Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1853-04-22

board the life boats got out. and the proyis
ions and water. and the clothing which We
would need ill we could reach the land, made
ready. At this time another large opening was
made, and box, on FIRE, was broken to pieces
and its contents passed up upon the deck. An.
other and another were broken up in this man
ner tlll aplace was made large enough to ad-
init one Of the sailors, who boldly went down
with the hose in bis hand. He directed it
against the burning mass, till he fell exhausted
upon the floor. He was dragged out, and an
other, as bold as he, came to his place. In a
moment or two he fell, like his companion, and
was dragged out nscnsible, and carried upon
the deck. Another, and another, took his
place, and shared his fate. Thus it went on,
till every one Of our sixty sailors had taken his
turn. At one time counted sixteen Of these
generous fellows lying together on the deck
The ladies came from the cabin, and bathed
their heads with camphor, which would, in
most cases, bring them to in a short time As
soon as one was recovered sufficiently to walk,
he would 60 back and offer his services again.
Several of the men were brought up out of this
place insensble, as many as eight times. On
the most of them the gas which they inhaled
seemed to have an effect somewhat like that of
laughing gas, particularly when they were par
tally resuscitated. 1t was no easy matter to
restrain these powerful men. when they en-
deavOred To throw themselves overheard, or do
themselves or us some personal harm.
For two hours we labored in this way, and
you may imagine the terrors of our position
We could but fear that the strength of the men,
self-sacri6cing as they were, would not hold
on till the flames were extinguished Some of
them could do no more, and these the hardest
of them ALL We toiled on. however-the pas.
sengers, gentlemen and ladies, working the
pumps-for another hour, when the joyful
news came that the fire was out. No more
flames could be seen, no more smoke arose
We began to breathe freely, and hope that de-
liverance had been sent to us. After the rest
of an hour an examination was made, but no
signs Of fire we're discovered We all lay down
upon the deck, (it was very warm, and pass
ed the night. The next day was the Sabbath,
and never did more grateful, more devout
assembly, come together for the worship of
God The most daring and wicked among the
sailors, confessed that if God had not helped
them they could not have put out the fire
One Of them had said when the ship was on
fire, "You see now of how little use all this
praying is, which we have had aft. There was
never ship went out of New York, that has
had so much of it on board, and yet here she
is, on fire." And yet, this same man, when
he went down into the hold, and saw what the
fire had done, said, with great deal of emo
ton, If prayer didn't keep the ship from get.
ting on fire, it must had something to do in
putting it out"
On Monday, the Captain ordered the cargo
to be broken into, and thorough examination
to be made, 1t was found that the fire had
burnt over space which extended forty feet
in one direction and thirty in another. 1t had
burnt through from one side Of the ship to the
other, and had burnt so nearly through the
floor, or deck, that blow of the hand would
break it through. Had the fire made its way
through the sides of the ship, do not see how
she could have been saved: as it was, it was a
most difficult task, We owe our preservation,
under God, to the fidelity of the men, and the
excellence and power of the force pump with
which the ship is provided. One of the men
said to me, that the men would not have work
ed as they did for any other Captain. They
had no grudge against him that they wished to
crafty. One of our sailors had once before
been on board of ship that was burned, and
narrowly escaped with his life. When it be-
came clear that our ship was dangerously on
fire, he ran up and down, raving like maniac
1. was some time before he could be SO quiet
ed as to return to his duty
After very careful examination of the con-
dition of the ship, the Captain came to the con-
clusion that she was not injured SO as to re-
quire him to put into Rio Janeiro. He thought
that her strength was not weakened, as her
timbers were not much burned. We went on,
therefore, and have seen the land but twice in
ninety-three days; once the coast of South
America, near Cape st. Rogue, and the land
on both sides of the Straits of LIE Marie, through
which we passed soon after going by the straits
of Magellan. We did not speak single ship
on the Atlantic side. We spoke whaler off
Cape Horn, and spent nearly a day on board of
another, when becalmed off Callao. =
SAILORS ELooUENCE.
This scene, which occurred on Monday after
the FIRE, and which was barely alluded to in