, 1877-10-12
FIRE AT S EA!!
BURNING OF THE CONSTITUTION
For Is Hours I2S souls CompOsingiy ,
Paced the Deck over Worad
Aflainei
Honor to Captain Seabury and Grow
for their Coolness and Fortitude.

for their coolness and Fortitude.
At about 10 o'clock on the morning OF
Friday, October 8, 1877, the city OF san
Francisco was started by report that the
Pacific Mail Steamship Constitution from
Puget Sound, was on fire near Point
Reyes. The Commander, Capt. Seabury,
gives the following account:
"At 3 O'Clock this morning we sighted
Point Reyes; at $50, while the crew were
washing the decks thick smoke was OBJ
served coming up through the after venti-
lalors and around the funnel, where 1t ap-
peared accompanied by tongues of flames.
/ had the fire alarm Immediately sounded,
the yentilators closed, and turned IN a
stream of water into the aiterhold, Judg-
ING the fire was among the Goals in that
hold There were five jets of steam, but
we found the ship slowing down, owing
to exhaustion of steam III lhe O0ilers.
About 9 A. NJ, n thick fog settled down,
the ship being then' as judged, abreast oi
Point Reyes. The smoke having Invaded
the after saloon, the passengers had TO 90
to the upper deck. They behaved admir-
ably; not the slightest fright confusion or
anxiety being displayed by man, woman
or child. The ecrew fought the fire inch by
inch, and worked hard to prevent II
spreading to the forward part of the ship.
In spite of their efforts however the after-
boilers were soon rendered useless, men
not being able to stand by them owing to
the smoke, we were then forced to pro-
reed with only such steam rs we got from
our forward boilers giving us speed Of four
or five knots, as fog had settled very
thickly, decided to get out my boats and
hoist signal OF distress, and TO fire guns
every five minutes; the latter continued
to do until the powder became exhausted
had battpned down all the matches, COM
menced firing guns mt O'Clock, aud
managed to give passengers their usual
breakfast, though the saloon floor was eov-
cred with water and the room very smoky.
None OF the signals of distress attracted
any attention until we ran close to land,
when pilot boaded u.s."
Passengers praise the skill and ability
of Capt. Seabury. Their story Is sub
stlntially the same as that already given.
They describe the voyage from Point
Reyes to San Francisco as the longest ever
made in their lives.
The following additional intelligence we
gather from dispatches:
The fire would appear to have been first
discovered at $50 O'Clock on Friday morn
ing. when the steamship was nearing san
Francisco, and to have Spread to the cargo.
Owing to the fog she did not reach the
entrance to the port until So'clock. The
officers, crew and passengers appear TO
have acted with comnendable coolness
and fOrtitude, the former while dong all
in their power to allay alarm and sup
press the fire, cleared away the boats in
ease the abandonment of the ship became
necessary. and the passengers cody sat
down to breakfast as it were, over an ac-
tive volcano. Intelligence of the approach
of the burning ship having been tele-
graphed to Fan Francisco, the people
flocked to the heights and wharves and
witnessed the grand spectacle OF a 4.0OO
ton steamer filled with freight and with
l25 souls on bOarl emitting smoke and
flame from her hull and pIonghing her
way Tor dear life through the water sur
rounded by ting boats that we're trying to
render all the assistance In their power
The passengers were transferred to the
tug-boats and landed minus tier baggage
The vessel was rim Oh the m'd-ilals where
she was scuitled and flied with water
forced into her hod by the city fire en-
glnes, and the flames were eXtingnish d.
The malls, baggage and treasure VIA
saved-wet, OF course. but unscorhcd.
We gather from The dispatches that the
vessel Is considerably damaged. The ear
go may prove total loss. The inSur>
Anoe on the cargo Is small. A. 70 the
amount Of iusurai g. lor Whetl er there
was any OF tle ship, we are without in
formation. The Company formerly in
sufcd their own ships; but Ne lhInk that
since the buring Of the Japan they have
raironized the Insurance compaEi The
rigin Of thu fire i at present In doubt.
The coolncss and skill Oi Capt. seabury
and that Of hi, officers aud mcn are con-
mcudcl by the passengers; but had the
steamship been manned 10y Chinese slllCrs
iie rsuli would have been ~ ,astrons Fol-
iunaiey. white crew had just been sub
stnutcd for Chinese, ard to that circum-
su'uoe combined with Capt. scabury's
bravery aud good maLagement-we attri- |
buie the fact that We are spared the ter
rlble luss Of life.