Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-26

luCn tut OulCVt VI INT USNh
Who are you? He replied, The Bull
Dog. from London bound for the Ber-
muda Islands for coal, twenty -forr
DAYS out of st. Michaels. Azores. we
want 10 be taken OF as she is leaking
badly and will soon sink. We would
Ike TO be taken OF at daylight. The
officer OF the deck replied that only at
daylight would be be able TO lower q
boat on account Of the heavy sea run
ming.
The birmingham stood by until
daylight, with search lights on all tue
time so as not TO lose sight of the
Bnll log. for at that time there was
heavy northwest gale blowing ana
both vessels were drifting rapidly A
volunteer boats crew with CHIEF
Boat smain J. W. Angus, u. 5. n, IN
charge. manned the lifeboat and start
ed for the small steamer. 1t seemed
almost impossible that a life boat
would live in such a sea that was run
ming at that time, nevertheless py
skilful managing the nfeboat was
brought alongside the Bul Deg, ana
took off the crew with as much OF
their personel effects as possible.
Even the black cat was brought
aboard the Birmingham. As the lie
boat returned and came alongside
the rescued men in their anxiety 10
get aboard, came up sea ladders, NE
lines. or anything they could get hold
Of. One old sea-dog as he came over
the life lines, said: God Bless the
States
Thanks Captain Fletcher.
Master Sullivan went 10 Capt.
Fletcher and thanked him for saving
their lives. He said tina the Bull DOG
was leaking so badly that she could
net last over a day longer, and that
the best thing 10 do was TO sink her-
Realizing what menace TO naViga-
lion would be, Captain Fletcher called
| the amidships thTee-inch guns crew
TO quarters, and held actual target
practice. She sank at 7:4O a. m, az
ter being hit with fifteen three-ineh
shells. The rescued men were given
1 clothing. food, and quarters. Ihey
continued to thank every one for their
rescue. The men were turned over
to the English consul at Norfolk. who
will look out for them and provide
| them with free passage back TO Len
don.
The following is the story OF the
captain of the Bull Deg:
CAPTAIN SvIIivan's Story.
eve left LONDON On October 20, in
tending to 90 10 Havana, to act as
tender Tor the caribbean WreckinG
Company. From the beginning We had
( had weather. We encountered gales
in the English Channel. Nevertheless
| We succeeded in making the Azores
The Bull Dog was very small, but she
! had proved herself TO be a stauncn
! seaboat. We coaled and took provis-
ions at ST. Michaels. On Noyember
90 we sailed from ST, Michaels Win
twenty eight tons of coal. Two days
out the steamer sprung a leak and we
, had TO put back, the leak was re-
paired and we put to sea again with
only twenty-five tons of coal LETT. we
had rough weather all the way. our
only hope making Bermuda was To
have smooth weather, but ii seemed
J that che gale was followed by another.
We tried to keep going, trusting Tor
! good weather. About four hundred
; miles from Bermuda the coal began
TO run short. We hauled fires IN the
boilers and drifted. Then the steamer
sprung a leak and we had to start
fires in order to get steam TO WORK
the pumps. Then we began 10 realize
that our condition Was becoming Sc
rjous. About two weeks before We
were picked IN We had only one nun
: bred pounds of coal left, no wafer,
and very few provisions. We only
[ had two meals day. biscuit in the
morning and two saTdines in the az
,ernoon. The first mate and l stood
watches day and night over our nttle
store of provisions. We drank rain
water whenever we could get H. we
| tried to evaporate water. but it was
full of coal dust, black and dirty, and
| We could only drink it after leaving i
20 settle during the night. We mad
practically given up all nope, knowing
| that we had drifted out of the path
Of steamers bound for Europe. Wnen
the man on watch shouted and said
that he saw vessel, we thought
/ that he had gone crazy, and We vouid
| not believe 1t until We all came Oh
| deck and saw the lights Ct steamer
approaching UP. The best thing
| -, <.-or bao-d n, my life were the
words through the megaphone, Are
you in need OF assistance We can
not help but thank every one or tue
birmingham for the happy Christmas
that we have spent In the states,
Composing the crew OF the Bull Dog
4! we're:
I Thomas Sullivan. master; g.
Beckett, nate: s. Evans. engineer; A
Reginer. assistant engineer: $. Haw-