Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-06-17
Burning orthc Coolle Ship Don Juan
Five Hundred Coolies Roasted

Five Hundred Coolies Roasted
Alive.
SAN Francisco, June 13.-The details
of the total destruction 10y fire of the Peru
Wan ship Don Juan at sea have been re-
ceived. 1t is supposed that she was set on
fire by the coolies, who had been entrapped
on board at Macao, China. The crew
abandoned the vessel, leaving five hundred
and fifty coolies fastened under the hatch
es. Five hundred coolies were roasted |
alive-the others escaped when the matches |
burned of. The vessel was American |
built, and was sold in San Francisco to the |
Compania Martina dc Peru, and rechris- |
tened Do Ores Ugarte. She was fitted out
| for the coolie trade, and returned several
times for supplies while engaged in that
| traffic.
NEW YORK, June 13.-A San Francisco
special gives the particulars of the burning
Of the ship Don Juan, which left Macao
on May 4, with cargo of coolies for Peru.
The Don Juan loaded at Macao, taking six
hundred and fifty coolies on board for
Peru, and on the 9th was burned to the
water's edge, not more than fifty miles
from Hong Kong. The coolies, who have
arrived in Hong Kong, all aver that their
treatment was humane, and they had moth
ing whatever to complain OF either rs to
the allowance of food on the quality, or
quantity, and the whole affair was simply
accidental. The other view in the question,
namely, that the Vessel was set on fire by
designing men among the Chinese, is not
impossible One of the men distinctly
AYERS that he heard an explosion of gun
powder aft, and also smelt a strong smell
of it. Others again say they did not hear
any report; that they were nearly over
powered by the sickening smell OF the ships
Il &c 70 hO tod
that the European who had the humanity
to open the matches did not succeed in saw
ing his own life, as he was overtaken by
the coolies, who made q rush at the boat
waiting for him, and q general scramble
occurred to get to it, the Europeans using
arms to prevent the coolies getting into it
In this scramble several Chinese were
drowned. The boat, however,. ultimately
succeeded in getting clear of the ship, bu
had not gone far when it upset in sight o
but not within reach of the coolies. Th'
coolies then seem TO have had. little lei
sure to look around, when they observed
the other three boats at distance. Dur
ing this time all the materials of the shil
were rapidly burning, and q large mum
Der pcrished in the hold, some of whom
:. no doubt, were suflocated but the erie
= from others were piteous. Many, however
! Jumped in the water and escaped by drown
= ing the more horrible death by fire.
= While the luckless men were on deck ant
= on the bowspit in this position one OF tn
D masts fortunately give way, and the me-
Sc at once made rush and scramble to rcac
~ " it; they clung on with desperation, callin
~ as loud as they could to save their lives
., They had not been long in the water betor
~ fishing junk came up and they wer
, taken off, two or three at Il time, in sma
II sampan.
" The mast was held on the wreck by wir
~, ,c rigging, and would otherwise have drifte
% % away to sea. Tie coolies state that ther
y y were no less than fifty Europeans on tn
~ Vessel, so it remains to be seen what b(
-, ~ came Of them. Some, no doubt, were 10;
"a in the boat that was swamped. Frol
:. T. Macoa, it is reported that thirty-iive of IL
'Io 20 crew have arrived there, and arc unanin
=, Gus in stating that the Coolies mutinie
y and set fire 70 the ship aft, in hopes oftort
l.. - ing all to abandon her, and SO take IL
~ ~ vessel. 1t seems they thought the fiji
y could be extnguished afterward.