New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-12-21

Company's steamship Japan, from San Francisco
and Yokohama for this port, was destroyed by fire
on Thursday last when 60 miles out from Yokohama.
A few OF her crew and passengers have arrived
here 1t is feared that many lives have been lost.
MEAGER DETAILS RECEIVED BY THE COM
PANY.
TIE SCENE OF THE DISASTER TWELVE MILES OFF
sIIORE-OvER FOUR HUNDRED AND FOITY-Two
sTEERAGE PASSENGERS ON BoARD--THE COMPANY
sANGUINE THAT TIE LOSS OF LIFE HAS BEEN EX-
AGGERATTD.
Another terrible catastrophe has been added to the
long list which has distinguished the management
OF the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. On Satur
day the news was teegraphed to the State Depart
nlent at Washington that the Company's steamer
Japan, from San Francisco aud Yokohama to Hong
Kong, had been burned at sea with fearful loss of
life. George Scott of the directors of the Com
pany, who was IN Washington testifying before the
Committee of Ways and Means concerning the sub
sidy corruption, telcgraphed to the COmpaDy's Of
cials here informing them Of the receipt of the dis
patch, as follows:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1874.
State Department have Dispatch steamer Japan
burned at sea, near Hong Kong Fearful loss OF life
Mails lost. g. 8. SCOTT VIcaPresident.
f. L. Talcott. one of the directors of the Company.
subsequently telegraphed TO the Secretary of State
for further particulars, and received the following
in reply:
WASHINGTON d. c., Dec. 49, 1874.
Consul at Hong Kong teegr, pms "a follows: Japan
burned sea uclr Hong kOng. Fearful loss of iifc
Mails lost" HAMILTON FISH.
Soon afterward the following cable dispatch was
received by Rufus Hatch, the Managing Director of
the Company, from Mr. Emory the agent OF the line
in Hong Kong:
HoSo KONG Dec. 49, 1874.
RUFUS HATCH, Ner. York: Tue chief engineer, seven
OF the Chinese crew, and lady passenger. who ar
rived today in ships boar, report that the Japan was
burned at midn1ht the 18th inst 40 miles this side
OF Swallow and IL miles Off the land The other boats
made for land. Further particulars shortly. EMORY.
According to the statements of the officials, the
steamship Japan was on its regular voyage from
San Francisco to Hong Kong, via Yokohama, at the
time Of the accident. The vessel sailed from San
Francisco Nov. H. with the following officers on
board:
Cantain-E. r. Warsaw
FIRST Oliccr-F w. Hart.
Second Onicer-H. II. Andrews.
Third Onicer-J. p. Gallagher.
Chief Engineer-John COsgrove.
Purser-John Rooney.
Surgeons V. b. Gales. NJ. d.
Freg ht Clerk-C L. Gorham.
Sorekeepcr-W. b. Horn.
Steward-O n Clark.
Second Sieward-Wuam Ray.
FIRST Assistant Encineer-W. Bennett
Second Assistant L lgineer-Diyid FdtOn.
Third Assistant Engncer-James Henry.
The crew was made up of Chinese, Americans. and
Europeans. There were eight cabin passengers five
of whom were bound for Yokohama, Japan, and the
other three for Hong Kong, China The latter three
persons were named +. w. Croker, =. NJ IindeI.
and Mary Sott. There Az steeragc passengers.
of whom 424 were Chinese. Tho Japan cleared from
San Francisco with 03 tons of freight the greater
part being -four but it is not yet known how large
n part of this cargo may have been discharged In
Yokohama. All the steerage passengers it is known,
had taken passage for Hong Kong. In addition
to passengers aud freight, tho Japan took out
SjOOOO IN treasure and the United States mails for
japan aud Eastern Asia. Yokohama was reached in
safety Dec. 10, after run OF . days across the
Pacific. and the five passengers referred to above,
together with large amount of freight, were DIS
charged at this port. Dispatches received by the
Company in this city announced all on board rs
well and the vessel in good order. Alter the usual
delay in Yokohama the Japan set ont for Hong
Kong six days sail to the southwest part of the
route is by the inland of Japan but the last four
days of the voyage are through the more dangerous
waters of the Chinese coast In the trip the Chinese
coast is generally made some distance to the north
of Hong Kong. the rest of the course being laid
close TO the coast At the time of the disaster the
vessel had passed Swallow, town some 1SJ miles t.
the north of Hong Kong. and was not far from 40
miles from Hong Kong Had the voyage proved
successful the latter port would have been reached
last Friday afternoon.
The officers of the Company profess to be-
lieve that the reported loss of life will be
found to bo greatly exaggerated, if not
entirely unfounded They reason that had this
occurred it would have been certain to find
a place in the dispatch to the Company, ali
the indications pointing to smooth sea and pleas
ant weather, which would have given ample time
for the removal of all the passengers in the boats
with which the vessel was fully provided Her
boats were calculated with reference to tho needs of
the vessel when carrying the full number of passen-
gers or about $50 cabin passengers and 200 steer
age, and the number on board last Thursday night
was little less than third Of this. Even in the
case OF the burned America the only lives lost were
those of coolies who rushed between decks to We
their rice and mating. aud in that case the fire
pumps on board useless as the furnace fires had
been banked the Saturday evening before
Rufus Hatch and another director of the Com
many wcr. at the office at the wharf at the foot of
Cansi-st Yesterday and when spoken to in regard
to the loss of the Japan said that they had received
no further information beyond what was mentioned
in yesterdays newspapers They expected this
morning to receive further and fuller particulars in
regard to the origin of the fire. One OF the directors
made the same statement at late hour last night
Mr. Hatch left the city on the D. ~ train for
Washington.
MARINE LOSSES OF THE COMPANY.
DESCRIPTION OF THE vEssEL-A TERRIBLE RECORD
OF DISASTERS.
The Japan was three-masted bark-rgged
vessel built by wm II. Webb, at Greenpoint, L. L. and