The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-08 00:00:00

ANOTHER TRAINING SHIP BURNED
ON THE THAMES.

' An exact counterpart of the accident to the Goliath train-
ng-ship, off Grays, has occurred to the training-ship of the
Marine Society, the Warspite, stationed in theßiver Thames,
off Charlton next Woolwich, only 12 days after- the destruc-
tion of the former vessel. The Warspite au)old fourth-rate
line-of-battle ship, lent Sy the Admiralty for"the training of
poor and destitute lads, stationed off Charlton for many years
past, on Sunday night or early on Monday morning caught fire,
and all that now remains of if hat was one of the finest training
nstitutions afloat is the charred skeleton, which is covered at
high-water. The Warspite has generally 200 bays on board,
but at this time there were about 20 of them on shore, in con-
sequence of an outbreak of ringworm, which the surgeon
was trying to eradicate by isolation; and when the lire was
discovered all the rest, witn the exception of one officer and
four lads, who were on watch, were asleep in their barn-
mocks.—The Daily News of Tuesday gives the following
account of the disaster :

"During the debate on the Naval Reserve in the
House of Commons, a couple of sessions ago, Lord
Eslington remarked that there ought to be a
Warspite in ehery port.' To-day there is not
one even in tbe port of London, for yesterday the
well-known tritining-s.hip to -which.. the noble lord
referred Was burnt to the water's edge. How it
happened is at present held to be absolutely un-
accountable, and the circumstances attendant upon
the disaster do not, as far as they have yet been
ascertained, throw any light upon the subject.
The Warspite was an old man-of-war which the Go-
vernment had placed at the disposal of the Marine
Society, in order that that ancient corporation might
carry out its purpose of training poor lads for service in
the Royal Navy or the mercantile marine. The ship
was moored off Charlton Pier, near Woolwich,
and has for many years been a familiar object
to passengers up and down the river. The average
number of boys in training on board was from 180
to 200, On Sunday night there were on the ship's
books 172 lads, who at the usual hour of eight o'clock
turned in, hoping to sleep till half-past six, the hour
at which they are called on winter mornings. About
one o'clock, however, some of them were awakened by
a sensation of of suffocation, and found that the lower '
deck where they were sleeping was full of smoke. The
officer on watch was Mr. Webber, who says that
about five minutes past one yesterday morning
he observed smoke issuing from the cock-
pit in the fore part of the ship. Captain
Phipps, R.N., superintendent of the ship, was
sleeping ashore, and Mr. Purdon, the chief officer
was in charge. Webber having reported to him
the alarm of fire, he went on deck, and promptly
ordered the signal to be given which summoned
the lads to fire-drill. The signal suddenly sound-
ing at the dead of night, with the smoke filling
the sleeping berths and the smell of fire already
pervading the ship, added something even to the
alacrity with which the well-trained lads were
accustomed to turn up for the drill, and in a very
few minutes they were standing by their berths
more or less dressed. In the hurry of the moment
their energies were chiefly directed to getting some
clothes on—whose did not much matter, and there are
Borne ludicrous stories told of how Tom' got one of
'Bill's' boots on, and how in the dark two lads
struggled to get into one pair of trousers, which, as
was eventually proved, belonged to neither of them.
Being niped on deck, some of the boys wore ordered
to the hose, whilst others were mustered to carry up
the hammocks, wet them, and try to smother the
are.
"In the meanwhile the alarm had reached the
shore, and telegrams were sent to the fire station at
Woolwich, and for the floats of the Metropolitan Fire
Brigade, at London. Theselast came down with credit-
able expedition' hut by three o'clock the fire had got
such a hold on the old timbers that the chief hope of
mastering the flames lay in scuttling the ship.
Captain Phipps had now gone on board, and he
immediately gave orders for the disembarkation of
the boys. This WRS a comparatively easy task,
as the ship lay only 60 yards off the pier, and there
were plenty of boats at hand. Into these the boys
were shipped, and r)wed ashore, being taken, in the
first instance, to the Woolwich Dockyard, whence later
in the day they were transferred to the neighbouring
union workhouse, where they were kindly received,
and where they remain pending further orders. Hap-
pily they were all got ashore without accident or loss of
life, a circumstance doubtless owing to the fortunate
proximity of the land. When the lads were got rid
of the firemen and officers of the training ship
redoubled their exertions to save the vessel, but
Without avail. Several attempts were made to
scuttle her, so that she would sink by the head,
and that thus the fire would be extinguished
before it reached the after part of the ship. But
the scheme failed, and the flames steadily made
their way aft. Orders were next given to cut
away the masts, and one by one these fell over-
board, till by half-past eleven the Warspite was a
sheer bulk, and was rapidly becoming a mere
shell. When the fire broke out there had been very
little wind, but after noon a fresh breeze sprang up,
and before its. influence the gallant struggles of the
firemen became absolutely futile. At three o'clock
yesterday afternoon the old ship presented a pitiable
aspect. She had taken the ground at low tide and
had heeled slightly over to leeward. In the fore part
only a few charred ribs were left above water-mark
whilst aft the the and the firemen were struggling for
the possession of a few feet of what once had been the
quarterdeck. How the conflict would end was easy
to guess after rowing round the flip and seeing
through one of the portholes the seething solid mass of
fire that told Low the flames had got lull poss,-ssion
below the decks. At this hour the only hope of
saving any portion of the hull lay in the prospect of
the rising tide, which it was expected would swamp it.
"As to the origin of the fire, it is surmised rather
than known that it broke out in the cock-pit where
odd stores were kept, in the shape of ropes, canvas,
&e. Even on the point of locality, there is a diver-
gence of opinion, some authorities believing that the
fire commenced in the coal-cellar. As far as the store-
room is concerned, it was visited in the course of Sunday
evening by the captain and chief officer, and was then
found to be in order. It was locked, the keys taken
charge of by the chief officer, and "put in the
usual place," where, it is added, they were fouud
yesterday morning. There were rumours about
the neighbourhood of the burning ship pointing
to suspicion of her having been wilfully destroyed,
and it was even said that two boys were "locked
up." Captain Phipps, however, knew nothing
of the locking up, and if he had any suspicions of
how the Warspite came to be burned a few days after
the destruction of another training ship lying in the
same river, he judiciously kept them to himself. A
Strict and searching investigation will doubtless be in-
stituted into this remarkable accident, and in the
Meantime there seems little to be done but to regret
the fatality which just now appears to beset training
ships for boys moored in the River Thames."

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The Warspite was to all appearances safe when the
lads and officers turned in on Sunday night, and Mr.
Hoile, the master-at-arms, who was the officer on
watch, reported everything correct at twelve o'clock,
when he gave over his charge to Mr. Webber, the
instructor in seamanship. At the same time the
whole of the watch, consisting of four boys, was
changed, two of them doing duty on the main deck
(the first below the upper deck), where the hammocks
are slung, one being in the lavatory, and the fourth
on deck above. At five minutes past one o'clock
one of these lads reported to Mr. Webber that smoke'
was coming through the hatchway leading to the
lower deck, and Mr. Webber, descending, found.
that it proceeded from the fore cockpit, a sort ofi
store-room in which spare bedding, rope, and otheri
stores were kept. The hatch which covered the ladder!
leading to this receptacle was at the time close down,
barred across, and covered with a tarpaulin, and no
one had any right to have been down there with or
without a light since Sunday morning, when Cap.
tam Phipps, who commands the ship, went down on
a visit of inspection. There was nothing in the store
which could have. ignited spontaneously. When Mr.
Webber pulled off the hatch, a volume of smoke poured
up, and as he descended the ladder in the hope of ex-
tinguished the fire at its source, he was overpowered.
The boys,. however, who were on watch below,
and were fortunately two of the sturdiest in the ship,
carried him up, and the free air immediately restoring
him, he battened down again, and blew his whistle to
4` Pipe all hands." The alarm bell was also rung; and
all on board were epee lily out of their hammecks. The
discipline lalwap maintained on board was of incal-
culable service at such a moment. The boys, saving
.what clothing they could, hurried to fore quarters. The
Pumps were rigged, and an effort made to get the fire
. under. This, however, was far beyond the power of the
appliances on board, and as the smoke increased the lads
were all mustered on deck, and, preparations made' to
carry: them ashore. There was no confusion or excite.-
' Went. The boys stood quietly in the ranks as on parade,
and they were marched in order' on board the be-go
.: and pinnaces belonging to the ship; And to. other boats
which came to assist, and were all safely got to land.
• In the meantime a number of . land engines had
• arrived from all the surrounding stations, but
'they could render no assistance, as the ship was
eabout one hundred yaids from land, and the
PArrival of the steam floats was anxiously looked
wfor. The fire had evidently been smouldering for
t some time before it was discovered, and had by this
time attained good hold of the lower part of the vessel.
'-*:Captain Phipps, the superintendent of the ship, who
...'.'_ resides on- shore, had meanwhile been sent for; and
' at about half-past three am:, seeing that the fire was
making its way fast from the fore part of the hold
'"towiards. the -stern; be made .preparations for scuttling
ii.heri,.. ,Just at that tinae. the steam floating. engine
tlrom,Southwark-bridge arrived, in.cornmand.of Sn.per-
-- intendent. Hamblin, who expreseed a wish to try if
fi.hp: .firA could be subdued,,: and the attempt was,
"Nherefore, Made.' There was a large body of firemen
I.'•-', present, and. some of them penetrated with the *hose
Tlpesi to . near the centre of the main deck, but • the
tie
a 4, ttenedi hatches bad to be opened in order that they
-;--might breathe, and the draught which was the inevit-
L- able Consequenesi seemed to give the flames new power.
2k. The fire too,* ''seehied quite inaccessible, for it had
-.' seized ho'ld of the' under part of the deck flooring, and it
.!' '4Otild.be*seendOwri the After hatchway playing about a
. Urge model of the vessel in one of the classrooms, and
. eel yfig all the efforts of th'wfiremen• to reach it.A. The
mbdef referred' to stood up in the midst of the flames
. ' Ebi'Lizi hotir before it was consumed. As late as, eight
' 'o'cliccle'en the Morning the firemen' were able to
:below. The fire had, however, by that time made a
'clear run of the ship between- decks; and although a
,;•secOttdesteam float from Rotherhithe had arrived, mu
';a lihd engine was helping alongside on the deck of a
: -steanier, it'beCanie clear that the fire had attained:. thc,
=listen Over the ship. Captain Phipps, after coqsul-
tation with Mr. S. W. Saddler, Paymaster in Cfiief,
:—.ltqyal*PraVy, the •.Secretary of the Marine Society, .
who h - been early on board, age% decided, therefore,
2Po tgliig-_tn
,e ship. ..
en prep.
aratien o, . ,
1:n ke, r this eon',
1,
tinge & thrkehtlrearp'enters had been at 'Work . With
* their augurs bell/the water line for some time before,
but the oak timbers of an old man-of-war, 12in. or 14in.
thick, offer considerable resistance, and although Mr.
Abercrombie Castles; of the adjacent ship-breaking
yard, sent two men with axes to assist, they only sue- .
ceeded in knocking two holes in her bottom by the
time of low water, when the ship rested upon the bed
of the river, and there was no hope of swamping her
till the tide rose again.
The firemen said officers who had remained on board