The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-04-03

To ts Ejtor a. a. Ftr5fe Commercial -iLrsrt>.r
In your issue Of March 25th, under the heading
The Fire on the Ship hJaS PtHip,' "a correspon-
dent. Fair Play proposes to do justice to all
concerned in putting out the fire, by a plain state
mcut Of the fIets. Had &" Far Play" confined
himself TO facts, I should not have felt called upon to
make this answer. The arttul manner in which the
correspondent eudeavurs TO .dctract' from the
credit justly belonging to the Department, in uuwor-
thy eff one who Processes 70 always like . Fair Play"
The Honolulu Fire Department. i not dependent
on this one case of ire on ship board for its reputation,
having conquered Is bad, ifnot worse fires, on several
ships during the past ten years, and that without the
assistance Of the " Executive officer" of a ship Of
war. I willingly give all credit to the Captain and
Officers Of the OsSipcs for their prompt response 70
the alarm of fire. and to the crew for their celebrity in
manning the boats. and placing their donkey engine
in position to 10 all the good possible.
Your correspondent says: Thirdly. almost the
first order given by the Executive officer OF the
OssiuTc was 10 Unshackle the chain, =
and this before Nh. Williams arrived ut the scene I
arrived on board within fifteen minutes after the
alarm was given. and ut that time no effort was being
made by any one TO uushackc the chain. Almost
the first question l asked Capt, Hubbard was, il he
could place the ship alongside the wharf? He an
swered-s that Il lcGS iWp3SSi5ie.' | then asked If
her stern could not be hauled TO the wharf, and was
told that the chain was foul IN the locker. l then
asked if the chain could not be unshacklei, and was
led 10 believe that the chain was - rusty, and the
shacklc key being iron. that it could not be done.
The Captain then told me that he thought the ship
would have to be scuttled where She then lay. With
the idea impressed upon my mind by the Captain,
that the ship must he saved or destroyed where she
then laid. | went 10 work 10 save her having full
faith In the ability of the Department 10 do so. We
Ibored under great disadvantage, being compelled 10
reel off from three hundred and fifty 10 four hundred
feet of hose from each engine. and the Hose Carriage,
-, ,,.1sr 1, roach -lN f-p hold Of the shin FINDING
that we could not reach the fire in the lower hold, l
ordered a hole cut in her bow, which was done by
the carpenter 81 the oSStPee. Through this hole we
cot water directly on the ire. 10 great advantage.
Is the men were getting tired ut the engine brakes |
sent a message 10 Marshal Parke, asking for aid, and
another to MIR. Thos. Foster, ship carpenter, for tools
and men to cut a new and larger opening in the side
OF the vessel also ordered the fire alarm to be rung
for hours in order TO bring more help TO our assistance.
The above orders were carried out and had the de-
sired effect.
About three o'clock \. NJ, it became apparent to
me and my assistants that the ship must be brought
to the wharf or the chances of saving her were very
small. | then asked Mr.. Thos. Hughes, Foreman Of
the Hose Company, if he could not part the chain?
replied that he could if | could procure some
heavy hammers. About this time an effort was made
by some of the ships crew, the crew of the Ossipee,
and captains of coasters, to over haul some chain,
which was done with but little difficulty and the
stern was brought nearer the wharf. Thus
one simpossibility'' was overcome IN a measure
Some tools were produced, possibly belonging to the
Ossipee, and the work of unshackhng the cham be-
gan. \ top-maul with q small punch, held between
pieces of hoop iron, used by unskillful hands, made
but a poor impression on the shackle. In fact their
so far, had only the effect TO rivet the pm IN the
of the shackle. After n time the maui was dis
abled and cold chisels were brought to cut the now
riveted end of the shackle pin. This task was at
tempted by the armorer of the OSSipee, but he not
being in Il fit state to do the work, / took the tools
him and gave them to Mr.. Hughes, who finished
the cutting of the pin. The armorer being trouble
some was sent away. At this time Mr.. Harper. my
assistant, arrived with heavy sledgeS and large
and in a few minutes the pin was knocked
out of the shackle, and the chain was sundered.
Another : impossibility'' was overcome, and the ship
was soon at the wharf. The whole time occupied i'll
the chain was about an hour, of which
he men Of the OSSipee had consumed about ten min
Itcs-not upwards Of three hours" as Is claimed
oy a Fair Play
Were I an officer of a war ship l should not care to
nave it said that with an armorer and his tools, and
number OF men ut my command, 1t took over
hree hours to unshackle n chain cable, and then only
the aid Of tools and help from the shore.
l grant that the officers and crew ofthe OSSipee are
entitled to all the credit of removing the Captains
goods and cabin furniture to the Ossipee-a task
which 1 considered unnecessary, and so stated to the
of the King PhHiP; the result proving
hat they suffered more damage by removal than If
hey had been left ON board the ship.
As regards the cutting of the second hole in the
side, Fair Play claims for the officer of the
of war the credit, admitting that he worked to
disadvantage not being used to an axe. Those who
TODD by and were used to an axe, claim that he
hould have given it up and not stood in the way Of
,etter men.
The crew of the OSSipee also deserve praise for
heir untiring efforts at pumping the water out of the
hip. when it was supposed by some that she stood in
LANCER OF rolling over.
As to the propriety Of scuttling the ship, many old
experienced seamen and ship carpenters are of opin-
on that it should not have been done, in view of the
ertainty of thereby destroying the ship, and in ref
renee to the probability other never being raised and
epaired. One party tells me that had the King
Philip been scuttled he should have considered 1t
quivalent TO her total destruction.
l gave no order not to scuttle the ship as no order
al been given TO do SO. WhenI got on board there
ras "A great deal of talk about scuttling her, and when
was proposed to me I would not entertain the idea
u a moment, although the reason given to justify
he act was, that Il Jr1S impossible 10 get her to the
hart. Ii was my opinion from the first that the
hip could be saved, and my orders were given ac-
ordingly- The Fire Department worked cheerfully
nd with a Will, and by its exertions the ship was
from destruction, by fire or water. They did
hat the officers and men OF the OSSipee left for them
do that was all" Ny thanks are due to Mar
lai Parke, and the captains Of some of our coasters,
II valuable aid in ultimately bringing the ship TO
lie wharf. | claim that if the ship Kjng Philip had
cen put alongside the wharf by twelve o'clock. mid
ight, instead Of four O'Clock \. NJ, which might and
oul1 have been done, had | not been so grossly
isin(orned rs 10 its possibility, that the fire would
ave been subdueI within two hours, instead of eight,
ID with but little damage to the ship.
remain, very respectfully yours,
c. L. WILLIAMS,
Chief Engineer " Honolulu Fire Department"