The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-03-09

Cagt. a&lce, oil the SHIP AlVer
Boyne, at liverpool, tells the fol-
lowing story of his recent remark
able cruise. The vessel was coal
laden, and when within 150 miles
of Cape Horn the cargo was dis
covered to be in flames Seeing
we could do nothing to fight the
fire, I resolved to run for smooth
water anchorage, so squared away
for False Cape Horn, which we
rounded next day, and came to
anchor in snug little bay, com
pletely land-locked. We anchored
in six fathoms, stiff, sandy bot
tom. The smoke by this time was
coming out strong from under the
caps of the fore and main masts.
From the time we kept away, the
cabin could not be entered for
smoke. After getting the ship
safely anchored / had all the boats
put into the water and hung astern,
in case the ship should blow up or
burst in flames, and Immediately
set every one to draw water, and
With head pump keep the decks
full. The schppeF holes we're all
plugged and water-tight. ] also
had the carpenter cutting holes in
the deck in order to sluice the
Goals. AT s P. NJ, the sailors re-
fused to work. I had them all aft
to reason with them, and asked
each man individually the reason
for refusing. They all had the
same complaint wanted rest. /
offered them watch and watch, but
they refused that also so the two
mates, steward, carpenter, the two
small BOYS, a stowaway and my
SELF kept Tire decks flooded till 5
A. H., when, summoned by the
mate, they turned to. All kept at
work until 6 A. N. on the 18th,
when, finding the smoke had left
the after hatch, / set a gang to
tighten ship out of the after hatch,
in order to more effectdally flood
the fore part of the deck. / had
then six feet of water in the hold,
and the Goals in the after hatch
quite cool. At A P. NJ, / hud to
batten the hatch down again, and
continue sluicing down through
the decks until s A. N. on the 18th,
when we had eight feet ten inches
in the weli, ship two feet by the
head and down in the water, with
hawse pipes awash, forward soup
pers under, the fire apparently in
creasing, and every one getting
worn with fatigue ard exposure,
the weather at the time very bois.
terious, with continued wet, snow
or hail. / now deemed it advisable
for the salvation of the ship TO lay
her aground and scuttle her. Ac
cordingly. we picked up the star
board anchor, slipped and buOyed
the port cable at sixty fathoms,
aud BY the aid Of sails aud a kedge
laid the ship aground at the head
of the bay, abreast a stream, on a
spot I had previously carefully ex-
anined with the lead and found to
be a fine sandy bottom. On taking
ground we proceeded to let the
water iu by opening the side lights
in the forecastle. The tide soon
falling, she only got filled up to Is
feet in the well, and we had TO keep
the decks flooded all night with
the main pumps. Tie smoke is
sued so strong from the holes in
the deck that the men had with
difficulty stuck to the pumps. AT
6 =. II. on the 18th, the tide rose,
filed the ship, and effeotully put
the fire ont. As soon as the tide
would allow, we set the pumps on
to clear tue ship of water. The
weather taking up fine, she hoated,
aud got hove off by the soN-hne
and fifteen fathoms cable shackled
on to the outlying slipped cable.
We thus got of, and mooFad in
safety in our former position. Our
stock Of bread, weighing 46O
pounds, was saved, and d barrel 81
-four. Everything else psEishable
i'd the lazaretta and stoEe-rooms
was spoiled. Since leaving the bay
a. Ls 49, - 4 1, -, ,.s.,f f,ess r,.r,l =,