The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-19
British Skipper and Nine of
the Crew Choose to Stick
to Doomed Ship
ALLAN LINER STOOD
BY 70 GIVE HELP
Survivors Saw Last Rocket Fired from
the Larrinaga Before She Foundered
Disaster Caused by Big Wave
Sweeping Over Ship.

NEW YORK. Feb. 19.-The tale Of
British skipper who refused to leave
his ship and with nine other members
Of her crew went to his DEATH was
told Sunday BY / survivors of the
British steamship Miguel dc Larri-
maya, which founderel off the New
foundland coast on Feb. 6. The men
described the hazardous attempt to
save a storm battered vessel; of men
who elected to stay with their skipper;
Of the anxious hours on board the res
cue ship watching the rockets that
were sent up from the distressed YES
sci, and the sudden end of the rockets.
which showed that the stricken craft
had foundered
The Miguel de Larrinaga of nearly
5000 tons, sailed from this port late
IN January with cargo OF oats bound
for an English port. On Feb. the
frel9hter was wallowing in an east
erly gale, bucking waves Of great
height. About noon the steamship
went ahead foremost into one Of them
which broke directly above her bow.
The cover had been torn from the for
ward hatch, water poured into the hold
and some Of the bulkheads had appar-
emily been torn out
On deck the men fought to save the
vessel. Captain Williams. who had
been almost constantly on the bridge.
directed the efforts to cover the hatch.
Man after man was lowered into the
hold, hut the task was too much for
them. Einall.- the water put the en-
glne room fires out, and the Larri-
maya, unable TO make Roadway. fell
of at the mercy Of the sea. s o. :.
calls were sent out at midnight. and
an answering signal came from the AL
Ian liner Pomeranian
The remainder of the night we
tried 10 save the ship. and waited for
the help we knew was coming said
Jess Gilsomino. the deck room steward.
Yesterday. THAT night, fortunately
for Us, the weather moderated. The
Fomeranlan came up to us III the early
morning and signalled that She was
standing by until il was light enough
to lower boat When light came We
could not make out the other vessel,
and az Q clock the first boat from her
crept alongside Of us There were ST.
III the crew and the captain told Us
That the men who wanted to leave the
vessel could %. To one OF the stew
ards the skipper said that he was 20
ing to be the last man 10 leave his
hip. and that he did not think il was
then time to leave her. -
The bOar lpf- tho q; l.
ing most Of her crew Several hours
later the small boat from the Pome-
raman again erept to the lee OF the
Larrinaga Again the skipper told
those Of the men who wanted to 90 10
climb into the small boat Tais time
there were onlT few who left. The
chief officer, r. s. Marn; the second
officer, gunner, and six of the sea
men lined up with the captain and said
they would not leave.
The captain of the Pomeranian. after
an exchange of signals with Captain
W Williams, said he would take the |, ar
rlnaga IN tow. Again the small boat
crept across the quarter of a mile of
rough water that separated the two
vessels. The officer in command ear
fled Inc to pass to the crippled YES
sci SO that she might be towed. After
q great deal Of work, during which
time the small boat was nearly crushed
AGAINST the IRON side Of the I.arri-
maya, the men succeeded III passing the
line. The work of drawing in the steel
haWSer was begun. but the line parted
and the vessels drifted apart.
shall not leave my ship" Can
tam Williams signaled on Monday
night, and tae men with him refused
to take TO the small boat.
Late on Tuesday afternoon the Cap
tam Of the Larrinaga set the interna-
tlonal code signal that he and his men
were then ready to leave the derelict
me Pomeranian ran in as near the
sinking steamship as possible, and
ooat was lowered, with six volun. |
-eers IN it, but, after battling tie
waves four hours, if was forced "a
abandon the effort to reach the strand.
a ship.
The Pomeranian stood BY all Tues.