Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1884 — A TERRIBLE STORY. [ARTICLE]

A TERRIBLE STORY.

The Horrible Fate of the Crew of at,- 1 Steamer Burned at Sea. I [Cable dispatch from London.] The second engineer of the burned steamer St. Augustin, who was landed at Shields, tells* a heartrending story of the wreck. He says that when all the boats had been filled therewere still thirty people on the burning ship-. The lifeboat, which was already loaded down to the gunwales, was appealed toby these unfortunates to save them. Their agonized cries were irresistible, and. even the strong desire for life, alwaysselfishly manifest under extreme circumstances, was overcome, and the boat returned. The folly of the attempt was apparent to all. The weight of one more human, being, let alone thirty, would be fatal, but this was forgotten or disregarded and the. life boat turned her course toward -thedoomed vessel. She approached as carefully as possible, laboring over the big seas, onlyto be dakhed to pieces, for when near the St. Augustin she was thrown with terrific forceagainst the side of the ship and crushed. Nearly , all in her were drowned at once. The rest, clambered over the sides, catching overhanging ropes, and suffered probably a worsefate with those on board. The Captain of the ; St. Augustin, after having his legs cut off by | a falling spar, begged of the crew to tie some-, weight to his body and throw him He preferred drowning to being burned. The crew finally complied, and he was heavily weighted and thrown into the sea. .The sec- , ond rfiate, after his master had gone, becamo perfectly frantic, and, pulling his pistol,. £ . he put the muzzle into his mouth, and J sent the charge through his brain. He fell.jl dead in his tracks. These examples were fol- 1 lowed by the rest. SoinC .jumped overboard, I others stabbed themselves, all seeming to- I prefer some quicker mode of terminating I existence than the horrible torture awaiting I them from the rapidly advancing tlamesi. I When the John WiPiamsorr hove to and stood I by, a perfect hurricane was blowing. She- I nevertheless lauched a. boat ing a volunteer crew and sent Ait t|fl the rescue. When the St. Augustin reached the man in the bow jumped® for a dangling line, but he missed it and was ■ drowned. A second man made the attempt.' He was dashed against the side of the vessel and killed. Two others followed and weredrowned. Finally a line was secured and six, persons were taken off. This was all thatcould be done. The sea ran so high that,a near approach meant, certain death, and the- - gallant crew of the Williamson were obliged to return, leaving those still on board theblazing ship to their fate. The Williamson was meanwhile drifting - away. She made desperate efforts to face- 1 the storm and keep her boat in sight, but they were almost useless. When she wasabout to give up the bodt was seen comingtoward her and the crew with the six rescued men were with great difficulty taken on board. The boat had rescued six persons and had lost four in doing so.