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

Boston, Mass, March 14.-Suffering.
mental and physical, from numerous
acts of herOism in saving life rarely
equalled in the record of tragedies Of
the sea attended the loss of the Phoe-
nix Line steamer BBritish King which
on Sunday last, in raging Atlantic
storm fonndere1 about $50 miles south
Of Sable Island, and caused the death
Of twenty-seven members of tbs crew.
Thirteen men were 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, from
Rotterdam for New York Five others
who had been drawn down in the vor
tex into which the British King was
engulfed, we're picked up by the Bos-
tonian from frail bit Of wreckage
which they had grasped after a des-
perate struggle for life in the whirl-
pool. The BOstonian arrived here this
afternoon and the details of the dis
aster became known.
Captain James O'Hagan, of the
British King, died on board the Bos-
tOnian from the effects of terrible in
juries sustained in trying to save his
ship. The boats of the Bostonian
were crushed to fragments, and the
volunteer crews which manned them
were thrown into the high running seas,
while engaged in the work of rescue,
but all were safely landed on board the
steamer.
Volunteers from the Mannheim. af
ter a heroic battle with the waves,
had taken off eleven from the British
King, but after this neither of the
steamers, in consequence of the in
creasing gale, could make an attempt
to reach the foundering freighter.
Moreover, darkness fell, and it was an
utter impossibility to do else but wait
for the moon light to guide them. In
the darkness the British King, which
was then waterlogged and helpless,
plunged to the bottom.
For three days her captain and crew,
working against unconquerable odds,
had tried to prevent, Or at least, post
pone their ships destruction. Barrels
Of oil and wreckage forming into a
powerful ram. were driven down upon
her sides with crushing force, opening
up the vessels plates, allowing the
water to pour into her holds.
The extent of the leak was not un-
derstood until the following day, how
ever, and then, although all hands
were placed at the pumps, the water
gained considerably. The fires had
been extinguished, and the engines
rendered useless by the rising water.
The only remedy at hand lay in repair
ing the damaged sections, and while
personally experimenting this work,
Captain O'Hagan sustained fractur-
ed leg and internal injuries. Although
he was unable to stand, he continued
to direct the efforts of his crew. At
the end of three days, when all hands
had labored ceaselessly without rest
and with little food the Bostonian and
Mannheim were sighted, and to these
Captain displayed the signal for as
sistance.
Both the Bostonian and Mannheim
stood by the scene of the wreck until
Monday morning, but no bodies were
recovered.
The British King sailed from New
York last Wednesday bound for Ant
werp, with q miscellaneous cargo and
$50 head of cattle. The passage was
-uneventful until Friday morning,
when the ship was struck by strong
northwesterly wind, which suddenly
developed into a hurricane. Some OF
the matches were torn open, great vol
umes of water poured into the ships
compartments, disabling the engines
and soon the ship became absolutely
helpless, the rudder also having been
swept away. Realizing the necessity of
quick action Captain OHagan himself
went into the hold and strove to repair
the most damaged sections.
It was while doing this that a bar