The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-14

PERNAMBUco, Jan. o, 1873.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Among the many losses OF ocean steamers by
fire you have again to record another. At four p.
NJ. Of the LIST inst the United States and Brazil
mail steamship Erie, Captain E. L. Tinklepaugh,
left this port on her voyage frem Rio Janeiro
via Bahia to Para, st. Thomas, and New York.
When sixty miles north Of here, in latitude 05,
longitude "a 49, at ten P. NJ, she was discovered to
be on fire, the first evidence being smoke issuing
from the coal bunkers. No fire was found there;
but in few minutes the fire was discovered In the
upper freight deck near the centre Of the ship and
directly under the galley. At once feur streams OF
water were brought to bear upon the names,
which were showing themselves through the ven.
tilators on the main deck; holes were cut In the
deck to enable the hose to bear on the Games, the
engines stopped and the ship headed for the land.
Some sixteen miles distant steam was turned
into the ship from the boilers to endeayor to drown
out the fire. During this time MI. s. Russell, the
chief olicer, with gang OF men, had got out the
boats, eight in number; two Of the lee boats had
been hauled forward under the bowsprit and two
dropped astern. In one Of the stern boats were
the only lady passenger. MIS-. Hunter, OF Bahia,
ana asT e cs Us
sengers the stewardess Of the ship and a crew OF
six men, under command Of Dr. Bailey, the purser
At II 40 p M. the names burst cut with great
fury through the main deck Tor space OF one hun.
abandon the ship. such was the rapidity with
which the fire spread, and SO devoted had been
every one In endeavoring to conquer the fire that
when the word was given there was only time to
get into the boats and leave the Erie to her sad.
sad fate. When Captain Tinklepaugh, the last
man to leave, slid down rope into his boat, the
names were bursting through the upper or spar
deck from the foremost to the nizzenMast and
on beth sides Of the ship.
We laid by the burning ship, eighty OF a crew
and twelve passengers, in eight boats. At one A.
NJ OF the I'd the masts fell all at once The vessel
continued to burn until four A. NJ Of the 3D. thirty
hours after the fire was discovered, the ship and
boats drifting towards the lana and at daylight we
turned away for the land, then ten miles distant
where we arrived at hafpast eight A. NJ, being
received with the utmost kindness BY the inhabi-
tants OF little village, named Simsahu, where we
were taken In charge by the United states Consul.
| From thence we were sent across the land, Elk
| miles, TO Parahba, whers we were also treated
| n the most friendly manner. From there we were
| forwarded to this port, and are now waiting for
the frst means of conveyance to the United states.
The Erie propeller steamship OF 8, 502 tons, was
originally built Ter the trade between Boston and
| Liverpool She had on board at the time OF hel
destruction A676 sacks OF Rio coffee besides some
onie hundred packages OF ether cargo and samples
| The oaicers and crew worked nobly and IN perlec
| subsection TO all orders. Every attempt was made
to save the ship; never did any commander In
similar time OF danger evince more GOODNESS o
more evidence OF his perfect fitness for his position
than Captain Edward l.. Tnkepaugh
SAMUEL HEATH RICH,
passenger on board steamship Erie.