Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-06-24
BEGINNING OF THE FIRE.

as follows:
BEGINNING OF THE FIRE
The American squadron consisting
of the Wabash, Congress, Brooklyn,
Plymouth, Shenandoah, Juniata and
Wachusett, under the command of .Ad-
miral Alden-were at the time lying in
Napoleon Basin, surrounded by almost
innumerable merchantmen embracing
every description of craft and nationali-
ty. The night was fine, the sea calm,
and there was little moonlight Sud-
denly, just after midnight, an explosion
startled the feet and the city, and the
awakened people beheld with alarm and
dismay, the dense clouds of heavy smoke
rising from the burning hull of an Ital-
ian ship which had just arrived from
Philadelphia with cargo of Petroleum
and had in some way got ablazc.
THE DANGER.
With the memory of the great fire at
Bordeaux (Which originated in precise
ly the same way still fresh in their
minds, the citizens fully realized the ma
ture of the danger that now threatened
them. So closely were the merchant
men huddled together that it seemed i'm
possible to prevent the flames spreading,
as at Bordeaux, through the rest of the
feet and thence to the wharves and city,
especially as the houses como right
down to the front of the harbor Crowds
of anxious men gathered along the shores
and gazed at the peril that menaced
them in panic stricken, facinated hor-
ror.
| AMERICANS TO THE RESCUE.
But while the Frenchmen were thus
paralyzed with fright the Americans,
also sensible of the danger, took instant
measures to avert the coming disaster.
The flames on board the Inflated ship
were spreading with fearful rapidity,
and illuminated with sinister glare the
shipping, quays and the faces of the
terror-stricken thousands, who had rush
ed down to the waters edge. When
the CONSERVATION was at its height the
bugles on board the American feet were
heard calling away the boats, with the
familiar tunes that seemed so strangely
out of place at such moment. Pres
entity a twelve-oared cutter was seen to
push away from the squadron and speed
with lusty strokes toward the burning
ship; then another and then another
then cluster of ten or more, until twen-
ty boats, almost all that Admiral Alden
had under his command, had been dis
patched on the pressing, dangerous er-
rand of saving fear-wrapped Marseilles.
OUR BOYS BATTLING THE FLAMES
In few minutes the first boat which
put off gained the windward side of the
burning vessel and, quick as thought,
were seen to scramble on deck like cats,
and move, as it seemed, amid the very
flames. The other boats were soon
alongside, and the admirable plan of the
officers was put into execution. Crew
after crew of the boats were seen to board
the vessel. Other boats seemed lowering
along the ships side. On shore there
was dead silence, but through the
smothered roar and cracking of the fire
could be heard the clear, orders from
the American officers in command, sue
ceeded by the blow of axes
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
But the panic-stricken spectators on
shore still had no idea of the plan by
which the danger was to be turned aside.
The impossibility of escape was anxious
ly canvassed, and men saw in magma
ton the flaming oil floating away from
the doomed ship and igniting the neigh
boring craft, until the whole surface Of
the basin should be covered with blaz-
ing oil and burning wrecks.
YANKEE BRAINS AND YANKEE PLUCK.
The plan of the Americans was first
to scuttle the ship, next to loose the
moorngs, and thirdly to tow her as far
out into the bay as possible before she
sank. This could not be appreciated at
the time by those on shore; but how
admirably American brains and disci-
pline told that night is in the sequel
When it was we'll assured that the TIM
bers had been sufficiently pierced to in
sure her sinking the boats were seen to
form in single line, dashed securely to-
gether stem to stern. A hawser was
passed out over the bow of the ship and
made fast to the sternmost boat.
TIFF CRISIS OF PERIL.
The excitement rose still higher as
the Italian slowly settled down into wa.
ter till her deck was almost level with
the surface of the water. All the ar
rangements having been completed, the
single file of American dashed stem and
stern, were seen pulling bravely away
and as the line Strengthened the burning
ship also slowly moved out toward the
bay, lowed irresistibly forward by two
hundred sturdy American oars.