The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-08
THE TORNADO.
finding Of the consular court Of Inquiry.

The object of this inquiry is 10 ascertain, It
possible the cause Of the fire which broke out
on board the British ship Tornado on the
morning of Sunday. the twentp -fouith of
February last, to Judge Il the master. oil
GERS and crew, or any Of them, arc RESPONSE
BILE for the casualty. and II the master has
properly discharged his duty to all con
eerned In the means which he adopted for
saving the ship and her cargo.
When the matches were placed aud covered
on the previous Saturday night there was no
aisn of fire and when the alarm was given
next morning the matches were found IN the
same condition in which they had been left.
About eight DAYS before the fire a bale of
cotton. when lowered into the hold for stow
age was found to have several pounds OF its
contents. near the sample hole soaked with
what the stcvedure's foreman took to be tni-
pcntine. As much Of this as would loosely
ill a half bushel measure was taken from it
in the hold and tho mate afterwards pulled
out some handfus. which also smelt of tur-
pentine when the bale was examined on deck,
The remainder was considered az In good
order and slowed
We have not been able TO discover what be
came Of The cotton which was pulled out in
the hold and IL is just possible that II this
had been thrown aside in q position where 1t
could have heated. spontaneous combustion
might have arisen Another bale OF the Same
consignment was rejected on the wharf on ac-
count OF it's being stained with what was
taken TO be oil. 1t therefore appears that duo
care was taken in the stowage OF the cargo.
The fire was discovered about half-past =
on tho morning Of tho twenty fourth Feb
ruary, by the appearance of smoke curling
from under the covering Of the main hatch.
Tho alarm was sounded. and the city engines
came promptly 10 the scene. They were follow.
ed by the tug Protector. which we understand
60 be a vessel owned by an association in con-
neeton with several insurance companies. and
provided with machinery for pumping water
in and out, and also with an apparatus for
evolving ealbonc acid gas and injecting it
into the holds of ships FOR distinguishing fires
therein.
The captain Of this tug (herenafter named
as Colburni told the master Of the Tornado
hereinafter called the mastery that il given
charge of the burning ship he could put out
the fire in ton minutes, and in forty minutes
he (the masterl could proceed to discharge
cargo.
Upon this understanding the city engines,
which had been throwing water down the
hatch, were stopped, the matches were re-
placed, and the gas hose of the Protector put
Is not for VA to decide. upon general rrn-
cipes, whether caIhonic acid gas can OF can
not be efIeetually used for this purpose. but
we are unanimously OF opinion that as APP
piled by the Protector. it failed to have the
desired effect
The evidence of Mr ?, Il. Tingley, of the
bark Thomas keillor. which laid outside the
Tornado. given 10 presence of the gentleman
which remains uncontradicted. leads us to
think that little or no gas was pumped on
board tho Protector until o'clock. or nearly
two hours and n half after the assurance had
been given that the fire could be put out in ten
minutes. o
At 8 o'clock. when the APPARATUS should
have been at work for an hour and a half
Colburn caused a lamp 10 be lowered into the
hold, and it came VI. unestins uished Up to
midday. smoke. as Of burning wood and cot
ton, was emitted from under the mei II hatch.
We find, under these circumstances, that
the master did not net unwisely in changing
the means adopted for the extinguishment
of the fire, and as the gas was re-adopted
and worked all the following night
without ultimate success we think that
his action was justified by the results
It Ia possible that If he had persisted in
the use Of the gas. and an adequate supply
have been extipguished in time. but we think
II ia quite certain that If this result had not
been obtained. and the cargo left to shoulder
away for the time ultimately required by Col.
have boon blamed for over confidence in n
system which he did not understand, and
which had already failed To realize the es-
pectations Of those who did understand and
| were applying it,
The gas was ra-apped by the master, after
| consultation with several competent persons.
in the idea that IL would Mt least keep the fire
under during the night,
When 1t became necessary to food the ship
we find that proper precautions were taken
by the master to keep her from sinking, and
| that they did etfectually prevent her from
sinking and turning over into deep water.
| when abe had been filed and abandoned ut n
highly critical moment by the Protector and
some other tugs
| We accordingly find
| /, There is no evidence to show how the fire
| originated,
9, That no one is orminally responsible for
| the fire
;. That the master Is In no way to blame
| for the destruction of the property ooniidcd
| to his caro-.
A. DE G. DIR FoNpLANouE,
| Her Brtish Majesty's Consul President.
| M. J. DAVIS,
Master British ship MeDougall.
i II M EJrTrnN