The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-09-19
A'SHIP ON FIRE
Five IIuadred Passengers Within
Sight Of Land Expecting a Water-

Five Huadred Passengers Within
Sight OF Land Expecting q Watery
Grave.
On the 29th OF August the Steamship
Columbia, of the Anchor line, left Glas-
VOW. She had on board five hundred
passepgers-ninety cabin and four hun
dred and ten in the Storage. The pas
I'sage was rough and stormy, bnt moth
ing uatoward happened On Tb ursday
morning she came within sight OF New
York harbor, audthe cry of" Land, ohF
aroused The storm-tossed voyagers from
their berihs with exultant JOY depicted
on every coun;enance. Those who had
for nearly two weeks been huddied in
the hunks set apart Tor the Storage
came rushing forth ece day broke upon
the waters. The vessel sailed on
its way safely and smoothly. For an
hour and a hallthe ship was one scene
Of hearty thanksgiving. About seven
o'clock, as with hungry stomachs and
glad hearts all hands were awaiting the
call for breakfast, a cry Of fire was
raised. The scene ofjoy and pleasant
ness WAS instantly changed to one Of
terror and dismay. Hitler and thither
through the ship ran husbands, fathers
and brothers calling for their families
and gathering their own about them.
Mothers who had left their younger
children snugIy e5conced in the berths
rsshad fan,ically below, and bearing
'hcir offspring to the upper deck, stood
white with fear along the sides OF the
vessel, awaiting they knew not what
IT, the meantime the whole fore part
ofthc vessel was dense with thick black
smoke. II surged up through the holl
IN volumes. Cabins, stateroom7, berths
very place where human beings
stood or lay-wrrc filed with this mass
oisuiiocatjgg vGror. Some attempted
II CRY for boats, but the smoke checked
th,ir uttcrancc The women tcl. on
tueir knees and looked only to Heaven
for SuccDr. Daring this season Of ter,
ryr anh cAc..emeat Ch;ef Officer uig-
Tins, having discovered the source and
issue .! the fire, got the steam and had
pumps to work. lie WAS molly sec.
oniei in his efforts by the whole crew
OF the vessel. For two hours they
worked like Titans, and poured Il deluge
Of water upon the burning mass. Alter
Prolonged and untiring effort, in which
tx men fell tainting from the effects OF
tao smoke AMI exhaustion, the fire WIS
,uhdued. The smoke still continued 10
surge ~, ba, the brec2e OF the ocean
cleared il away, and the Co!lmbiG was
sailing gliiv into harhCr
The origin Of the fire was then looked
into Immediately under tn" cook $
ALLEY were stored bales oil jute and
nu.iags. tn" jute was pressed against
The top ol the compartment and directly
ueUeilh the range. In the back part
OF the range the fire was strong and
the plate brcgme heated TO al intense
ie"rca this intense heat communicated
10 the wood work below and thence 10
he ju'c, which being s. tightly pressed
Wa rmncatly combustib!e. There the
ire mast have smoul.cr,d tor hours
before it was discovered, being an air
aud water tight compartment, the only
amlture small yrnti!ator, which was
closed at the tint. Had this fire oc-
CARED at night It would certainly have
Communicate 70 other parts OF the
vessel, and the ship been in flames ere
It's officers were aware o. the fact. The
Columbia arrived at her dock, pier %
North river, New York, Thursday,
ahonI four 7. NJ, all hands thanking
Providence to PIT their FOO: on ter1
f.1.i one more.