Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-08-03
The burning of the ship william
Nelson.

Capt. Levy, of the ship William Mel
son. has made a statement to the Ameri-
can Consul at Havre, respecting the loss
of his ship. We copy the material por
ton:
Several emigrants who had been i'll
for some days were suffering from a
violent fever, and fearing that this might
become contagious the captain gave
orders at 10 A. NJ. on the 18th to the first
mate and carpenter to go below and
make the passengers come on deck, in
order that the ship might be fumigated,
as q precautionary measure.
The passengers having all assembled,
the first mate and carpenter were again
sent below with several sailors, fur
nished with 'ar buckets and red-hOt
irons. The operation was nearly com
pleted, about half-past II o'clock, when
the last tar barrel burst into fame,
and the boiling tar flowed over upon the
deck in the centre Of the ship, seriously
burning the carpenter and the sailor who
was assisting him. The vessel imme-
diately took fire. The middle deck was
then, as may be imagined, 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 emf
grants, setting it on fire.
EFFORTS TO SAVE THE SHIP.
IN an instant the flames spread to all
the other beds fore and aft, rendering it
impossible for the men to do anything
to extinguish them. Even before they
could reach the deck, immense columns
of fame shot up through the hatchway,
and reaching the sheets Of the mainsail
Gall sail was set at the moment envel-
Oped the mainmast with the rapidity of
lightning. In the twinkling of an eye
all the sails on the mainmast were on
fire, as well as the rigging. The captain
Immediately ordered part Of the crew TO
get the boats ready, in order to save
as many passengers as possible, and the
rest to close the ventilators and the
hatchways. This was hardly done, when
a number OF men, consisting partly Of
sailors and partly of emigrantS, formed
a chain fore and aft, in order to pass
buckets OF water, which were poured
down the main hatchway, whence issued
a column of flame. The pumps were
also set at work. Hitherto discipline
and good order had been maintained.
The fire however, made such rapid pro-
gress above and below that the captain
considered it his duty to lower the boats
Immediately.
PANIC.
But now general panic seized the
unfortunate passengers, all OF them
throwing themselves upon the boats,
which, from their numbers, it was COM
pletely impossible to prevent. One had
no sooner touched the water than she
was capsized by number of emigrants
who jumped into her. These, not know
ing how to swim, were nearly all
drowned. Four sailors, however, who
were also IN the water, succeeded with
much risk in righting the boat and
bringing it to the side Of the vessel
again, and then saved some Of the I'M
fortunate men struggling in the water.
But while the boat was still alongside,
some more emigrants leaped into it and
! capsized her q second time The sailors
were again able to right 1t, and took on
board as many passengers as 1t could
hold. The captain himself assisted ir
lowering the launch, and the second
/ mate the only sailor who entered 1t, was
| fortunate enough to save several cabin
| passengers, among Others, seven women
| and four children, one not three months
old. The two other boats were lowered
with much trouble.
bEF
| thirty.fve passengers, with six of the
crew, some of whom got into another
boat less heavily laden, leaving two to
steer. The last boat, with the same
number of sailors, and full Of emigrants,
succeeded in getting clear Of those who,
endeavoring to jump In of the ship, fell
into the water and swan around it. 1t
is miraculous that it was not capsized
In the efforts the poor creatures made to
get on board. Meanwhile the captain,
seeing that he could do nothing more to
save the ship, ordered the rest of the
crew, about fifteen men, to throw over
board everything possible that would
fioat--spars, planks, barrels, hencoops,
&c. All were dashed together, SO as to
form kind of raft, in order to save as
many lives as possible. This was hardly
finished when the unhappy passengers
still on board, losing all presence OF mind,
threw themselves upon it in large num-
bers, followed by several of the sailors,
filing the air with despairiRg cries.
Others on board the ship rushed madly
from one end of the deck to the other,
and going into the cabin, broke the fur
niture and threw 1t into the water.
TERRIBLE SCENES.
The confusion which now reigned was
beyond anything possible to conceive
| The tumult was such that 1t was impos-
sible for the captain to make himself
heard, though giving reiterated orders
and seeking to stop the panic. This
took place about half an hour after tn,
fire broke out. At this time from 13(
to 100 emigrants had succeeded in get
ting upon spars alongside the ship
though there were many struggling il
the water, when the topmasts, witt
their yards &C., all on fire, suddenly
4 r-tn Il Ia -