The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-10-19
"FLANDERS"
Sinks; | LOST
4 ARE SAVED
Crew Clinging for Hours to
an Overturned Life
boat.
LIFE PRESERvER
LEADS TO DEATH
Flanders, Pumps Cloggedl
by Coal, Founders OF
Red Bluff.

One of the closest calls reporxed
from the storm was that of Captains
Ben Rocheblave and crew of the
steamer Flanders. that vessel having
foundered when off Red Bluff. sink
ing in perhaps twenty-five feet OF
water. With the exception of the
negro cook, whose name was ban
Cobb, all aboard were saved. They
drifted about, holding to an overturr-
ed lifeboat for about four hours be-
fore finally being washed ashore.
Then, walking in the fierce northwes-
ter, which was then bowling over.
the bay, the little party who had so
narrowly escaped death, made their
way to the marine ways, about eight
miles distant, where they were pro-
vided with warm food and clothing
by Captain Junius of the smack Al
Gina, and later were brought over to
the city on the tugboat Dixie, in COM
mand of Capt. John Ingram, which
had been dispatched by the Aiken
Towboat Company to search for the
Flanders and to assist In pulling oft
the several smacks which were blown
up on the beach across the bay.
Those Aboard.
Those aboard the Flanders were as
/ Ben Rocheblave, captain; VIM.
Rocheblave. mate; H. c. Haley chief
engineer; Walter Lindsay, colored,
fireman; Dan Cobb, colored, cook.
Cobb, the man drowned, was the
life preserver.
Capt. Rocheblave's Story.
Capt Rocheblave, hurying to his
home on West Garden street as soon
as he reached the city, was seen last
night and told his story. He said that
with the smack Amy Wixon in tow,
the Flanders left the city shortly
after o'clock IN the morning, with
intention Of anchoring the smack
across the bay. On the way over, he
said, the seas continued to wash the
decks and this resulted in coal being
washed into the pumps. choking them
The steamers predicament becamei
serious and the smack was cut loose
and the Flanders was brought up.l
with a view to clearing the pumps
and later making for safe place.
| Capt. Rocheblaye about this time, dis
covered that his barometer showed
28.60. This was during the lull fol-
lowing the first blow. The captain
tried to run out Of the way of the
expected second blow, which he calcu-.
lated would come out from the west
Before the steamer could get under
the lee of the other shore, the storm
CAME out of the west and the steamer
soon settled. When it was seen that
the tug was to founder, Capt. Roche
!, blaye called all hands together and
[ announced that they were going TO
take to the life boat. He drew his
knife and was Sitting the canvass
covering the boat, when the steamer
gave a lurch and the boat and crew
were thrown into the raging seas
Cobb. in the meantime, had snatched
a life preserver and had become sep
!. arated from the rest The last time
he was seen was when about twenty
five or thirty feet from the boat,
trying TO swim to the overturned
craft.
| Captain Rocheblave came close TO
this time to being lost and his he
was saved by a bit of rope, possibly
four feet long, hanging TO the lie
boat. Exhausted after brave fisaat,
the skipper was too weak to reach the
: boat. and It was drifting by when ne
saw and grasped the rope. The same
E article saved his life another time
Before the boat reached the beach. u
: was overturned again, all OF the
g struggling men again being thrown
off. It was again that the captain
pulled himself to the boat by the ois
of rope.
4 The Flanders, when last seem
Captain Rocheblave stated, was slnh-
ing by the stern and disappeared be-
t meath the waves. In case the steam
9 er,s location can be found, her salvage
81 is possible, but none aboard were aoie
d to definitely state at just what spot