The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-25 00:00:00

AN ATLANTIC STEAMER ON FIRE.

The Guion Line Nevada, from New York, arrived
at Queenstown on Friday morning in last week, with
fire raging on board. The conflagration broke out on
the previous Wednesday, but had been kept under by
the efforts of the officers and crew. The excitement
on board had been very great, but all the passengers
and crew were safe. The fire was believed to be due
to spontaneous combustion, part of the cargo of
cotton being in rather close proximity to the engine-
room. A portion of the cargo was thrown over-
board, and an immense quantity of water was poured
on the top of the burning material. The vessel
arrived with 10ft. of water in the hold, and had a
heavy list to starboard.
The Nevada left New York on the night of the 7th
of October for Liverpool, having on board 21 cabin,
nine intermediate, and 34 steerage passengers. All
went well until the 15th inst., at noon, when it was
reported that a portion of the cargo was on fire.
The captain immediately took steps to have the fire
extinguished, and went below himself with several of
his officers. They discovered that some cotton and
hops were burning, and they could not remain below,
having to come on deck again nearly suffocated.
Large quantities of water were poured on the burning
cargo, and after some hours' hard work the fire was
got well under. To accomplish this the saloon, inter-
mediate, and steerage passengers cheerfully assisted.
In addition to the pouring of water, the captain had
the steam extinguisher with which the Nevada is fitted
brought into service. By this means a quantity of
steam can be driven with enormous force into any
compartment in which a fire may occur. The use of
the steam extinguisher proved most successful in
putting out the fire. The captain, officers, crew, and
many passengers did not cease working from the time
the fire was discovered, and they were nearly exhausted
when the ship arrived at Queenstown. The captain
obtained several men at that port to go in the vessel
to Liverpool to relieve the crew.
According to another account, when the fire was
discovered the captain and carpenter went into the
hold to ascertain the extent of the fire, and both had
to be brought on deck almost suffocated, so that the
services of the doctor had to be brought into requisi-
tion. The passengers had been working night and day
since Wednesday assisting the crew in removing the
cargo from the hold to the deck. The ship had a
heavy list, and all the boats on the port side were
filled with water to assist in righting her. Water was
poured unceasingly into the hold since Wednesday,
and pumped out again, the passengers also assisting in
this work. On Thursday night the fire broke out
afresh and with greater force than ever, but with the
assistance of the steam extinguisher was quickly got
under. Some of the officers and crew got injured by
the fire, and had bandages around their heads and
hands, one officer being disabled. One side of the
Nevada presented a strange appearance, all the paint
having been completely burned off.

The Guion Line steamer Nevada arrived in the
Mersey on Saturday afternoon, and was at once
docked. During the run from Queenstown to Liver-
pool the hatches had been battened down, and the fire
was still smouldering when they were removed. A
commencement was at once made with the discharge
of the cargo. The ship has sustained little injury,
but that to the cargo will be considerable. The
captain states that there was no excitement on board,
either among the passengers or crew, who throughout
acted with the greatest coolness.

"You don't cook like Sarah Ann used to, Matilda,"
he said in tones of gentle exasperating reproof. "No,
it seems to me you can't cook like Sary Aim used
to." On another occasion it was, "You're not as
smart in gettin' round as Sary Ann was, Matilda.
You don't appear to ketch on where she left off."
About this time a heavy rolling-pin came in violent
contact with his head. "What do you mean by that,
you vixen !" he exclaimed in agony. "I'm doing
some of the work Sary Ann 'neglected," she replied,
and there was much mace in the family thereafter.

Governess: "Now, tell me, Ethel, what letter
comes after H?" Ethel: "Please, Miss Parker, I
don't know." Governess': "What have I got by the
›ide of my nose?" Ethel "A lot of powder."
A rather curious, though eminently characteristic
order, has just been promulgated 14 the chief of the
City Police of the St. Petersburg, General Grosser,
commanding the proprietors of all hotels, restaurants,
and tea-houses to remove th6l4lioriThits of' the
Emperor, and other members of the Imperial family,
from their public rooms. because their customers do-
not always show the proper respect to the representa-
tions of the Imperial features—not unfrequently
almost unrecognizable—by takhrg off their hats,
immediately, on entering and leaving the premises.
Thus very good portraits of the Czar and Czarina
have had to be taken down from the walls of first
class European hotels in St, Petersburg.