and car
ricd To death twenty y-sevcn members of
the crew,
Thirteen members were rescued from
the sinking vessel by the Leyland liner
Bostonian. bound from Manchester 10
Boston, and eleven others by the tank
steamer Mannheim Rotterdam for New
York
Five others who had been drawn down
In the vortex In which the British King
tonian from frall bit Of wreckage which
they had grasped, after desperate
struggle for life In the whirlpool.
The Bostonian arrived here this after
noon and the details of the disaster be-
came known.
Gives His Life to Save Ship.
Capt James O'Hagun OF the British
King died on board the Bostonian from
the effects OF terrible injuries sustained
In trying TO save his ship,
The rescued brought here yesterday in
elude James Flanagan, second officer, j.
D. Crawford chief engineer Adolphus
Brew, fourth engineer, and William J.
Curry, steward.
Tho others were coal passers and sail
ors, mostly Belsians, and one stowaway
from New York.
The lfeboats from the Bostonian were
crushed to fragments and tho volunteer
crews which manned them were thrown
into the high-running seas while engaged
in the work OF rescue, but all were safe
ly landed on board the steamer.
Hazardous Work of Rescue.
When the first lifeboat was lowered
from the Bostonlan the small craft was
anoinat the stern of the big ship
and destroyed. and several OF the seamen
were bruised and MANNED. Yet, despite
the boisterous condition OF the sea the
volunteers were rcsdced by lines thrown
out from their own steamer.
A second attempt to reach the sinking
ship was successful and thirteen men. in
cludinE Capt. o Hagan, were taken from
the British King TO the Bostonian.
Then again powerful bilow carried the
Hfe-boat against the side of the ship and
DESTROYED II, and the life-saVerS were
inter an hours work by their comrades.
Eleven More Saved.
Volunteers from the Mannheim after a
heroic battle with the waves had taken
of eleven from the British King. but af-
ter this neither Of the steamers I'm conSe-
oucncc OF the increasing gale and oncom-
ing darkness could make an attempt to
reach the laundering freighter
Soon aftcrward tho British King, which
was then waterloggod and helpless,
plunged to the bottom
The British King sailed from New York
Inst Wednesday bound for Antwerp, with
a miscellaneous cargo and $50 cattle.
previous TO the appearance Of the rescu-
ing steamers every small boat OF tho
ESS,Ieh King had been demolished and
there was 10 way In which the crew could
leave the ship.
Cause of Disaster.
The disaster was caused by barrels OF
ou mud other wrcckBge. which had been
washed overheard In violent storm, be-
,,a, tbronn bnck against the hull by tho
,svce until an aperture Was made,
throurh which the water poured
,rbe fact that tho leak was not dlscov-
ad for many hours was the immediate
cnuse OF the ships loss