The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-28

in Epfte OF the earnest prpGfBbB Ql Ghpt. SOi-
burn of the Protector. and myself
At about this time q diver. clad In submarine
amor, went down into the ships hold and
brought on derk. There, was no appearance
OF smoke but only gas visible
NJ d n.y. nor "m vns tse t,eat sunis nty great
to make 1t very uncomfortable
he chiet engineer. upon the express wish OF
| Tor his department. which soon Gums upon the
| ground ana Immediately wentto work,
The deck on the atarbuard side abatt OF Tho
| main hatch was cut open In order, to take on.
! such cotton az was stored near the supposed
vicinity IL the fire.
The hole cut through the deck, O., well as the
open ha ch.. permits d u current OF IF 81 air to
| enter the ship and di ulacs the gas while feed
"s sh snf Whe WY" BY the large Volumes 81 smoke
issuing from tho hold The gas was stopped
Immediately upon the fire engines going to
The engines worked all day vi hont any .np-
parent success. Towards night'all Capt Ellis
| again changed his mihd ordered me engines
| 70 stop. and ga was once more applled after
| battening the hatch and cloing the ~ ge mole
in the dock; The gas was applied a.. har ! u, tue
once more 50 much under control as not to
| show any evidences Of It's existence to any one
Cant Ellis, at this time gave orders to his
steyedore - open the hatch and take out the
| cargo The diver went down, hooked on 70 sew
NAMED in the hold until driven out by the heat
Of the fire, which had once more taken fresh
start since the matches had been oteDed hno
| the steam engines throwing streams OF water
% The FIRE burned in this wsy until late Monday
night, when Capt Ellis called second consul
| talion with Chief O'Connor and Capt. Colb,6n.
| He desired the gas to be, put In. This Capt.
uoburn was Wng 70 90 b gu, on e9hi i"ado ' Of
three days. IN order to allow the gas to have full
| effect q
| that he would go to work with his cargo IN the
morning. Capt. Colbnrn seeing the futility OF
putting gas in the ship for so short tune, re-
was at his dispnsilinn with as much wat Y ~
be wanted. tho Protector being supplied with
minute. Capt ELLIS declined The services of the
| Pro ector; tho steam engines continued forcing
water into tho ship, and the resnlt is Wrecket
Tornado ut the foot of MHrigny sire t. all owing
| to the m,smanagement and culpable ignorance
| OF its mas'er
Aibreoht aud they, stated thai II there was 10
| per cen, of carbonie gas pumped Into the hold
of the Tornado and with her hat hes ALWAYS
| hattened down. sac could have gone to LIVER
| pool with perfect secnrty.
In regard to the efficiency OF the Protectors
work and the sfehys TaIne Of ne ,o oagb9nn
| the commanders OF the ships Manhegan anu
| New ORLEANS, Jan. H. 1877.
Thos. A. Adams. ESD. President New Harbor
Protection Company, New Orleans:
| Dear Sr-Being nearly ready for sea. J cheer
fully yield to your request to repeat something
| OF the disaster 10 my aHlp ny IKE on INC nIEUJ
| of twenty irst November last.
The bark Mauhegan of Camden. Maine. ira
tons. on her first voyage a, nnd under my con-
| with cotton. was discovered 10 BIO on fire.
| On the above date we had taken on board
about 4ab bales. most Of which was slowed up
| between decks. At $50 p. m. the matches were
| put on. barred and locked as usual and overy-
Thing on board and about, the bark was sup
| posed to be rs sale as usual or possible.
/ At about 8 y. m. the first mate discovered
| smoke coming out 81 the pump man hole.
| Immediately sent the mate 70 give the alarm;
tho fire soon burst out of The main and after
| ha' ches. burning the tarpaulins. In about If
teen minutes. more OF. loss. the steam iron tug
Protector. owned and controlled by the New
Harbor Protection Company, one or more tugs
and the engines from tho CITY came aongsihe.
/ refused oil assistance but frondhe tug Pro
waer. i allowed him to do 50, although at that
re ce5 np2n es ~ e supply OF
Directly upon introducing the gas into the
vessel. through forcing pipes by means Of
out and the fire subdued. and in a few hours
found the heat nj most Disappeared.
Continued 10 keep the vessel supplied with
the matches found We could discharge the cot
ton. Upon competng the discharge we found
odered to Be- sold hase being tho be most most
part but slightly damaged. an 6i5 bales were
re1Thipp d after tr,dn q, repairs, IN good order
average $50 per bale. showing tho damage must
have been tfliling. The bark, for space Of
place not more than one-uuartir inch
When the flames burst out OF tho hatches they
| reached nearly as high rs The tops. Tho appi-
| cation OF the gas almost instantly reduced and
| subdued The flames.
y my opinion / The use and ap1eation n
gas works as well "a in my case. it is lar prefer
able to the old method of putt ing out fires, viz:
| by water and tho cutting up decks and destroy
In my case ali apparent damage above decks
| was simply nothing: the matches were al that
were burned. and five augur holes put through
the deck.
| / have no knowledge Of any ship similarly sit
uated. on fire. escaping with 80 81 ght damage 10
Capt. Colburn and lis tug Protector to any ship
| in distress from Are or water. as his suction
pumps are Of immense canaety and nd can free
80 - = - - WILLIAM II. LUCE.
Master OF bark Mauhegan Of CANDIDA. Maine.
| A true copy of letter Of Capt. VIM. Fl. Luce.
Attest: CHAS. l.. UHLHORN
Secretary New Harbor Protection Company.
| New ORLEANS. January 80. 1877.
| To the President and Directors OF the New Har-
Dor Protection Company:
| Gentlemen-With much pleasure I perform a
| very agreeable duty In commanding the steam
| iron tug Protector. with her uneuualled and
| abundant distribution of carbonic acid gas for
| extinguishing fires on shipboard. and her i'm
mensely powerful fod appliances for the supply Of
suction pumps being OF nearly EQUAL capacity.
| Icheerfuly and confidently recommend her
| to all vessels 7 in distress from either fire or
water. having been much benefited by her Of
ilciency. The ship Union, under my command,
fully loaded with cotton and ready for sea. was
| discovered to be on fire. which was readily ex-
tipguished by the Protector forcing her carbon
| ic acid gas under her decks and into the hold. =.
| After discharging my ship, out of 3ls5 bales OF
cotton on board I reshippei 3o79 Of the same in
good order selling only 100 bales that were par-
| TALLY burned or damaged by water. which was
price for which this damaged cotton sold proved
| the injury to have been very slight: and neither
the vessel nor the cargo was injured by this gas.
| as stated by eXperts to examine the same.