The Republican journal., 1872-10-24
BURNING OF THE STEAMSHIP AMERICA,
Exciting Scenes and .noidcnts- Fearful
Loss of Life


lowing highly interesting account rl the
destruction of the steamship America. the
largest wooden steamship in the world,
by fire, in the hitbor of Yokohama, and
the fearful attendant loss OF life:
YOKOHAMA, Japan, Aug %, 1872
The America reached the harbor of Yo-
k0hama, Japan, safely and in good trim.
at O'clock A. NJ Saturday, Aug ~, 1872,
within an hour of the time -hn was Iue.
Soon alter she was fastened To her buoy.
| went ashore for It day or two until the
branch stcare" per Shanghai should sail
The same evening | Went aboard the
America for a few minutes. ami while
there lcarnd that during the day the Yo-
kohama and Shanghai lreights, the mails
and all the treasure excepting 300 900
had been transferred, and that She would
depart for Hong Kong on the Monday
following. Everything was quiet and
orderly, as usual. All the officers. with
one exception, were on board; Il few of the
passengers and Il @oodlv number of visit
tors We're there also. [ left my trunks.
containing everything | had with me- eX-
cepting the linen suit of clothes | wore.
locked up in the stateroom which | had
occupied. little dreaming Of the fearful
calamity which so soon followed.
THE CONFEDERATION.
Shortly before midnight was aroused
by an alarm of fire. | rose hastily, and
without stopping TO dress, looked ont
upon the harbor. The night was calm as
death. The Bay of Yeddo Law before me
still and tranquil f; a dense cloud OF smoke
rising above the harbor like Il mountain
spectre, lowering and dalkening the face
and light of 4 full moon. and the naked
masts OF the different ships lying Mt anchor,
deeply tinged with It lurd flame lust
bursting through the cabin windows of
the America, constituted the main outlines
OF the scene disclosed by the connaoration
as first behed it.
Nearly all the officers and employees of
the ship were there manlully disputing
the progress of the flames Foremost
amongst them was Captain Doane who
all honor to him! stayed by his ship in
her downfall, till every man had orsaken
her, and every passenger was gone or
dead. Then and not until then, he threw
himself over the ships bows into the bay.
to share the fortunes and chances Of the
poorest Cooie.
The America n the time of the fire Law
at her buoy about a halt mile from the
liatoba (whar.) As soon us the alarm
was given all the Sanpans (native boats)
left the IIatoba, where they were an
chorpd for the night, and Hooked around
tho burning ship. Every Sanpan was gone
when reaced the Hatoba, and it was inn
possible for me to get nearer the ship.
was sufficiently close, however. to mark
very distinctly, by the light of the fire,
pNprNthJnO that ,1cccI hn -,
upper deck. The Chinese passengers
We're thoroughly aroused by this time. and,
Chinaman like, each one had his box or
bundle of effects on his back or in his
arms, determined to save that, or die III
the attempt. Many of them, am sorry to
say lost their lives; beyond douh- in
this foolish attempt to save, a trihing bun
die of old clothes. Seeing that no hope
now remained Of saving the ship, IN at
| tempt was made to let the Chinese down
port side. The terror stricken Chinese
rushed pelI-mell upon the gangway, each
with his package of worldly goods, until
the ladder, overburdened with the great
weight, fell with a heavy crash, prccipi-
tating over sixty Cinnamon into the wa
ter. Many of these were rescued, and
| iuitN u huiip'l "CIt hfoNl ittl. ne pas
sage to the gangway on the other side
of the ship by this time was entirely cut
off by the flames nothing now remained,
therefore, for those remaining on board
Cover $50 in number bet to Jump over
board from the forward deck into the wa
ter, distance of fully 25 feet, or TO re-
main and be consumed by fire.
The scene on the forward deck of the
| hprniun chin af This I,. a.
scription. The Americans, few in mum
Der, compared with the whole. were
working with all The energy of lespera-
ton to lower the lite boats; but before
they could be swung on the davits al
hands were driven forward by the flames
The poor Chinese We're now rushing hith
er and thither across the hurricane deck
screaming and throwing their arms ia the
AR most frantically, now picking up thci
bundles, now dropping them again, ther
seZng them once more and throwing
: themselves headong overheard. box i,
arms. BY this time all the upper dccI
+ over the dining saloon was fairly consum
ed, and the fire had climcd the mainmas
: to the yards. The smoke-stack. thirty-twt
| feet in circumference and forty feet above
the deck, was red hot TO its uppcrmos
extreme, and shooting from it was ;
t bright red tongue of fire, kissing ant
i, swapping and fairly lcaping to the sky
| The heat by this time had become un
bearable anywhere, except on the ex
3 tremc forward deck. Very few person
S were there now All the Chinese hat
! gone overheard and were struggling i,
the water below.
| Around the buoy the drowning wretche:
, were so thick that there was nowhere clos,
2 room for another head. The struggling
, OF those poor creatures around the buo,
was touching. The stronger man hel,
his place, the weaker was 0verborne an,
drowned. The fear of an explosion o
the falling of the ships giant masts ha'