The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-05-27
1 RIB seeSEA ATT SEA.

Burning of the Ship IN the
Pacific O~cean-SiI of Her crew Fef-
Ish.
Captain Chadwick, of the ship Sunbeam,
has Just arrived in New York, and gives
the following account to the Herald OF the
loss of his vessel:
The Sunbeam loaded in the harbor of
IIuoioui, Peru, during the latter part of
February and first week IN March, with
~saltpetre. bound for Tome, Chile, for
which port she sailed on the 18th OF
March, the officers and crew expecting a
short and pleasant voyage. The days
passed on with favorable winds, and 1t
seemed that their wish would find Q joyous
realization, as the sturdy vessel made rapid
strides toward her destination. Nothing
occurred to NAL the pleasure anticipated OF
quickly reaching Tome, until the 30th OF
March, then being seventeen days out,
when the second mate, usually a cautious
mariner, by an act devoid of prudence,
caused the picture of contentedness to
suddenly change to one OF dlsmay and
death.
About noon of the latter date this officer.
DESTROYS of giving the upper deck a little
neater appearance, suggested to the captain
that he intended to varnish it, which, meet
ing his appreciation, he foolishly procured
an open light, and descended to the after
hold, where the article desired was onve-
niently slowed, and attempted to draw 1t;
but it was the last act of ships duty he ever
did. as the flames of the lamp coming In
contact with the fumes of the flowing var
nish, a terrific explosion occurred, n the
demon fire with a hundred hands was work
ing destruction on every side. In an IN
- - - rryo6 tho Qnf1rp hold
and before the frightened and burned mate,
with his clothes on fire, could reach the
deck, explosion after explosion was heard
as the fire licked up the infammable salt
petre, and the flames danced with glee up
the hatchway. So sudden did the terrible
truth break upon the crew that for a mo-
ment they were paralyzed. But, looking
around and realizing that beneath them
was a seething volcano, and the torked
tongues of their enemy were working to
every part of the vessel, creeping through
the decks and climbing the masts, they
must act. 1t was a critical second.
When the first explosion was heard Cap
tain Chadwick, who had been below, rush
ed on deck and, although but a moment
had interviewed, he was staggered to see
the flames forcing their way so sayagely
through the hatchway. Nothing could be
done. Smoke all around, binding, sutfo-
4 eating, and the boats couldnot be reached.
He asked no questions, but, looking into
the seethiug cauldron below, told the men
to save themselves and pray to God to help
them all. With this word the men leaped
into the sea and attempted to cling to the
spars and boards they had already thrown
overheard, but in vain for many OF them.
In ten minutes from the ignition of the var
nish the mainmast was topping, and In
thisteen minutes it went over the side, and
the gasping, drowning men chung with ll1e
in view to its charredremains. When this
had gone and the fire was creeping along
the rigging to the foremost Captain Chad
wick took his little son in his arms and
Jumped over the side into the ocean. Hap
lpily he caught hold of a studding and
boom, which saved his and his sons lives.
So terrible was the heat at this time that
the faces of some of the men by the ships
side were blistered and cooked, and thus,
= to change their positions and place their
backs to the burning mass, SIX poor fellows
dropped from their places of insecurity
and. frightened and exhausted, sank to rise
no more.
When despair had settled upon the sur
viyors' hearts, and the captain and alt
drowned sailors felt that no earthly power
could save them, the fastenings of the
quarter boat fortunately gave way, and the
boat falling in the water right side up, one
of tn crew secured it, and finding the oars
init, at once began to pick up the thankful
soul about him. In a few minutes the
captain, his son, the first mate, Marshal
johnson, a boy, E. h. Roberts, seaman, the
cook and six other sailors were taken In,
! andthey showed off as far possible from the
fast-settling wreck.
Twenty minutes from the first explosion,
the Sunbeam sank from sight. 1t was fear
: full how the fire still kept creeping through
the vessel. Varnish and saltpetre, thou,
sands ofsacks of the latter, sent the wicked
darts. Of FIRE upward and around. Mast
after mast fell, and about ten minutes past
twelve o'clock D. m, on the 31st of March
last, in latitude thirty degrees forty-four
minutes, about eighty miles from shore, the
last bubbling hiss was heard, and the noble
craft of an hour before was a thing of the
past.
When the last look had been taken OF
the disappearing wreck, the boat, with Its
twelve sLuls, drifted for a while with Its
forlorn party on the ocean. Yet work was
! to be done, and that quickly, as they had
nothing to eat and nothing to drink. But
deliverance was at hand, and when but al
hour or SO in their fral craft, the whaling
bark CHARLES W. Morgan, Captain Athern,
then on a cruise, having seen the fire miles
away, bore down to their position and tool
them on board, subsequently, landing them
at Talcahuano, Chill. From this place the
party made their way up to Panama.
= OF the saved, twelve In number, but foul
names are known-Captain Chadwick, his
son, E. b. Roberts and Marshall Johnson
None of the names of the six lost have
been divulged. They were the second
mate, carpenter, steward and three seamen
Perhaps their tragic fate may never be as
certained by their friends.
The ship Sunbeam was built in Chelsea
Mass, in 1865. She was of oak and fast
ened with copper and iron. She had two
: decks, drew eighteen feet of water wher
loaded, and was 1913 tons burden. She
! was owned by Messrs. Augustus Heman
way & Co., of Boston.