The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-25
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Passenger sss h#e
II has been announced that the shin sarah
Minot which left New Orleans for liverpool
on the ed Of May, was burnt 1t sea-. a letter
from gentleman on board, gives an account
Of the lSs<: # ~ 5tA ~
The weather had been delightful for several
days, favorable winds prevailed. md we sail
II knots an hour On the .s.h Of June, at
o'clock, p. NJ, in lat. ie, Ion. ~, was stand
ing near the mainn,ast, looking over the STAR
board side at a sail to the windward OF ms,
The man at the wheel observed smoke coming
up through the after hatchway, where Ne
ships stores were kept; he also noticed that
thick smoke came through the yentilators; all
hands Immediately rushed aft, and most
energetic hut Intellectual attempt was made to
guench the fire by throwing water down the
after hatchway, where the fire was supposed
to have originated. The first officer soon
found that the whole OF the after part OF the
ship was on fire. The probability is that it
was caused by natural combustion, and had
been smoudering in the cotton hold for some
time previous to having broken out II soon
became obvious to the officers that it wonld
be impossible TO save the ship, therefore orders
Were given to close mp all the ventilaiors, and
make the hatchways as tight as possible by
filling up the interstices with cotton. 1t be-
came evident that the fire was making rapid
progress, and, Notwithstanding every pre-
The deck was becoming so hot as TO render 1t
uncomfortable to the feet, and the water that
was pumped out of tho main tank was al
most boiling hot The boats were now placed
in the dayits, and the long boat was also
launched: all hands were executing the orders
of the officers with the utmost alacrlty, and
officers and men deserved the highest praise
for the efficiency displayed by them on an
emergency so trying.
The weather had now become very unplea-
SAINT; a misty rain had been falling for some
time but at 5 o'clock, p. M, 1t cleared up
little, and a sight was presented to us that
thrilled our very souls with transports OF JOY.
The cry of "a sail! A sail y seemed to inspire
all witt the most inexpressible joy, as every
countenance lit up with anxious expectation,
as if doubling the truth OF our good fortune
The sail was in our weather beam she was
bearing down upon us, having evidently seen
our signal of distress in the mlZzen rigging
The order was now given TO heaVe the iniiih
top-sail to the mast, and in few minutes we
saw the friendly sail cross our stern. She
proved to be the bark Retriever, of London,
Captain Robinson Waite, bound to Liverpool
from BarbadoeS. We saved as much proVl-
sion us could be obtained out of the burning
ship, and at 6h O'Clock, F. NJ, all on board the
ill 1ated ship Sarah Minot-twenty seven In
number-were rescued, together with nearly
all the personal effects OF passengers ana
crew. We We're most Hospitality received on
board the bark by the captain ana MS Wl1e, Dy
whom every possible provision was made for
our comfort. After all sail had been taken In,
we laid by in order to witness the final scene
of this most dire catastrophe. The ensign was
still unfurled to the breeze from the miZZen
rigging; the main and mzzen masts soon went
bv the board, and the once noble ship Sarah
Minot was enveloped in flames. presenting
spectacle at once melancholy and magnificent
as the flames lowered to the sky and illumined
the sea for miles around the scene of the con-
migration. 1t was painful to witness the
emotion of Captain Wheldon as he leaned
over the rail on the quarterback; he could
not repress his tears as he took last, sad look
at his ship as she was going down to the hun
cry sea- On the 5th of July we deserted the
Skelligs, on the west coast of Ireland, and
reached Liverpool on Saturday, the 9th of
July.