The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-15
STE amer WRECKED.
IN OCEAN STORM
27OIf fCR|.E|.|W...L|0IS|[ L
Terrible Story Of Suffer
ing and Death In
Mid-Atlantic.
SAILORS OVERCOME
BY FEARFUL ODDS;
Rescurcrs, Cheering, Risked Lives
On Raging Seas to Save
Those in Distress.
TRYING TO SAVE SHIP
CAPTAIN Fatally HURT
IJ,If of Cr.,u nc pr;+;ch H;.o
Saved and Others Went Down
With Wreck Five
clung to Frail Bit Of
Wreck and Were
Rescued.
Rescurcrs, Cheering, Risked Lives
On Raging Seas to Save
Those in Distress.
TRYING TO SAVE SHIP
CAPTAIN Fatally HURT
tBy Associated Press,

tBy Associated Press,
BOSTON, MASS, March 14.-sufering,
mental nnd physical. from numerous
acts or hcrosn In saving life. rarely
c1uallcd in tho record OF tragedies OF
tho sca. attended the loss OF the Phoenix
Line steamer British King. which on Sun
day last. In Il raging Atlantic storm,
fOundercd about iO niles south OF Sable
Island, and carried 10 death. .twenty-scyen
members of tho crew. Thirteen mcn were
re tscued from tho sinking vessel rs tho
Lyland Line steamer BostopIan bound
from Manchester 10 Boston and eleven by
the German tank steamer Mannheim.
from Rotterdam for New York Five
others who had been drawn down Into
the vortex in which the British King was
cngulfed were picked UP by the Bostonian
from u fraii bit OF wreckage which they
had grasped after a desperate struggle
FOR life IN the whirlpool. 80. Bostonian
arrived here this afternoon and the de-
tails OF the disaster became known.
Captain Killed.
Captain lanes otHnsan. nj tiie British.
King, died OH board the Bostoniam from
the effects OF terrible inj jurics sustained.
n
the Bostonian were crushed TO fragments.
and the volunteer crews which manned
them wore thrown into the high running
seas while engaged in the work OF res
cue. but all were safely landed on board
the steamer.
Volunteers from the Mannheim. after
n heroic buttlc with the waves. had taken
Off eleven from the BRITISH King. but af-.
Ter this neither of tho steamers. In cOnse-s
pucncc sof tho increasing gale. could
make an attempt 10 reach the laundering
frcighter. Moreover. darkness fell. and
it was GJ utter ilnpossibiiity to do else
but wait for the moonlight to guide them
In tic darkness the british King. which
was then watcr-iogscd and helpless,
plunged To tire hot,onf.
Struggled Three Days.
For three days her captain and crew.
working against uncomfortable odds. had
tried TO prevent. or at least postpone
their ships destruction. Barrels Of oil
and wrcckage. forming into a powerful!
ram, We're driven down upon her sides
with crushing force. opening up the ves-
sells plates, allowing the water to pour
into her holds.
The extent of the leak was not under
stood until the following day. however.
and then, although all hands We're placed
at the pumps. the water gained cpnsid-
and the engines rendered ,iscIcss by the
rising water. The only remedy at hand
lay in repairing the damaged sections.
+ and willie personally experimenting
this work Captail, O,IlaEani Sustained a
fractured leg and internal injuries. AL
& though he was unable to stand. he con-
tinued to direct the efforts OF his crew.
At8the end or the three days, when all
hands had labored ceaselcssly wi hout
~ l. ,f,,,,
and Mannheim were sighted. and to these
Captain o O'FIagan displayed the signal
for assistance. IN
Both the Bostonian and Mannheim stood
by the scene OF the wreck until Mon
day morning, but no bodies were res
covered.
Story Of Wreck.
Tho British King sailed from New
York last Wednesday,, bound for Ant
worp. with a miscellaneous cargo and
one hundred and lfty head of cat tle. The
5 nnssage was nneventful until Friday
morning, when tho ship was struck by
denly developed into a hurricane. Some
OF the matches We're torn opens great,
volumes of water poured into tho ships
compartments. disabling the engines, and
soon the ship became absolute ely helpless,
5{St he rudder also having been swept AWAY.
Ikr1LltalHB lllo 5I'eCeSSlIy tOc4g QUICK SaC =
ION, Captain O TIagan himself went into
he hold and strove to repair tho most
IS damaged SECTIONS It was while doing
this that a barrel OF oil fractured ono of
Y his legs In two places The injury was
Il SO severe that a piece OF tho bone pro g s
gtrl,dcd through tho crs:a IN snitos ofi
this, he ordered that his leg he bound
up. and Wien this had been done, ,i. re-
snlned command and directed tho efforts
which wore being made to plug up tho
hole in the ships side. , s
But all efforts ats srepuiri wera fruit
less. All hands were forced StoS take
refuge on tho main deck. Tho cattle!
were swept overheard gradually by tho
seas and drowned. y !. si S ti6,
Ships Sighted.
Az S6 o'clock Sunday morning Captain
S O'Iragan sighted tho NIannhein,S and
shortly afterwnrlls the Eos;o IN. both!
OF which hove to. The l3ri tisll King 8sls-
nailed that she wtis MIl ter logged, and
would lave To he abandoned. At clock
she sent another signal. Which rcud:s
no not abandon me. '$,p ssj L.
The hnlG hundred or more mon ofs the
wrecked steamer were lis5plains view of
\ 4 liosesonS hoard tho I3ostpninil and lalln-
n hetln, who could {, howeycr,s.slo nothing Mt
...4 lcantIRusd Sa 4 Second pags,l 3Is