The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-08-27 00:00:00

THE BURNING OF THE CITY OF II

MONTREAL. 1
AWFUL SCENES.
News reached Queenstown on Friday that the
Inman steamer City of Montreal had been burned to
the water's edge in mid-ocean, and that, although the
great majority of her passengers and crew had been
rescued, some dozen persons had lost their lives. The
intelligence was brought in by the Furness steamer
York City, which arrived off ti,. Old Head of Kinsale
at half-past 10 on Friday morning, and signalled that
she had on board 135 passengers and 110 crew of the
City of Montreal, which had been burnt at sea. The
information was telegraphed immediately to Queens-
town, whence the agents of the Inman Company and
other officials left in the steam tag Mount Etna to
meet the York City, for the purpose of obtaining
further news, and, if necessary, of taking off the sur-
vivors. The tug met the York City and accompanied
her to the mouth of Queenstown Harbour. There
the crew and passengers of the City of Montreal were
transferred to the tug, and an hour later they were
safely housed in Queenstown, the York City continuing
on her voyage to London.
The City of Montreal left New York on the 6th
Inst., and all went well until the evening of Wed-
nesday, the 10th, when the vessel was in latitude 43,
or about 400 miles from the coast of Newfoundland.
Most of the passengers had retired to their berths
for the night, and there was little to break the silence
save the monotonous noise of the huge engines.
Suddenly the big bell on deck rang out the quick
sh..rp strokes which every sailor on board, and not a
feff of the passengers, knew to be an alarm of fire.
In an instant, and only for an instant, wild excite-
ment prevailed. Officers and men who had not been
on watch rushed on deck, and passengers scrambled
from their berths in a state of intense excitement. As
to the crew, however, discipline asserted itself. The
officers received their instructions, being already at
their stations with their men, and the work of battling
with the flames commenced. Dense clouds of blind-
ing smoke had begun to ascend the after main hold,
which was full of bales of cotton, in which it
was evident the fire had originated. Before long
the smoke drifted below, adding to the terror and dis-
comfort of the unfortuna:e passengers. But there
was nothing that could be called panic, even amongst
the women—a gratifying fact, theoredit of which is due
in great measure to the demeanour of the stewards
and such petty officers as were not required on deck,
who went among the terrified people using words of
re-assurance. Most of the passengers, therefore,
remained below to dress, and many even stayed to
collect their vali.ables. When at length all had
gathered on deck, the sight which met their gaze was
an appalling one. The seamen were battling furiously
with the flames, upon which they were pouring tons
of water from more than a dozen hoses, but the fire
seemed to mock their efforts. It had spread from the
after hold, in which it originated, to the main and
midway holds. It gave forth intense heat against
which, whenever the wind shifted in the least,
nobody could make a prolonged stand. At
length it became apparent that the steamer
could not possibly be saved, and the captain decided
that his paramount duty was to save the lives of the
hundreds of men and women on board. Accordingly,
orders were issued to shape the vessel's course for
Newfoundland, and preparations were made for
launching the boats, of which there were eight at
hand—viz., four lifeboats and four pinnaces. It was
fortunate that the City of Montreal carried an un-
usually light complement of passengers, otherwise
many would have had to be left on the burning
steamer, for the eight boats were not much more than
sufficient to carry the 250 persons on board. As day
was dawning instructions were given for all the pas-
sengers to assemble in the fore part of the vessel,
which was farthest from the flames and compara-
tively free from the blinding and suffocating smoke.
In the meantime the boats had been carefully over-
hauled, to see that none of the gear was missing, and
euch had been stored with provisions and water. By
eight o'clock on Thursday morning everything was in
readiness for the departure. The scene at this
moment was inexpressibly sad. The noble steamer was
a mass of flames almost from stern to stern. Columns
of black smoke, lighted up with huge tongues of
tire, arose from the burning wreck, accompanied by a
terrific roar. The crew looked on, exhausted by their
fruitless labours. The passengers, huddled together,
were silent but for the hysterical weeping of some of
the women and the pitiful crying of the children.
The family groups were especially melanchol I to
behold. As the critical moment drew nearer husbands
and wives embraced, and mothers drew their little
ones closer to them, feeling that, although they were
about to escape from the flames, danger awaited them
on the tempestuous waves. Despair was on many
faces, and would probably have seized all on board had
it not been for the presence of the captain and officers,
whose calm performance of their duties could not fail
to inspire confidence. At length the word was given
to lower away; and, with infinite care, patience, and
courage, boat after boat was lowered, until all, heavily
freighted with passengers and crew, swung clear of the
burning vessel.
As the boats were moving away a cry was raised
that some people were still on board the steamer,
and a group of men and women were descried stand-
ing aft. it was evident that the poor people had
misunderstood the orders, and had collected in the
after part of the vessel. Several boats put back,
and ultimately everybody was taken off safely,
although several had been half suffocated by the
smoke and scorched by the heat. All the boats now
moved away in company, with the exception of No.
8, which, it is said, in defiance of the captain's orders,
!tit the burning vessel before receiving her proper
cow plement of passengers, and was quickly lost sight
of. She contained four or five seamen and seven
passengers, all of whom must have perished unless
they were fortunate enough to fall in quickly with
some I,aising vessel. The remaining seven boats had
not proceeded many miles when a sail was sighted.
A 0,4 shout went up from the boats, but
n,.arty ten weary hours passed before the
strange ship, which proved to be a German
barque., came up with the boats, and the
unfortunate people were transferred to the barque,
where they remained until next morning, when
the steamer York City—commanded by Captain
Bent., and bound from Baltimore to London—which
had been attracted to the spot by the flames which
still rose from the City of Montreal, then miles dis-
taat, took them on board. Of their treatment in the
York City the survivors speak in terms of the warmest
gratitude, nor do they fait to recognise the conduct of
the captain, officers, and crew of the City of Mon-
treal, under circumstances of peculiar anxiety and
peril.
The following is a list of those who were in the
missing boat :—Saloon passengers: Samuel Kaufman,
George Arnott, and Samuel 111.48ee. Steerage pas-
' sengers : Konrad Moltan, Stephen Tarpon, Simon
Knowlsky, S. Kacheaucho. Crew: Thomas Miller,
fore steward; Charles Smith. interpreter; Henry
Frazer, reaman; Charles Riddle, seaman; William
Franey, fireman; Patrick Hughes, fireman—total,
13.