Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-20
A Panic on an ocean Stea lner.

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A Panic on an ocean Steamer.
Jane Grey SwissbclA, in letter from Lon.
don to the Chicago Tribune, gives the follow.
ing particulars of fire at sea, of which she
was witness:
1--WE took passage on the Egypt, which left
New York April |. Capt. Growan Impressed
me as peculiarly fitted for his place. and tn !,
ship as marvel of strength, aud Of tba; beau
ty expressed 10 perfect utility. They inspired
sea sickness In the comfortable assurance that
we were quite safe and makiug a spleudid ruu,
under favorable wiud ard plenty of steam.
''On Mouuay night We retired early, aud
after halt an hour of hard work, one # our
party had managed to chaoge her clothes anu
get iuto her berth, while sat facing the saloon
and holding on, trying 10 get my shoes OFT. 1t
was half past niue, and every one had Lett the
saloon except a girl and two young men, who
sat talking uear the ba door !calicg to our
room, when We were electrified by the cry,
Fire FIRE the ship is on fire l. Mr.. hu
man agony mover was compressed 1870 as lew
words, and simultaneously with the ,r, there
flashed down the saloon wild, lu.ld light.
We could see it an instant through the lattice
work, and it was gone. The thought came,
Son ething might be done to extngulsh the
fire, and quart OF water now may be worth
hogshead ten minutes beGce. So l took up
my water-can and started, and on reaching tie
saloon saw that the flames were bursting out of
the bath room through the partition, clrcling
bending to the floor, against the shaft of the
rn1d.r uphjoh Nj yi6ps H. at the stern
-Four er-passengers-were fighting the
FIRE with carpets; tut the partitions are double
made of Stats like Venetian bllud, ouy that
every slat is an iLch thick and stands vertically.
All was saturated and thickiy covered with
paint The Stats and the lattice work over the
steam pipe, around which the fire burned fierce
ly, supplied so many air passages that smoth-
eripg the flames seemed hopeless. poured ny
can of water behind this pi pc, thinking it
would reach the main body OF the hrc through
tha opening by which it had burst uT and was
encouraged to hope on seeing that 1t extlngulsh-
cd the fire as far as it weDt;bu the floor OF the
vcstibulc leading toto the bath room was sheet
OF fame, and behind the closed door 1t roarcd
and cracked. One of the men bade me staud
back lest my clothes should catch. did, as
soon as had emptied my can; then went to get
more water and seod messengers to the captain.
=
but oh did not these four men work, as met
only work for life, and without any confusion ?
Most of the women brought water from the
state rooms and passed it to the men, who
hurried up to help. The saloon began to bill
with dense, black smoke.
"The fire was cxtiugushed after a twenty
minutes struggle, aud We learned that au OIL
can full Of berzine had stopped over from the
rolling of the ship; that a steward had smellei
it, gone 10 to see about it, and strusk match
to fnd himself eoveloped ln flames; then ran,
uoislcssy, down the saloon, with his clothing
all ablaze, making the flash of lurld light winch
so alarmed me.
''For the effor, it cost me to walk slowly
dowo the saloon and gay to the woman IN the
doorways, 1t il nothing but can OF benz'ne
I have paid my weeks of prostratlon. One
young lady. from whose physical condition
would have expected final stoppage OF the
motion of the heart under such trial, was the
first to reach the saloon, where she sat down
quietly to await the issue. trantlc mother
rushed up, threw her infant into her arms, ex
claiming Save my baby ! and rushed OFT; and
side. cxclaiming, who will help me with my
childreu?' Still another rushed past, with
clasped hands, dishevelled hair, face purple
from checked circulation, and her eyes Wild
with horror; but the girl whose heart has
been tbreateuiog for years to stop beatlog
on the slightest strain, sat, and held the
baby, thinking, We'll, this is our last
hour, but | am not going to suffer need
less tortures.' Another invalid young lady got
all the water she could out of her stateroou'
handed it to the meu 10 the saloon, had one
step on her bare foot so that the bones seemed
crushed, sat down without word, and won
dered If her friends at home would ever know
what became of her.
mo other vessel on the ocean will be less
likely to burn, for they all carry benz!ne to
keep the paints bright. A ship that dad not
would fail to get passengers; and the men on
the Egypt have pretty good idea now about
the nature of the article, while 1t is doubtful II
one in ten of other ships know that benzlne IS
even better for starting 6ras than ior cleaning
and drying paints. The British nation anch'
ored QUE hundred and twenty boys out on the
Thames in an old ship, the Goliath, to be
trained in seamansbip and gave them can OF
beuzine to keep things bright They managed
to start successful fire with it, and twenty OF
the boys we're burned with the ship, about Two
months ago; but the Admiralty have the proud
satisfaction of knowing that The boys behav'
ed spleudidly." An officer, whose business II
was to aid 10 investigating the occurrence, told
me 80 himself and no doubt the ships pain,
was as clean and bright as beuz'ne could
make it.
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