The New York herald., 1871-09-16
SHIP ON FIRE.
A Scene Of Terror i'm the
Lower Bay.
Five Hundred Passengers Within Sight Of Land
Expecting Watery Grave-The Steamship
Columbia, Of the Anchor Line, with
smouldering Fire in Her Hold

On the Goth OF August the steamship Columbia, OF
the Anchor line, left Glasgow. She had on board
500 passengers-ninety cabin and 4lo in the steer
age The passage was rough and stormy, but
nothing untoward happened. On Thursday morning
she came within sight OF New York harbor, and the
cry Of "Land, oh p' aroused the
sToRM-TossED voYAGERs
from their berths with exultant Joy depicted on
every c0untenance. Those who had for nearly two
weeks been huddled below In the bunKs set apart
for the steerage came rushing forth ere day broke
upon the waters. The vessel sailed on its way
safely and smoothly. For an hour and half the
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 break
fast cry OF fire was raised. The scene Of JOY and
pleasantness was changed to one Of
TERROR AND DIsMAY.
Hither and thither through the ship ran hus-
bands, fathers and brothers calling for their families
and gathering their own around them. Mothers
who had left their younger children snugly en-.
sconcedin their berths rushed franticaly below and
bearing their offspring to the upper deck, stood
white with fear along the sides Of the vessel awaiting
they knew not what In the meantime the whole
fore part OF the vessel was dense with thick BLACK
SMOKE 1t surged up through the hold in volumes.
Cabins, staterooms, berths-every place where
human beings stood or ay-were filed with this
mass OF suffocating vapor. Some attempted to cry
for boats, bu. the smoke
CHOKED THEIR UTTERANCE.
The women tell on their knees and looked only to
Heaven for succor.
During this season Of terror and excitement Chief
Officer Higgins, having discovered the source ana
issue Of the fire. got the steam and hand pumps to
work. He was noby seconded in his efforts by the
whole crew of the vessel. For two hours they
WORKED LIKE TITANs
and poured deluge OF water upon the burning
mass. The old Fire Department OF New YORK in It's
pamiest days never worked harder to conquer the
destroying element than did these men OF the
steamship Columbia on this eventlul morning.
After prolonged and untiring effort, In which SIX
men fell fainting from the eilects Of the smoke and
exhaustion, the fire was subdued. The smoke still
continued to surge up, but the breeze OF the ocean
cleared 1t away and the Columbia was
SAILING GAfLY INTO HARBoR.
The origin OF the fire was then looked into I'm.
medately under the cooks galley stored bales
Of jute and buraps The jute was pressed against
the top OF the compartment and directly beneath
the range. In the back part OF the range the fire
was strong and the plate became heated TO an In
tense degree; this intense heat communicated to
the woodwork below and thence to the ute, which
being so tightly pressed was eminently combustible.
There the fire must have
sMOULDERED FOR HOURS
pelore It was discovered, being an air and water
iator, which was closed at the time. Had this ire
occurred at night 1t would certainly have communi-
Gated to other parts OF the vessel and the ship beeu
IN flames ere It's officers were aware OF the fact. The
Columbia arrived at her dock, pier 20 North River,
Thursday, about four p NJ. all hands thanking
providence TO put their foot on terra J,Tla once
more.
Yesterday afternoon the HERALD reporter visited
the vessel and was kindly shown through the
damaged portion by chief clerk j. d. Lucas. In the
place where the fire occurred the woodwork was
hf1r VIZ daf
wall or cement partition back OF 1t was even then
too hot to
number of men TEE Were rsP sI w1k x1R pana sncc,
iron division in place Of the woodwork to prevent
Small % sfi0f interview wn RHi ne repSTser sRan
sengers, but as far as The reporter went he could
not find any OF them to corroborate his statement.
dent occurred r' said the reporter
'.We were OIL Fire Island, sir. II was only a
trnng afaira matter of half an hour or SO, and 1t
was all over"
Who Who discovered the fire first. Captains ?"
"Chief officer Higgins"
''No, sir; there was 10 necessity. AS SAID before
IL twas all over In about half an hour. Anyhow, we
beached her If we liked"
one OF the crew, VITO was talked to. did not seem
TO have ielt quite SO sangune about the fate Of the
ship In the course OF a conversation as TO the
origin OF the fire, he remarked:-
at was right back OF this blasted range, and I
don't think It's sound, anyway. The smoke came
up, sir, thick you could cut with knife and SO
sudden like tnat the most OF US sunocated before we
knew anything about it.n
"Was there much alarm on board the vessel -, in.
qured the reporter.
'Do you mean were the folks frightened9 NV
God, sir, never saw anything like It, 1t Is well Tor
us and well for the ship we were not out at sea.n
Considering the time and space In which the fire
occurred the pecuniary amount OF damage is small
according to the officers statements some one thou.
sand dollars In all. The principal destruction was
by water; what was damaged by fire was iute
buIlaps and soda crackers, in proportion to the
bulk the least valuable portion OF the cargo that
to-day for Glasgow.
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