The Washington times., 1908-02-04
Fire Destroys St. Cuth-
bert in Raging Storm,
Which Keeps Off
Brave Helpers.
Terrible Story of Suffer-
ing Told by y Survi-
YOrS-l5 Drowned
as Boat SWamps.

BOSTON. Feb. l-The whitg Star
liner Cymric is due here from Queens
town today with the thirty-sevdn men
rescued yesterday from the burning
steamer ST. CLthtert in midOce4n. Tie
story Of the IeScLa, when fully tod.
| promises 70 be .ac OF the mosi sensa-
tiOnaI - ~ f.'story OF wrecks and
| hairb-eadth ssC- .ies so numeroSs along
the weEtsrn north Atlantic coast.
The CymIic nine days out from
| Queenstown TO 55OstoD, sighted the ST.
Cuthbert in the service Of the Phoenix
| line, from Ar:TeEp for New York, Diaz-
/ ing from sr,m 10 stern. and stood By
/ for nine hours. the sea making a res
| cue almost impossible
/ Fifteen Of The crew. attempting au
| escape in one CT the small boats sun
| day, had aITC-dy persisted b. the
sWamping Of thelr fraI cEaft. and the
remaining thirty seven awaited death
I either by H-e % % the storm.
The Cymrc -. ted the ST. Cuthbert
a. 7:30 in tbe morning. Captain Finch.
/ seeing its distress signals, altered his
/ course, md C nlc upon the steamer lab
/ oring through the thick smoke which
was issuing f.cm the bows. The gale,
D ff+~~NtA -trt'a bN@AA shsfft-t1 ~ Nl-AI
hours, prevented immediate rescue, al
! though officers and crew volunteered
/ boat se---e
I The unes t-embriau drew up at noon,
/ and both vessels ciTcIed aIternatively
Z for hours around the ST. CuthberL
Storm Abated.
/ In the afternoon the storm abated
/ slowly. and ths. Officers Of the Cvmric
decided 10 lower boat Il was manned
/ by First OnIcer ST. Ivey, and a crew OF
1 six stalwarts. The maneuver was exc
( cuted brilliantly, and the boat reached
/ the CuJhbertt protected by the copious
use OF oil.
/ Captain Hawke. Of the fated steamer.
I and @ sailor were frightfuIly burned on
/ the face and arms. These two injured
I men were helpIessly beaten agai-lsJ the
I ships sides as they were hOisted by a
[ loop under their arms They had many
wounds. and a hands breadth Of skin
/ feH from Hawkes. face as 1t was
! dressed
The sufferers received every. care. and
( their wounds proved superficial Nearly
/ every member Of the crew had the sOles
/ OF his feet burned. StIvey and his vol
! untcer crew insisted or completing the
! task Of rescue, though others INSISTED on
/ relieving them. A binding SnOWsJOfm
/ ..-as now raging. and the sea was Jre-
! mendous- SeorChlights were riSSed,
1 and signal 1asn torches arranged,
! Fourteen more survivors were rescued
Z on the second trip Then Ile DQaL
/ CrpWS leaving lights On the st Cutn-
1 bert TO show il was Gisa D-ed. returned
! 10 the CymTiC. HOlsted the sa-.oFs on
/ board and puJ or once more ICt the
The ne 6ost returned half fuE al water.
! having been stove in, but with all or Jno
/ remainder Of the St Cuthberts crew
Relate Terrible Story.
The St Cuthberts officers and crew
had a terrible story to relate. AT MD
uiqb+ saturday smoke issued from The
/ ventiIators. The second officer rusheI
70 the bridge 10 warn the captain. and
sr this instant en- explosion blew all the
! forward matches into the air, destroyed
! 6aIf of the bridge, and set the bridge
/ afre.
! The poisonous fumes OF burning oil
! drove the helmsman -rCm the wheel
/ and he mt the vessel about, heading
/ If INFO the wind. Captain HAWKE le4t
/ 10 the deck, frighJ1uly burned anu
| blinded. The crew, maddened Win rear
! ruprea at the HfebOats, without IN
/ checking the braces. The nrst lauhcA
/ smashed in lowering. and all but one or
tuxo of the inmates W.Tc drowned, an
cIuding the third officer.
( Another small boat. however, )
/ lowered successfully at O clock and tue
I nine passengers remained in II unII
! tbe following afternoon at four.
Stoaways Burned.
/ The crew finally rallied and fought
! the flames desperately for thirty-six
hours. under direction Of Captain Hawke.
/ The progress Of the flames could not be
I checked. The fOremasr crashed across
+ the foreraH. precipitating a man from
/ the crows nest into the seething flames
] beneath. Nine stowaWays were aboard
/ and several were cut of from the stern
and burned to daaEl-
! The cargo was composed Of matches,
rags. fusel OIL willow-ware and other
/ infammabes. It was badly slowed, and
[ the vessel had heavy list which made
I the lowering OF boats hazardous
The crew and stOWaWays both re
ceived medical assistance and attention
and with warm food for the first tine
/ since Saturday. quickly fell asleep on
/ reaching the Cymric.
yT.zz.I Tso.,o.L.4 IT, ,-,-.-