New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-20
FIRE AT SEA.
Destruction OF three CORi-iaden Ves>sIs By
Fire Wonderful Escape OF tse Pnssen-
gers and Crews'

we cave O'Sh lAiDlsbed ny friend WIN tle
following highly interesting letter giving the par
ticu'art Of the defGuciion by FIRE at sea- Of three
coal laden ships, brief account Of which we pub
lished some JAYS since. The writer is Mrs. Bates,
the wife Of the Captain Of the Momentum. the first
yetsel mentioned in the letter. ltisseldom the
lot OF woman TO pass through such continued
series of dangers of character 40 trying those
recorded in Mrs Bates's letter. The letter is ia
ted Bay OF Sechura, Coast Of Peru Jan. II, 1851,
and after a few lines Of private nature says;
will now commence my narrative. Alter we
left Baltimore, we proceeded on our voyage pleas.
sntly. and assure you | never enjoyed myself
more Nothing occurred 10 mar our enjoyment
until we were about ia the latitude OF the River
Platte when William discovered smoke Issuing
from the after hatch, and then the startling truth
flashed upon our minds that the ship was on hre.-
She was loaded very deep with coal which was TAX
en- out of the mines, brought directly down 70 the
ship in the cars turned sometimes soaking wet,
from the rain that fell on the way directly into
the sbps hold-snd there it had remained heat
ing through ell the hot weather, until the gas that
originated from it had generated fire. This result
was feared by some before We sailed.
Imagine our situatiOn-elght hundred miles
from land on board burning ship, with very In
clement weather so rough that boats like ours
could not possibly live for any length OF time
There was no other way but 10 smother the IRE
as much as possible, aud bear up for the nearest
land-the Falkland Islands. The crew imme-
diately commenced getting up provisions and
water sufficient to last until we could arrive at
the ISLANDS and during the short time they were
emploved between decks so powerful was the
gas that some Of the men fell down senseess
from it's effects They then caulked every seam
and the matches as tight as possible, and yet gas
and smoke would escspe through seams when
were apparently watertight. The gas hnally
filled the cabin so that we were obliged TO vacate
it. We we're in momentary expectation Oh an
explosion, rs such things had been known to oc'
cur in similar situations. We had our boats
ready to launch in case the fire broke out al
though we did not suDpo &c fora moment they
could live. Ii was extremely cold weather ana
| was wrapped up in all the warm clothes could
get o. and was obliged to stay on deck Tor lear
of tie effect of the gas. Before l left the cabin
il nearly sufocated me. | was so tatigued tor
wsnt of sleep that lay down on the floor and fell
asleep, ard when | swoke | could not stand, and
could scarcely breathe until after | had ht OF
vomiting, which relieved me.
WeWere eight days in this situation before we
discovered laad. There were two men Stationed
aloft TO keep a look out and William was on the
house 1t was very thick, and soon William sung
ont and hor | shall never forget that joyful
sound. Presently the high rocks, called the vol
ultaer Rocks which make oil two miles, began
10 heave in sight, aud can assure you those par
rem rocks presented to US q most welcome appear.
snce. We ran into little cove, under the lea oil
the land and anchored that night, for it was blow
ing p close reefed topssil breeze, right down the
bafbor The next day we beat up to the settle
ment, called Port Stanly. an English colony, con-
sistine of 400 people. We had a survey upon the
sbio-opened the hatches and found her all on
fire. We commenced throwing water into the
hold with an engine but the fire still increasing
= f. L,NN NfrFaf a q m
on shore and scuttle her. This was done, and
after the fire was extinguished we went 10 work
and stripped the wreck. Everything between
decks was saved in a damaged state and was
sold at suction She was dreadfully burnt inside
Her beams and stancheons were burnt OIL, and
her lower deck had fallen in. She was go burnt
at the bottom that she bilged Immediately al.
s s6fRn8S Bottom tom '' 80 $3.50 - w .
After the business was all settled we should
have come directly home, bat the island being
very little frequented by vessels, we might have
| remained there a year perhaps before an oppor
! tUnity would have enabled us 10 return. There
was in port Scotch ship from Dundee, bound fol
Valparaiso, called the Humayoon, Capt. McHenry
mater, and he said he would take US TO Val
| paraiso, wkence We should be more likely e
have BD opportunity of returning home. We
left the Falklands about the 25th OF November, IL
his ship, which was loaded with coal, but which
had been in so long that we thought there wal
no danger from IT, We had been at sea twelve
days, and were juet round Cape Horn, when We
discovered the chip to be on fire, and 1t in
creased 20 rapidly that 10 three or four hours she
was in flames.
We were az this time seventy miles from land
and Immediately made preparations TO take tC
the boats prefsring to take our chance of gaining
| the land, although it wbs an inhospltable coast
inhabited only by savages. Just at this moment
/ q sail hove in sight. We hOisted q signal of dis
tress, and she bore dowa for US. She proved to
be an English ship called the Symmetry, loaded
| with coal bound TO Acapulco. Capt Thompson,
! her ommander took US all on board, and In a
short time We saw the fine ship Humsyoon burn
| 10 the waters edge.
We remained on board the Symmetry 10 days,
when large ship hove 10 sight, and in answer to
our signals hove to. She proved to be the Ameri-
can ship T anchor, of Newburyport, Captain Lunt,
bOunt to San Francisco She loaded at b Baltimore
with coal at the same time we did, and was well
acquainted with William. Judge OF his astonlsh'
ment to learn that We were on board the Syme
try. He imme diately invited us to come on board
hs hne ship, and we at once accepted the invita-
ton The ship was 900 suns burLhen, and had in
Loo tuns of coal. On the 25th Of December,
when We were in the Pacific, 200 miles from
lard, we dscoved the Fanchon to be on fire -
Efforts were Immediately made TO make her as
tight as possible, and CAPTAIN Lunt shaped his
course for the main land. We were on board this
burning ship three weeks, and imagination cannot
conceive the anxiety of our minds during this time
We never saw sail of any kind from the time
tho Ere feet discovered until we saw the land
and then nothing but those little Catamarans"
Capt. Lunt ran the ship into small bay, called
tie Bay OF SechOra, anchored about two miles
from the shore at o'clock PM He immediate.
ly commenced landing the dunnsge in the surf on
good sandy beach A tent was built, and, after
taking every thing oiI the ships deck they opened
the hstches, and nc sooner were they raised than
she was ore sheet Of fame below. The matches
were put on sgsin, and she was run on shore
and scuttled, bat the flames were too far advanced
to prevent her from burning. And there lay that
noble ship IN this lonely bay and burned TO the
waters edge. Oh it was awfuly grand i was
a scene never to be forgotten. Give the freest
fight to the imagination, and it cannot conceive
anything to surpass the reality. Think Of the
danger we incurred in remaining so long three