The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-29 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE SHIP " KENT" EAST INDIAMAN 141.

FIRE.
The care of the destruction of the " Kent," by fire, in
the Bay of Biscay, on the 28th February, 1827, bears con-
siderable analogy to .t bat of the loss of the Ocean Monarch/
although the mortality was not nearly so great, that we
supply a few of the facts, by way of historical reminis-
cence. The Kent, a fine new ship, of 1,350 tons, (011/
50 tons more than the Ocean Monarch,) commanded by
Captain Henry. Cobb, left the Downs on the 19th Febru
ary of the year stated, bound for Bengal and China. She
had a crew of 148 men, including her officere ; and 20
officers, 344 soldiers, 43 women, and 66 children, belong-
ing to the 31st regiment ; also 20 private passengers. nnal'
ing a total of 641 souls. The Ocean Monarch had in ° ,
~""
on board 398. Leing 243 short of the number in the gem-
On the night of the 284 h February, when the Kent wO3-
in latitude 47° 30", longitude 100, a gale came on Irmo'
the west, which gradually increased till the morning'
About midnight the vessel rolled alarmingly. Shortly
be-
fore this anofficer with Ee Well-meant intention nf
certaining that all' was right below, went into tile boil
with twos ailors, carrying with them a light in a rateea,
lantern; but seeing that it burnt dimly, the officer-110019
it up to the orlop deck to be trimmed. He atterwarut
discovered that one of the spirit casks was adrift, and sO
the seamen for some billets of wood to secure it. In t
absence the vessel made a lurch, the officer unfortuea'el
let
dropped the lamp and.: in endeavouring to recover it.
go.the cask, when it was suddenly stove, and the spirits
communicating with the light the whole was instantly 1
a blaze. ea'
As the spat was surrounded by water-casks,.theybOd,
the fire might be extinguished, but it soon gained he° it
and, succeeded by dense volumes of smoke, ascended 5
the four hatchways. The cry soon was that the fl
the
had reached the cable tier, and little hope was entertain
of preserving the vessel. The alarm and horror on b
became intense. :With great presence of mind the e_trei
tain ordered the lower deck to be scuttled,.and the 174
ports to be opened to admit the waves. The sailors-
soldiers speedily obeyed, but could not until several4;ea
sons, sick soldiers, women, and children had pert- ice
from suffocation. After this there seemed but a
of death—by fire, or by water. The scene was dread 01700
The upper decks were covered with between 600 an,rost
beings, many of them from sea-sickness and alarm n!
naked. An explosion of the magazine was altnnsLerto
mentarily expected. The captain ordered the vqs, 50
be scuttled forward to draw the fire in that directio of
between it and the magazine there were several
qtsiel'ai
water casks. The cries, the prayers of the helpless "
meantime heartrending, while others fell into the sttPf°rf
despair. At last the joyful announcement was u'adle
roved
the fore-top that a sail was bearing down, and shePapteill
c
to be the Cambria, a brig of 200 tons burthen, re
Cook, bound to Vera Cruz. The boats of the KelS, their
a
got out, and the females placed in them first, __..!°4„, yet
w
conduct was that of perfect resignation, for they „ispes
in imminent peril. A number of extraordinary
were „e-
-were made from yawning death. Several soltcle_r: arna
risked in attempting to save their wives and cluln..u."Vbe
several of the latter were drowned in the trantsbit
brave •
means of rescue taken by Captain Cobb and all that
• fellows around were fearless for themselves, and en
na-
humanity could dictate for others. Considerit?gernore
ture of the circumstances, comparatively fevi
Anti greßs
lost. The captain was the last to escape,
board
thTeheameebergiaramtuaylatbir
conceived; and sanadndthao.rneseLl„ettitivi,ebsvioirti
of her, soon after saw the majestic ship, which a
them,, passed over the waters like a conqueror,. °7
Tigliq. pillar of tire, in the vast desert of th©