THRILLING SEA STORY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1366, 17 February 1912, Page 16

THRILLING SEA STORY.

« SEVEN DATS IN OPEN BOAT. A thrilling stoir of tho burning of the London steamer Chesapeake and a SOO- - journey in open boats in the North Atlantic was told by Mr. James Roots, fourth engineer of the fated vessel, who has returned to his homo at Asliford, in Kent, in January. Two boatloads of tho crew have not sinco been heard of, and it is feared all are drowned. Tho Chesapeake, of 1521 tons register, was owned by the Anglo-American Oil Company, and at the timo of tho disaster was bound from Xe>v York to Algiers, with a cargo of petroleum and benzine. The vessel was in mid-Atlantic, five days out from New York, when it was noticed that some of the oil had escaped from the tanks. The mate and first engineer were making investigations when a terrific explosion occurred. The hatchos were blown off, a blinding sheet of fiaino accompanying tho deafening reports. Both officers received serious injuries. Lengths of hose were brought out to fight the flames, bnt, in addition to tho troubles caused by thu tire, the officers had to face a "panic amongst the Chinese, of whom tho seamen ond engiie-room staff mainly consisted. As tho Chinese attempted to launch tho boats, tho officers were compelled to bring out their revolvers to prevent tlio men from doing this or from jumping overboard. For nine hours the fight with tho flames was kept up, and many of the crew sustained injury. At eight o'clock at night orders were given to tako to the boats. Roots and the third mato were in one of these with a number of Chinese, and shortly after they lift tho burning vessel the captain's boat, containing six officers and fifteen Chinamen, had its rudder smashed. There were two other boats containing members of tha crew, hut these havo not since been heard of. BLANKET AS DISTRESS SIGNAL. For seven days after abandoning the steamer tho engineers and the captain's boats kept in oompany, endeavouring to get into tho North Atlantio 6teamer track. They suffered many privations, the boats being only slightly provisioned. Their sustenance consisted of threo biscuits and a little water daily, with a small quantity of preserved meat very judiciously 6erved. Tho Chinese, saill the engineer, were sullen, and would not work, but lay down to await any fate which might arise. Onco as the water ration waa being served ont, however, they mado a rush and seized tho keg, bnt the Englishmen succeoded in recovering it. Tlio boat carried a red blanket at the mast as a distress signal. After seven dare, during which SOO mile 9 wars traversed, they sighted the smoke of a steamer. For two hcrars they were in the greatest suspense as to whether their signal had been soon. Then it became clear that the 3 team or was bearing down upon them, and they celebrated their delivoranco by drinking the remaining water snpply. Tho rescuing steamer proved to bo the German steamer Adamstnrm, which took tho castaways aboard in a very exhausted state, som<i having to bo drawn np in tho boatswain's chair. Unhappily, after surviving tho experience.? in the small boat, tho ehicf mate, who had been badly burned on the Chesapeake, smoenmbed to his injuries, and was buried at sea. The servico was partly in German and partly in English, the body being wrapped in a British flag, which tho German captain provided. Roots stated that they wore all treat <*1 with the greatest kindness on the Gormap vessel. He was told that it wns !>v the merest chance they were Been, as they wero three or four miles off the steamer's course, but tho third engineer of the Adamstnrm had his attention drawn to something red in a sudden outburst of < sunshine, and investigation showed this to bo the shipwrecked men's red blanket at the mast. The mscucd men wero landed at Gibraltar nine days later, and thonoo mado their way home.