BURNED ALIVE AT SEA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 152, 21 March 1908, Page 10

BURNED ALIVE AT SEA.

STO'W UVAYS' TERRIBLE, FATE. ' : A' special inreless telegram from the Whito Star,'liii'er' Cymric, sont oil' Cape Sable, 'gives thrilling details., of tho . .experiences - of tlfb crew, oF' th'p' British, ;st*eamor' I'St!:. Cuthbert, -which ; w-as, 1 burned spa.; Tliirtyreiglit '.bl ,thorn,': iiy6l(idmg;' the. captaiu,.' \?erp; saved .by, tho' Cyiriric's-'lifoboat.' ■; '

. During; a blinding snowstorm! on February l'-"smoio" was" noticed' issuing frorti/tlie" St. Cuthbcrt'S ventilators.". A second later a violent ._. explosion blew ' all the forward hatches into tho air, and destroyed half the bridge; setting tho other half on fire.. ' ;,The Helmsman ivas driven by tHo flames from tho wheql. Ho had only timo to put tho hehn about 'into , tho. wind, as. tho captain; frightfuly; burnedand. temporarily blinded,', fell on the'deck. The crew, maddened by excitement, attempted to loosen out tho braces and launch.'tho.boats:. They lowered one, which was immediately smashed, precipitating '17 men, including' , tho second officer, into tho-boiling sea, and all of them wero lost. " ''. !

Soon; aftpr; tlie foremast melted and crashed on the ■ deck, sending a, stowaway Hidden in the crow's nest,;. intotho'ls'edthin'g.' flames. ,Eight other stowaways on' board were' burned to death. .-'Their cries wero faintly, heard above tho howling .wind. ...When at'G p.m. on February '3 tho/last ,of 'the/crow gained the boat seiit by the Cymric,- a snow-squall -!en-. volopod tho entiro scene in-darkness. . • The Hner had directed her-searchlight on tho doomed vessel, wliichc was burning from stem to stern, and fired signals'to 1 enable tho' rescuers to' find: their way brick'; Tho lifeboat was 'store in' when'.'sho reached tho Cymric, and on tho point.of sinking. Tho rescued crew wero suffering from terriblo burns on the hands and feet. " '•