The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-02-03
A TERRIBLE SPECTACLE.
nurniDE Of the Goliath win Four Hun.
dred HOys Aboard,

u IEftittTbIIG DE ENI
burning OF the Goliath win Four Hun.
dred Boys Aboard.
The London Daily News Of the 23d OF
December gives the following account OF
the burning OF the British training ship
Goliath; A terrible disaster occurred on
the river Thames yesterday morning,
the Goliath, a schoolsbip, lying of
Grays, and having four hundred boys on
board, being destroyed by fire. The full
extent Of the calamity can not yet be
measured, but many of the boys and one
OF the officers are missing, and are
thought either TO have been drowned or
persisted in the flames. The Goliath
was an old wooden line of battle-ship,
which carrird eighty guns, with engines
OF four hundred-horsc power, Some
years ago, after laying by in ordinary,
she was lent by the Admiralty 70 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 administrative purposes
under the care Of the managers Of the
Forest-gratc school. She was n large
ship of nearly three thousand tons bur
dben, and, lying solitary in the blight Of
the river oil Grays, was an object OF in
tcrest 20 excursiOnists on the river. At
a few minutes to eight some were pre-
pairing breakfast and Others cleaning the
ship, while the bulk Of the lads were be.
low, many Of them undreNsed. The
lamp-room, in the forcCaStlc Of the ship,
was the scene Of the outbreak. The
lamps used to light the vessel after dark
were fed with petroleum oil, and it APP
pears TO have been the rule 10 collect
them every morning in the lamp-room
for the purpose Of having them cleaned
and trimmed. 1t is said that one Of the
lamps was accidently dropped by a lad,
and the petroleum ignitet 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
Bourchicr, royal navy, the officer in com
mand, wa called from his cabin the
whole deck was in flames. A terrible
scene cnsucd. The Mortified children
rushed up from below through the va
rious hatahways, which were with diff
Guilty kept from being chokcd up by the
rush and struggle, and as fast as they
got IN deck they hurried to the side Of
the ship nearest land as the point of
escape. Unfortunately it was the most
dangerous side Of the ship, for a strong
southwcstcrly wind was blowing full
upon her broadsidc and rolled the smoke
and flames over in the direction OF the
shore. The poor lads, however, climbed
over the bnIwarks and hung in the
chains and wherever they could get hold
for hand or foot, and the boats of the
ship being instantly at hand, proceeded
to take them off AZ fast IA possible. One
or more were swamped, and as many of
the lads clinging to the ship were ON
PEELED to drop one after another into
the water there was ample occupation
for the other boats which came to the
rescue to pick up those who were swim
ming or drowning. The ship lay only
about a hundred yards from shore, and II
good many leaped overheard and wan
to land, among whom were two young
the daughter Of Capt. Bourchier,
The boats Of the tr%aining.ships Arthusa
and Chichester, lying at G%reenhithe,
came down in a Aotila to help, in com
mand of Capt. Walters and several Off
rcrs, and were instrumental in saving
many lives. Capt. Brouchier was the
last to leave the burning ship, 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
been washed ashore, and the
schoolmastcr, Mr.. wheeler, is said to
have sunk. As the survivors were taken
IN shore the people Of Grays, Il small
town ofsomc three thousand inhabitants, !
out en- maSse to receive them.
The school rooms, places Of worship,
and private houses were placed at
heir disposal, while all the coppcrs and
,ettles that could be obtained were
'rcsscd into service to get breakfast for
he four hundred, less those who were
Kind-hcartcd people brought
for the halEnaked little ones,
lany of whom were to be seen through
ut the day clad in garments of all sizes
nd of both sexes. An attempt was
lade to make a muster of the lads in
to find out who were missing, but
hey were 50 scattered about the town
hat the process was unsatisfactory, be-
Ides which some were picked up by
hips passing up and down the river and
arricd to unknown destinations, while
theirs, it is believed, have taken advan
age of their own liberty to abscond, 50
hat it may be some days before the
ctual results will be known.