The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-08-18
The Burning Of the Ship WiIIians
Nelson.


can consul at Havre, respecting the loss OF
his ship. We copy the material portion
as given in the French papers:
"Several emi igrants who had been i'll
for some days were suffering from a vio-
lent fever, and fearing that this might be-
come contagious, the captain gave orders
at 10 a. NJ. on the Goth to the first mate
and carpenter to 90 below and make the
passengers come on deck, in order that the
ship might be fumigated. as precaution-
ary measure.
The passengers having all ascended, the
first mate and carpenter were again sent
below with several sailors, furnished with
tar buckets and red hot irons The oper-
alton was nearly completed, about half
past II o'clock, when the last tar barrel
burst into a flame, and the boiling tar
flowed over upon the deck. in the centre
of the ship, seriousl y burning the carpen-
ter and the sailor who was assisting him.
The vessel Immediately took fire. The
middle deck was then, as may he imagin-
ed, full of smoke, and the ignited tar,
which had fallen on the deck, flowed with
the roll of the ship under the bed of one
of the emigrants, setting it on fire.
EFFORTS TO SAVE THE sIIIP.
In an instant the flames spread to all
the other beds fore and aft, rendering it
for the men to do ANYTHING to
extingui>h them. Even before they could
reach the deck immense columns of flame
shot up through the hatclway, and reach
ing the sheets of mainsail (alI sail was set
at that moment), enveloped the mainmaSi
with the rapidity of lightning. In the
twinkling Of an eye all the sails on the
mainmast were Oh fire, rs we'll as the rig
ging. The captain Immediately ordered
part OF the crew to get the boats ready. in
order to save as many passengers as posi-
bic, and the rest to close the ven.iiatorS
and the hatchways. This was hardly
done, when a number of men. consisting
partly OF sailors and partly Of emf grants.
formed chain fore and aft, ip order 10
pass buckets of water. which were poured
down the main hatchway, whence issued
Il column Of flame The pumps We're also
set at work. Hitherto discipline and good
order had been maintained The fire.
however, made such rapid progress above
and below that the captain considered ii
his duty to lower the boats immediately.
And now a general panic seized the ul,-
fortunate passengers. all of them throwing
themselves upon the boats, which. from
their numbers, ii was completely impo~Si-
BILE to prevent. One had no sooner touch
ed the water than she was capsizcd bv Il
number of emf grants who jumped into her
These, not knowing how to swim. were
nearly all drowned. Four sailors. how
ever. who were also in the water. succeed
ed with much risk in righting the boat and
bringing If to the side of the vessel again.
and then saved some of the unfortunate
men struggling in the water Bnt while
the boat was still alongside some more en-
igrants leaped into ii and capsized her :,
second time. The sailors We're again able
to ri ght it, and took Oh board IL many
passengers rs it could hold The captain
himself assisted in lowering the launch.
and the second mate. the only sailor who
entered it. was fortunate enough to save
several cabin passengers. among others
seven women and four children. one moi
three months old The two other boat,
were lowered with much trouble.
The largest contained no less than thir-
ty-tive passengers, with six of the crew
some of whom gol into another boat les.
heavily laden, leaving two to steer Th,
last boat with the same number of sailors
and full of emigr;,nts, succeeded in getting
clear of those who. endcavoring TO lilmT
in off the ship, fell into the wafer ant
swan around it. 1t is miraculous that il
was not cap>ized in the efforts the pool
creatures made to get on board. Mean
while the captain, seeing that he could dc
nothing more to save the ship, ordered tn,
rest of the crew, about fifteen men. t.
throw overheard everything possible thai
would tioat-sparS, planks. barrels. hen
coops, &c. All were laShed together. 5,
rs to form kind of raft. in order to say,
as many lives as possible. This was hard
ly finished when the unhappy passenger
still on board, losing all presence of mind
threw themselves upon it in large number
followed by several of the sailors. filling
the air with despairing cries Others OF
board the ship rushed madly from one en-,
of the deck to the other. and going int
the cabin, broke the furniture and threv
it into the water.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
The confusion which now reigned wa
beyond anything possible to conceive
The tumult was such that it was impossi
ble for the captain to make himself heard
though giving reiterated orders to stop tn
panic. This took place about half a
hour after the fire broke out. At thi
time from $50 to $50 emigrants had sue
ceeded in getting upon spars alongside tn
ship, though there were many strugglin
in the water, when the topmasts, wit
their yards &C., all on fire, suddenly CAV
way and fell right upon them, KILN
many at once and throwing the others in
to the sea. The cries of the wounded an
drowning were terrible. Words are pow
erless to give an idea of the horrors of til
scene. The unfortunates still on boar
the ship, in their great terror, surrounde