The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-12-01
SEQ ljIillE les; PERISH
Two auDJrsa lives Lust NAV
fdl, Sea Disaster.
DEAD MOSTLY ARABS !! BlsE'

DEAD "a al6sTLY ARABS
English steamer Burned or she
Coast Of Malta-Fire Apparatus
Was Useless-Passengers Trapped
and Were Forced to- Jump Into
the Sea and Drown.
valetta, island of Malta, Nov. .2s.
A terrible disaster, in which more
than a hundred PERSONS lost their
lives, occurred at the entrance to
this. port Wednesday morning. The
British steamer Sardinia, Of the
Ellerman line, hailing from Live
pool and bound for Alexandria, with
crew of 344 Englishmen, III first
and 6 second cabin English passeC-
gers and nearly zoo Arab pilgrims
aboard, caught fire and within few
minutes was roaring furnace, the
flames bursting upward to- height
of"20O feet from frequent explosions
in the hold. rsss,e'-s,'l 'l.s.sA.n
So rapidly did the fire spread that
the frantic efforts OF the crew to
operate the fire apparatus proved
useless, for it seemed but moment
before the upper works and masts
crashed down upon the deck while
the ships boats were crushed by
the falling debris or set fire and
quickly burned.
Safety lay in the sea, for no one
could save himself except by jump
ing overheard and taking chances
of being picked up. Assistance was
hurried to, the burning vessel from
all the war ships in the harbor and
from the shore, but the work Of res
cue was greatly impeded by the
strong tide that was running. Even
the naval launches were unable to
go alongside. Among the Arabs
there was panic that could not be
controlled. Many Of them were too
frightened to jump and they were
burned to death. Others, casting
themselves into the waves, were
drowned.
The crew behaved with admirable
courage, serving out life preservers
to the last and working the pumps.
8 When the pumps became useless,
Capt. Charles Little, commander of
the Sardinia, took the helm and
directed his ship towards the shore
so long as it could be nayigated. He
perished at his post.
First Officer Frank Watson, all
three engineers, Seagraves, Hislup
and Neill, thirteen of the ships
company and two first class passeng-
ers, one of them a boy named Gram,
are missing. Fifty or more bodies
have been recovered and seventy per-
sons were rescued. 1t is impossible
at present to say just how many were
drowned or burned to death. but
the number will doubtless far eX-
ceed a hundred.
The vessel drifted around three
times, and finally was beached broad
side on the rocks at the mouth Of
the harbor. She is still burning and
will be a total loss.
The British vice admiral, Sir
Asheton, and Curzon-Howe and Ad-
miral Fisher directed the rescuing
boats, which did gallant work in
saving those who were yet alive,
and bringing the bodies of the dead
ashore.
Capt. Little's body, which was
terribly mangled, was landed this
afternoon. The other bodies were
also mutilated and burned. Fifty
six of the injured are being cared
for in the hospitals. One Of the
rescued passengers gave graphic
account of the disaster.
1.-The Sardinia" he said, cleft
Valetta at S:45 this morning. We
were just outside the harbor and the
crew securing the anchor when the
cry of fire was heard. Flames
could be seen issuing from a venti-
lator on the port side. A hose was
promptly brought up and a stream
poured down the ventilator, but this
did no good. In less than ten min
utes flames were streaming out Of
the other ventilators. The whole
vessel admidships was wrapped in
flames The Arab passengers were
told to leave the hatch, in which
they clung desperately, but they re-
fused to move. All who remained
forward perished, except some of
those who leaped into the water.
,"In the meantime naval pinnaces
hurried to the scene. They could.
not approach closely on account o.
the high seas and falling spars. The
great majority of the European pas
sengers succeeded in reaching shore.
The Arabs, among whom were
many women and children, clung
together shrieking, and but few Of
them would jump overheard, al
- A.