The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
Two Hundred Persons Per-
ished with London.
SURVIVOR RELATES STORY
Buneted by Angry Sea, the Auxiliary
screw Steamship was Tossed Aboat
Bay OF Biscay, Her Decks Filled
with water for Several Weeks.
Crew Sank with the Vessel.
From the New Hotk Tribuus.

10 mind last week by the sinking OF the
White Star Liner Republic. Taey were
likewise recalled by a group Of mariners
the other day when the tramp steamer
Munin, Capt. Larsen. arrived in New
York Harbor with a tale OF a 100
mile race for life with smOke-beiching
hatches and a red-hot deck above a cargo
of kerosene. Fire was discovered in
the forehold OF the ship Of the port OK
Saba. in the Dutch West Indies. and while
live steam was turned below the captain
decided II necessary 10 make St kits 10
Quench the flames.
The crew did not want TO spend twelve
hours over a volcano likely TO explode at
any mOment, but the skipper persuaded
them with arguments that belong TO the
high seas At full speed the burning
craft raced for the friendly pert against
all odds Of destruction
She reached St Kits, and the vessels
in the harbor gave her a most respectful
clearance A British war ship tried TO
help her extinguish herself but when
the matches were opened flames leaped TO
the height OF the Munin's smokestack.
Then the war ship tOwed the tramp into
shallow water. were the opening OF her
seacocks allowed Neptune 10 prove him
self a champion frefghter. The water
was pumped out OF the Munin, and she
proceeded 70 this port under her own
steam
A Narrow Escape.
That was narrow escape" said one
OF the mariners. but most OF the things
that happen are narrower In fact, there
are more fatal endings than escapes IN
the seafaring life You remember the
Bourgogne and the Portland and the oil
tanker Helgoland. where fate never tan
tailed men ike il did the three survivors
lashed TO the mast within few rods OF
the Newfoundland shore. and It might
as well have been I.00o miles
The graybearded mossbaek who took a
quid OF tobacco out Of his pocket afore
ne tried his last swim. and then, falling
10 make the shore, got back 10 the wreck
lashed himself up again and waved his
hand 10 the shore folks watching him, be-
cause he knew his end was come by
freezing 10 death-Tu always remember
him
"Of all the yarns. give me the loss OF
the London. fOrty-three years ago. said
another She was an old style boat.
half steam and half sail. but everything
happened on her natural as on the Repub-
lie. and those few who escaped told about
IS much truth as you'll get from any sur
vivors- Yes, sir, give ne the London
yarn.
The auxiliary screw steamship London
sailed from the port Of the English ne
trOpolis. bound for Melbourne. At the end
Of December She had 163 passengers
and a crew OF eighty-nine men II was
only her third voyage Entering the
channel the snip behaved badly. but this
was attributed TO an overload Of coal and
cargo and II was thought she would ride
better when the coal vas partly used I'd
Bets were made that II would be a
sixty-day voyage 10 Melbourne-a rapid
trip by the old route around the Cape OF
Good Hope One passenger bet she would
never get there. He said she looked Ike
a coffin, and. in fact, her lines were rather
Cofflnlike. On Monday. January G. the
ship entered the Ray of Biscay in rough
weather. She lay low and rolled heavily.
shipping seas that escaped slowly through
the small deck scuppers. These were
choked with coal that had been piled IN
bags upon her deck.
That night the water began TO pour
through the second cabin hatchEay.
WHICH WcS 1cNa4e AAAlcA - DLlcA SELEdLll-
ed "Oh. We are sinking and old trav-
elers pretended II vas q trife- The men
had 10 carry water out Of their state
rooms in buckets As soon as they clear
ed the rooms more came down Most OF
the women stayed up ali night At day
light on Tuesday the weather was bad
and the ship made slow progress, though
using both sail and steam. Two maste
were broken down and carried away. The
gale increased toward night A IIfebost
was lifted out Of its davits and appropri-
sted by the hungry sea
THE water still came in through the
closed matches. and by 9 O'Clock says
9 survivor, al was confusion and terror
IN our second cabin-women cIinging TO
you and beseeching you TO stay beside
them, and some in their rooms. reading
and praying. but the majority out in the
open cabin. At every roll OF the ship
the water would shoot down the hatch
way. first one side. then the Other-then
wash 10 and fro. the same as on the upper
deck Then, worst Of all was the steam
produced by water that went down the
engine hatch or 20 the hot machinery.
This steam came forward and lodged in
our cabin. which was very suffocating.
During any lull OF the sea we lifted the
lid 10 get some fresh afr. but most OF the
time we could net see each other FIVE
feet apart
Most Of the passengers were sitting on
the tables. That night was really ter
ribie. but the next was worse. The ship
at this tine was hove 10. and she would
roll on heT side until you were IN doubts
OF her ever coming up again. Then I'd
she would come with a jerk, and when
she did rise there was general displace-
uaent OF boxes trunks, chairs, buckets.
and other movable articles. Fear was not
confined 70 the women: we all experienced
Il more OF less OF course, we men en-
deavored to disguise our real feelings
from them, going from one room 70 the
other. cheering them up as best We could.
Turned to Plymouth.
Wednesday morning the ship was turn
ed 10 go back TO Plymouth. The crew
worked at the wreck Of q boom. finally
lashing It alongside the engine-room sky
light. which proved fatal error. Il got
loose afssrward and smashed the skvlirhr
which was the beginning OF the end.
Every one was quite cheered that morn
Ing by the news that the London was
honleward bound Some said they would
never go 10 sea again; others were ready
TO re-embark or the same vessel VtsY.
she should be properly equipped. A good
hot dinner served to put the passengers
IN good spirits. It was the last nleal
aboard the London.
AT length night set IN. Hstches were
closed down and fastened on the inside
20 prevent the water from floating thsm
up; but still the water came in with every
roll BY or S o'clock we were in as
great q state OF terror as on the previous
night. and with more cause for the gale
was more violent The storm was 50
troublesome that We could net open the