The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-26
THE SHIP TORNADO STILL BURNING
THE TUG PROTECTOR Will NOT, 0w-
ING TO ORDERS. FORUE ANY
MORE GAS uNrO HER.
The ship mt Present mas Thirteen Feet ot
water In her IlAlA.

water In Her Hold.
The III lated ship Tornado. lying nj the loot
u Marigny street. was still burning at mid
night last night notwithstanding that there
was thirteen feet Of water In her hold, and the
engines and tugs were still pumping.
All Sunday night, up to daylight Monday
morning. the tug Protector was forcing gas
into her hold
When daylight arrived Capt. Ellis, com
manding the Tornado, came to Capt. Colbtlrn.
and for the fourth time told him that the fire
Ii, his ship was not out. and that he wished
him to withdraw bis suttians and pipes, as be
was now convinced that there was no virtue
In eatboile gas and that he proposed to put
the engines again at work
Capt, Colbutn tried to persuade Capt. Ellis
from his course, bus the latter was deter
mined and would have his own way Capt.
golhnrn took away his aPparatu4,., ,, but &c,
n diver down into the ships hold, and he
upon coming up stated that she was perfect
" cool and THAT the fire was entirely under
control, and that there was no flame.
The captain Of the Protector then put
light down. and 1t was distinguished before It
descended eighteen inches.
This proof did not satisfy Capt. Ellis, and
again getting command Of his vessel. had the
matches taken MP. the decks cut In several
places. aud put the tug Asptnwall, together
food his vessel.
About noon Capt. Ellis, fearing that his
ship would sink, got the Protector and the
AspinwaIl to pump water out Of her while the
steam engines were pumping intozhef. Not
withstanding of this arrangement, the Tor
nado had thirteen feet Of water in her hold Mt
midnight last night.
A reporter called on Capt. Col,uru. and he
stated that, last evening, after the steam en-
gnes had been pumping water oil day into
the ill-fate1 craft, and had failed to extinguish
the flames, he called on Capt, Ellis and said
to him, captain, If you will now give. me
charge Of your vessel for four days will ex-
tinguish the fire and turn your vessel over to
you without any further damage than she
has already sustained. and this will guar
anee."
This offer Captain Ellis peremptorily re-
fused. | then told him to turn the vessel over
10 me for three days. and that | would take
Chief Thomas O'Connor for my assistant and
work In harmony with him, but this Captain
Ellis also refused.
At about o'clock last evening Mr. Jhos.
Capt. Ellis had declined four times to have
his ship saved by gas aud had put the com
pany to an expense of several thousand dol
lars. not to furnish him with more gas, but
to give him ali the water he required.
Capt. Colburn, on receiving this informa-
ton, called ON Capt. Ellis and informed him
that It rnade no matter what occurred now,
he could not furnish him with any more gas,
but II he wished it he would flood his vessel
with water.
At II 80 last night the fire was burning
on the port side Of the Tornado, md fears
were entertained that the flames would find
their way through and sink 1he vessel
TO show that the Tornado could have been
saved by the earbnnic gus. Il reporter inter
viewed some gentlemen who had been eye
witnesses TO the work done by the Protector.
They stated that as an example the. ship
Mauhegan was, new. Of pine, seraped and
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