The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-22
NOT A SOUL LOST.
Passengers and Crew Escape From a
Burning Vessel.

| Los Angeles, Nov. 22.-Famished,
early exhausted and many wearing
! borrowed clothes, the 105 men, women
and children passengers on the steam
| er St Croix, which burned and sank
Saturday night off Point Duma, have
arrived. With them came the IS Off
GERS and members of the crew, likewise
exhausted and destitute. All were
I brought here from Santa Monica by
trolley, after the police department
and sympathetic residents of that city
had furnished food that broke a fast
that for some had stretched through
| Sc hours.
The survivors had walked, ridden
and made their way to Santa Monica
| as best they could from the isolated
landing place.
Mrs. L. A. Wallace of Berkeley re-
mains at the beach city in a hospital
Wallace was severely injured when
q davit rope broke and the boat she
was in plunged bow first into the sea.
Herbert, 6-year-oId son of Charles
by Edward Norris. ships quartermas-
ter, aided by Mrs s.-Grace Thomas, wife
of racing man of Victoria. B. c.
Captain Frederick Warner came into
Santa Monica among the last of the
shipwrecked throng Some had toiled
tain trails. Others. all women who had
been frightened into helplessness, were
brought on stretchers. carried by men.
Captain Warner described the burn
ing of his ship and the rescue When
the first alarm vase given Warner or
dered full speed astern to prevent the
ships forward movement tanning the
flames, which. he said, We're bursting
from the ports.
Only half hour elapsed until the
1,oI to6 xx-1,n n a n
fallen into the water in the hasty
scramble for the lifeboats had been
picked up and the sailors had begun a
four hours pull for shore.
The Captains Story
Captain Warner said:
Il was in my cabin when some one
ran to my door and shouted, Captain,
the ship is af1re below the second cab
in / shouted to the first officer, Mr..
Miller, in the next cabin. to take charge
of the watch below and went on the
bridge and order full speed astern to
stop the headway. SO as not to fan the
flames.
AN alarm was sounded. Each man
of the crew promptly went to his sta
ton. Mr. Miller soon had five lines of
hose rigged.
1.-The ship had come to full stop and
| the passengers were placed in the boats
when the first officer reported that the
ammonia pipes of the refrigerating
plant had burst, and that the vapor
was overwhelming his men. The fire
was gaining abaft the second cabin.
Apparently it started somewhere in the
second cabin and the powerful draft
| was drawing it down through the shaft
alley to the boiler room
by this time the fire fighting force
was being overcome man after ma1
| and the hose lines were abandoned.
Realizing the fight was hopeless, or
dered the men up from below and the
| fire room cleared.
"At no time was there much con-
fusion The passengers provided them
| selves with life preservers. Mrs. Wal
| lace afterward said that it was a life
preserver that enabled her to keep her
| self and baby up after they had fallen
overheard.
| Boat No. was the first to be filed
| and ordered it cast loose. An eye bolt
on the stern post drew out and the boai
upended, throwing some of the passen-
gers violently and slightly injuring S
| few.
| 1T was then that Mrs. Wallace enc
little Vielbaum went overheard. 1 saw
| several men jump over to the rescue.
| shouted to let the other davit rope go
| and the boat righted itself Immediately
I'm moment those who had fallef
| overheard or jumped into the sea wer.
back on board. the boat was baled ant
4 on it's way outside the line of danger
/ Weather Indications.