Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-04-18
KEROSENE EXPLOSION AT SEA.
:inc Persons Ktllcsl-A Ship Burned
to the Waters edge.
From tho N. Y. Sunday Mercury


From the N. Y. Sunday Mercury.
MIR. Fowler, superintendent of pilots
Bermuda, WAS informed Mt dusk yester-
day that glimmering light was visi-
ble about eight miles from the harbor,
and that the light evidently proceeded
from burning ship. The superin-
tendent Immediately engaged a tug,
and, in company with six Of his men,
started in the direction of the mysteri
GUS appearance of fire, which spread
over considerable portion of the hori-
zon. AS the tug gradually closed upon
the quarter whence the light issued,
the pilot could discern q flame shoot
ing suddenly upward to an immense
height, and approaching nearer they
could easily discern the bare spars of a
burning ship.
Within gunshot of the wreck the air
was heated by the w1de-spreadine
flames, and at one hundred feet from
the wreck the heat was insufferable.
As the ship was completely enveloped
in fercely raging flames MI. Fowler at
first feared that all on board had per-
ished, but a boat hailed them from off
the starboard bow of the tug and a sig
Eal was raised. MIR. Fowler promptly
gave directions to have the tug steered
toward the boat, which was reached in
a few minutes. There we're seven men
men on board, two of whom were 80 sc.
verely burned as to be incapable of
moving. They gave substantially the
following account of the cause of their
misfortune:
The bark Nimrod left st. John, N.
B., LIST of March, bound to the West
India islands, with a part cargo of ker-
osene and naptha, the rest being COM
posed of barreled mackerel and sal
mon. Several days after leaving port
the Nimrod experienced very bolster
Gus weather, and ON the 18th inst. she
lost spar and quantity of canvas dur
ing a terrific gale encountered about
300 miles from Bermuda. On the 18th
the weather became steady, and the
Nimrod went ahead speedily until the
18th, when it was found that the water
on board was unfit for use, several of
the seamen having taken dangerous
diarrh@a from using it. The captain
on that account gave orders to put for
Bermuda, to have their casks re-
plenished. On the afternoon of the
10Th the islam: of Bermuda was
sighted, upon which the captain laid 4
half barrel Of bottled ale at the dispo.
sal of his crew, who, in their enthusi-
asm, aroused by the very acceptable
donation, gave three hearty cheers for
the "Old man." At O'Clock. while
the Nimrod was making very slow head
way, the wind being very low, loud
and sudden report was heard aft, and
in the next moment wild flames were
bursting through the rent timbers of
the cabin deck. Boom after boom fol-
lowed the first report, like continued
cannonading, and the fire was rapidly
spreading. Those On deck in the fore
part of the ship were SO transfixed with
terror that for moments after the terri
ble occurrence there was not a word
exchanged among them. Their first
instructive effort was to cutaway Jolly
boat lashed down to the fore hatch.
The two men, who were severely burn.
ed, ran toward the cabin with the de.
termination of rescuing Mrs. and Emma
Barley, the captains wife and daugh.
ter, in whose home these two noble
hearted sailors spent their childhood,
as they were orphans of seamen lost in
the employ of Capt. Bartley's father.
After succeeding in launching the jolly.
boat, the two men who had rashly ven
tured aft were dragged from the flames
by their conrade and lowered down
to the boat. When the crew of the
jolly-boat had rowed about fifty yards
from the ship, q terrible explosion took
placea amidship, and then it occurred
to the Mortified men in the boat that
four men, who were relieved from watch
at midday, had not been called out OF
the time of the disaster. 1t would be
foolhal diness to face again toward the
fated vessel, for high flames, filled with
dense and suffocating smoke, rose row
over the wreck on all sides. It was
then certain than ten lives had been
sacrificed, viz: Capt. BARLEY, wife and
daughter; the man at the wheel "a
German only known as "Fritz y
who is supposed to have been
killed by the first explosion, which
took place in a compartment of the
hold situated under the wheel-house,
which compartment was filed with
kerosene and naptha; the first mate,
Mr.. Walter Carson, who was in bed at
the time of the explosion Mr.. Gus.
BARLEY, the captains son and second
mate, who is supposed to have been
temporarily below when the oils ex-
ploded; and the seamen, Kent, Harriet.
Toole, Hickey and Burt, all of st. John.
N. B. The flames did not subdue till
midnight, when the tug in the charge
of the Bermuda pilots, could safely ap-
proach and inspect the wreck. The ILL.,
fated ship was burnt to the waters edge
on one side. the other side being q
mere skeleton of hull. The intense
stencil of burning and burned oil, and
of tarred ships gear and painted wood
work, was unbearable to the most
hardy of the pilots and rescued crew.
The mizzen and mainmasts were burned
to the two stumps, and the foremast,
bereft of the upper spars and yards, re-
NAMED standing, charred and dismal
signal of distress. Up to this morning
no vestage of the sacrificed crew or
passengers was discovered.
The authorities have taken charge of
the wreck, have had it towad into port,
and those of the crew saved from the
terrible fate of their companions have
been already well provided for.
Capt. BARLEY was highly connected
in colonial circles, and his father, the
late Isaac G. Barley, was one of the
most successful lumber merchants in
North America, and considerably inter.
ested in the Yarmouth ship-buildine
trade. Mrs. Bartley, who met with Sc
terrible fate, was generally admired
at home as a lady of accomplishments
and benevolence. This was her first
voyage, and it was made for the pnr
pose of accompanying her daughter
whose ill-health she had hoped the
balmy atmosphere of the West Indies
would repair.
Shocking Tragedy.
The Wiscasset (Me.) Oracle rc:ite
the particulars Ola shocking tragedy i,
Boothbay. The wife OF Mr.. Alonz,
Chapman became excited under tn
preaching Of perfectionist. Two 0
three Sabbaths ago the preacher hel,
forth upon the faith Of Abraham offer
ing up Isaac, and soon afterward Mrs
Chapman when left by herself, "sacri
ficed' her own little child, three year
old, "for the sins of the world" Th
poor woman was maniac, and wa
sent to the insane hospital.
/ What Prussia Is Doing.
The Prussians are fortifying Met
with enormous cannons of steel fro1
Krupp's manufactory ut Essau. The
IRE said to he of the same caIibre rs thos