, 1876-02-26
ATERRlaLE SPECTACLE.
burning of the Goliath With 400 Boys
Aboard.

The London daily Ae'0s OF the sd OF De-
cember gives an account Of the burning Of
the British training ship Go9iEa;
A terrible disaster occurred on the River
Thames yesterday morning, the GoliafA,
school-ship, lying off Grays, and having 400
boys on board, being destroyed by fire. The
full extent Of the calamity cannot yet BE-
measured, but many Of the boys and Cne of
the offcrTs are missing, and are thought
either 10 have been drowned or perished III
the flames. The GoIati was an old wooden
line-of.battle-ship, which carried eighty guns,
with engines of 400-horse power. Some years
ago, after laying by in ordinary, she was
lent by the admiralty to the poor law
authorities OF the metropolis in order to try
the experiment Of training the poor boys OF
London for the sea, and was placed for sd-
ministrative purposes under the care Of the
managers of the Forest-gate school She was
large ship Of nearly 5000 tons burden, and,
living solitary in the blight Of the river off
Grays, was an object Of interest to excur-
sionists on the river. At few minutes to
some were preparing breakfast and Others
were cleaning the ship, while the bulk of the
lads were below, many Of them undressed.
The lamp-room, IN the forecastle OF the ship,
was the scene Of the outbreak. The lamps
TO light the vessel after dark are fed with
petroleum oil, and it appears to have been the
rule to collect them every morning in the
lamp-roOm for the purpose of having them
| trimmed and cleaned. 1t Is said that one of
the lamps was accidentally dropped by lad,
and the petroleum ignited and spread IN
liquid fire all over the deck. The alarm was
Instantly given, but so rapid was the spread
of the fire that when Captain Boucher, Roy
al Navy, the officer in command, was called
| from his cabin the wrecked deck was in
flames A terrible scene ensued. The hor-
rifed children rushed up from below through
the various hatchways, which were with
difficulty kept from being choked up by the
crush and struggle, and at last as they got
on deck they hurried to the side Of the ship
nearest land as the point of escape. UnfUr-
| tunately it was the most dangerous side Of
the ship, for Il strong sOuthwesterly wind
was blowing iull upon her broadside and
rolled the smoke aud flame in the direction
OF the shore. The poor lads, however, climbed
over The bulwards and hung in the chains
and wherever they could get hold for hand
or foot, and the boats Of the ship being in
stautly at hand, proceeded TO take them off
as fast as possible. One or more were
swamPal, and as many lads ohnsias to the
ship were compelled 10 drOpO after another
into the water there was ample occupation
for the other boats which came 10 the rescue
to pick mp those who were swimming or
drowning. The ship lay only about one
hundred yards from the shore, and good
many leaped overheard and swan 10 the
land, amongst whom were two young ladies,
the daughters Of Captain Boucher The
boats of the traiuinS-shiPs -ArtiHsI and
Chichester, lying at Greenhitke, came down in
fiotilla to help, in command Of Chaplain
Walters and several officers, and were ins,ru-
mental in saving many lives. Capt. Boucher
was the last to leave the burning snip, and
it was his belief that all the lads were saved,
but there Is too much reason to know that he
is mistaken, for two bodies have already been
washed ashore, and the sUhoolmaster, NIr.
Wheeler, Is said to have sunk. As the eur
vivors were taken on shore the people OF
Grays, a small town Of some three THOUSAND
Inhabitants, turned ont sl Rasss to receive
} them. An attempt was made to find out
who were missing, but they were so scattered
about the town that the process was unSatis
factory, besides which some were picked NJ
by ships passing mp and down the river, and
carried to unknown destinations, whiI'
others, it is believed, have taken advantage
of their liberty 10 abscond. so that 1t may b
some days before Tho actual results VIII D
known.