Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-01

rolled over on her port side. Then
jlst before she lurched and sank
| they abandoned her undsr the sktp-
per's orders. Seven, Including Mrs.
Romi j. Hudgins, wife Of the third
mate, who was given the precedence
called for by the sea code cleared the
steamers side in lifeb0at and got
away safely but the woman later had
to bail with the men ta keen the beat
clear, Twenty-Five others were
thrown or jumped into the water.
while the steamer was partly SUBJ
merged in the heavy seas. Fifteen
managed to scramble ITO lifebOat
which although jammed ip an at
tempt to launch. II from the steamt
er's decks. was cleared Rftor the Sea-
comet sank, or to the wreck9ge from
which they were hurled aboard.
Seven others, among them quarter
master John Santiago, who held the
bridge with Captain Miller until or
dered to jump for his life. were lost
sight of by the others and are be-
lieved to have gone down With the
suction.
There was a report today that the
collier Absecon, also in the Norfolk
to Boston service, had picked up a
boat and some Of the men from the
Seaconnet. but this could not be con-
firmed, and with the finding Of an
emnty lifeheat on the shore Of Guilty.
hunk the report was discredited.
- Those missing are:
Frank H. Trafton Of Atlantic. third
engineer.
] John Santiago. Cape Verde Islands.
quartermaster.
Roy z. Linscott Of Bar Harber. Me-.
an oiler.
sherman Leach Of Norfolk. 4 coal
passer.
Walter Burke Of Sydney. c. B.. an
oiler.
Manuel Sanchez. Cape Verde Is
lands. seaman.
Aldo Conticito. Boston. a mess boy.
Captain Miller, after spending the
night with the other survivors on tho
Vineyard Sound lightship, where
they found refuge yesterday, was
brought here on the lighthouse ten
der Anemone, tellins-sailormei on all
sides that there was a reason for the
superstition against sailing on Fri
day and against sailing on the Shir-
teenth. He wondered how his life
was saved, though his ship was lost.
when he recalled that he took COM
mand and started his voyage from
Boston on Friday the thirteenth.
Il will never sail on Friday and
never sail on the thirteenth again."
he declared.
The skipper said he was on the
brige at four o'clock yesterday NOR
ming when minor leaks that had
been reported previously became SER
| ious and the bilge and ballast tanks
were pumped out, but +he steamer
| listed more than before and all
hands we're sent to the main pumps.
OIL ~ al tan toh tn 1o
i CINE room we're working in water up
to their waists; at 615 conditions
became so dangerous that I ordered
life boat lowered on the starboard
side," Captain Miller said. Mrs.
Hodains and her husband were or
dered to take the first boat. with Ave
designated members of the crew.
The boat was swept away from the
steamers side by the heavy seas and
wind but in good order.
| Twenty minutes later the great
seas were sweeping over the shin,
while the men in the engine room
| worked with the fires, and those at
the pumps labored for their lives.
| With the SeacOnnet settling fast,
| Captain Miller ordered everyone on
deck, they came up with barely a
minute to spare. he said.
With the smokestaek taking in
| water, SO badly was the ship tipped
over, the skipper from the bridge
directed those on the decks to Iut
on life preservers and to abandon
ship. The second lifeboat jammed
! in the falls, and the lines were hack
ed in a frantic effort to get away.
! the boat slid down the guy ropes,
but still tangled. turned bottom up
| and the men had to jump overheard
| for safety. They found eventually
that the boat had righted itself.
Meanwhile Captain Miller and
quartermaster Santiago held the
bridge.
"As the lifeboat tipped over 1 or
dered him to jump" the skipper said.
''Thcn l jumped myself. ! grabbed
a bit of wreckage and hung on look
ing for Sanity. I saw him clinging
| to the ships bottom as she started
but was smothered by the waves. /
! waved to him to swim over to me
| but he seemed unable to help him.
| self. The Seaconnet went down and
| saw him no more" (,
The captain said he was busy soon
afterwards fighting for his life. like
| all the others in the waters, which
hecame whirlpool with suction that
dragged down several, the survivors
peneEe. Inc Struggling men Hldue
for the lifeboat that had been clear |
ed and most of them got aboard. |
Captain Miller said that he and
James Murphy, the second assistant
engineer. were pulled aboard by
those who had preceded them, and
that he lost consciousness immed-
lately.
The drift to the light vessel was
almost direct, and they were safely !
aboard there within Is minutes. Mrs. |
Hudgins. described by other sur
vivors as a ''brick" kept her head |
throughout, although she was in dan |
ger of being crushed to dcath when, |
while being hauled aboard the light |
ship, sea pinned her between the |
boat and the ship. hrYisiRg her sew |
erely. But she smiled and said she |
was all right and helped others I'M |
til today when, at the moment of |
final rescue by the lighthouse tender |
AnemOne. she slid down a rope from |
the lightship and became uncon-
sinus. Sc had gone to sea for the ,
first. and for the last time. she said,
when she recovered.
|. Captain Miller said he was at a |
loss to 80 for the suddenness of |