Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-05-26
A TERRIBLE SCENE AT SEA.

A TERRIBLE SCENE AT SEA. !
Burning of the Ship Sunbeam I'm the
Pacific Ocean-Sfx of Her Crew Per-
fish. N -
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
Iuqiqui, 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. Tho days
passed on with favorable winds, and it
seemed that their wish would fno joyous
realization, as the sturdy vessel made rapid
strides toward her destination. Nothing
occurred to mar the pleasure anticipated of
quickly reaching Tome, until the 30th of
March, then being seventeen days o1t,
when the second mate, usually cautious
mariner, by an act devoid of prudence,
caused the picture of contentedness to
suddenly change to one of dismay and
death.
About noon of the latter date this officer.
DESTROYS of giving the upper deck 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 conve-
niently slowed, and attempted to draw it;
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, terrific explosion occurred, and the
demon fire with hundred bands was work
ing destruction on every side. In an in
slant it seemed to pervade the entire 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 silt
petre, and the flames danced with glee up
the hatchway. So sudden did the terrible
truth break upon the crew that for mo-
meut they were paralyzed. But, looking
around and realizing that beneath them
was seething volcano, and the forked
| 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 critical second.
When the first explosion was heard Cap
tain Chadwick, who had been below, rush.
ed on deck and, although but q moment
had interviewed, he was staggered to see
the flames forcing their way so savagely
through the hatchway. Nothing could be
done. Smoke all around, binding, suffo-
eating, and the boats could not be reached.
He asked no questions. but, looking into
the seething 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
- - Co. -0ft her
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 life
in view to its charred remains. When this
: had gone and the fire was creeping along
J the rigging to the foremost Captain Chad
} wick took his little son'in his arms and
jumped over the side into the ocean. Hap
I PLY he caught hold of q studding and
5 boom, which saved his and his sons lives.
I 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.
vivors' hearts, and the captain and half
drowned sailors felt that no earthly power
could save them, TIE tastenings of the
quarter boat fortunately gave way, and the
!. boat falling in the water right side up, one
8 of tn crew secured it, and finding the oarI
. init at once began to pick up the thankful
: soul about him. In q few minutes the
: captain, his son, the first mate, Marsha
!, Johnson, boy, E. Ii. Roberts, seaman, the
! cook and six other sailors were taken in
8 and they showed off as far possible from tn,
: fast-settling wreck.
Twenty minutes from the first explosion
!, the Sunbeam sank from sight. 1t was fear
9 full how the fire still kept creeping through
: the vessel. Varnish and saltpetre, thou
: sands of sacks of the latter, sent the wicked
: darts of fire upward and around. Mas
. after mast fell, and about ten minutes pas
: twelve o'clock p. m, on the 31st of Marcel
!, last, in latitude thirty degrees forty-fou
= minutes, about eighty miles from shore, tn
. last bubbling hiss was heard, and the nobl
craft of an hour before was thing of tn
!. past.
When the last look had been taken O
! the disappearing wreck, the boat, with it
: twelve stuls drifted for while with it
;, forlorn party on the ocean. Yet work wa
. to be done, and that quickly. as they ma
y nothing to eat and nothing to drink. Blu
= deliverance was at hand, and when but a
hour or so in their frail craft, the whalin
bark Charles w. Morgan, Captain Atherr
= then on cruise, having seen the fire mile
= away, bore down. to their posit on and too
4 them on board, subsequently landing ther
= at Talcahuano. Chill. From this place th
:, party made their way up to Pansma.
OF the saved, twelve in number, but fou
- names are known-Captain Chadwick. hi
!, son, E. Il. Roberts and Marshall johnson
!, None of the names of the six lost hay
!, been divulged. They were the secon
: mate, carpenter, steward and three seameI
= Perhaps their tragic fate may never be a,
:, certained by their friends.
= The ship Sunbeam was built in Chelse
:, - Mass, in 1865. She was of oak and fas
:, ened with copper and iron. She had tw
- decks, drew eighteen feet of water whe
= loaded, and was 79S tons burden. Sh
- was owned by Messrs. Augustus Hemal
- way & Co., of Boston.