, 1877-10-13
--latest ny Telegraph.
n'AI1sAG COAST.


O'Clock this mulniug the city Was star.
tied hy report that the PacIhr Mai
Steamship CO.'S stramr from Victoria
and Pact Sound, was un fire utf the
heads. Tugs were at once dispatched
10 her assistance. and about nv hour
later size made her appearance coming
up the cbanuel Many who had heard
the news aockrd to Telegraph Hill and
other favorable points to Witness her
coming. Five tugs that surrounded her
urging her IN with all possible sp1rd,
while the engines OF the steamer were
also working 10 the iull power ot her
forward boilers, the after set being rvi-
dentIy inactive, and the fire appearing
to he in their immediate vicinity. Huge
VOLUMES OF smoke poured from The deck
a'd just att of the paddle boxes, and
from every port, forward and aft, smoke
was seen curling The passengers were
mostly grouped on tue forward deck,
thing seemed to be carried forward in
an orderly manner. Arriving off North
Point, the course ofthe SHIP was changed
and instead OF sanding off towards
Goat Island. md making wide circuit
outside of the ships anchored in the
channel, her head WIS immediately
swung sharply around and she passed
rapidly along the city front until she
reached tla vicinity of the mail dock.
There the passengers were landed, and
the ship was then grounded on the
mud fiat near by. 1t has been ascertained
that the fire was discovered about 12
o'clock last night, in the coal bunkrrs.
Beyond that but little was learned.
The officers OF the company estimate
that the damage Is not great, and the
fire is eXtin9uished, but from the haste
made in heaching her, and the smoke
that erveloped her, it seems probable
that the damage must be considerable.
fifty passengers, some $4,000 in treas
ure and II general cargo. lhis was her
first trip on the Victoria route, previous
to which she had been laid up for some
time, One OF the tlremen says he dis.
covered the fire about five o'clock this
mo rning. II was then in tbs vicinity OF
the smokestacks An alarm was turned
on, but no confusion ensucd, the crew
g ing quietly to their stations. The
water was turned on, and every effort
made to control the fire. The after boil.
crs soon had to be Abandoned. The
boats were then lowered and the guns
fred, and preparations made to leave
the ship if necessary The passengers
acted with great Coolness, and sat down
and breaktasted as though nothing had
happened out Of the ordinary routine.
The ship was off Point Reyes when the
fire was discovered, and the best possible
time was made for port. The sea was
smooth, but the fog was 90 thick that
progress was somewhat delayed. On arri.
wing in the harbOr tue ship was Mt once
scuttlcd and grounded on Mission flats.
The tugs began throwing water in the
hold, but finding the fire still gaining,
an alarm was struck, AMI the city en-
gines sent to the burning vessel on turs.
and ARE now pouring water into her. Thus
far the fire has been confined TO the hold
but the cabins and saloons are flooded
with water and the fire is still raging.
At p. m. The fire ON the Constitution
was finally subdued She was ruu to
Mission Bay, the passengers and baggage
being taken or on tugs. Several tugs
then surrounded her, and about twenty
streams were poured INTO her.
Six holes were cut in her port side
hold under the cabin tlpor, and streams
poured in. Five holes were cut in the
starbonFd side, and water injected into
that quarter The sistcrooms were
flooded for two feet deep, and holes bor-
cd through the floor, leaving the waucr