The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-18
ON FIRE In OCEAN
Thrilling Experience Of the Pas
sengers on the Steam
ship kosel.
The Ship Burning. and the Officers
Professionally Reticent 49, Gal
lantry OF the Captain
and Grew.

and Grew.
II can dell you nodings about r. said the
1irpt officer of the steamship Mosel yesterday
\ u i Herald reporter. "The captain Ia ashore'
mud he said 10 me say holdings to nobody.
md cAn say no more"
Tho Mosel had just arrived ut her dock at
Hobuken, and the reporters Inquiries were
directed 10 thu particulars Of the fire on board
rho steamer ON the third instant. Some 81
the passengers were still engaged IN getting
their luggage ashore. and as the captain
could not be- found, and tho first officers
mouth was closed BY order Of hls superior.
the reporter interrogatod the most Intelligent
iooking 0f thoas thnt he could find.
He would toll you nothing. oh 7. the pas
ssWell, that IL the way they treated us at the
titne of the fire. IL occurred on tho third in
AtAnt, In tho morning. About o'clock II was
8umored that there was a fire on board.
There had been no announcement made That
guoh waa the case, and many Of 70 doubted
tho truth of the report, When tho officers
NAre questioned In regard to II they gave
0vaEive answers and mnde light oil the mat
ter. When the fact could no longer be con-
0ealed they said II was m affair Of no conse-
mn 10 III. We might have known nothing
about IL In the beginning but Tor the noise
made by the pumps and the smoke which is-
Nued from one 81 the forward matches. 1t
was plain To nil that there was o fire In one
III tile freight compartments Of the vessel.
hut, lii spite III the evidences Of our senses,
the officers would give us no Information
TN MA it ana even t te
women who were suffering from seasiekness
Nuru compelled te leave thair hirths.
ALMOST PANIC.
ssSotne of the steerage passengers came on
The uuarter-aeek with their wives and chill
xirpf, and the alarm was becoming general.
The runnors were OF we most co!n . .
alarm did not degenerate into panic. The
&xtent III the lire could not be learned, and ii
sskAA aaid, among other things, that the smoke
was AZ dense % 70 hinder OIL approach to It
md prevent effectual work In extinguishing
IL. This proved to be true. and tho workers
were repeatedly repulsed by the smoke In
their efforts to get at the flames"
ssAnd through oil this there was not word
u assurance OF warning to the passengers2"
Not word, except when the lifeboats were
made clear. ana then we were told Ii was only
n prudential measure. We feared, however,
That the danger was greater than the officers
they should prepare for the worst. The ut
moat order and deeorum prevailed. There
we're DO wailings Of distress; no aimless rush
I'M ID and fro Id search Of place Of safety;
children On board. This fortunate condition
may have resulted from the fact that no OH
sciAl signals oil distress had as yet been given.
mad In that case the action Of the officers 81
thu Mosel was. wise; Or 1t may have been
caused by the feeling Of confidence the pas
nengers had In the capacity and extreme eau
ft0n Of Capt. Neynaber, qualities that have
made hls name proverhial among such as had
rallied with him III the past.
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
s'The report then came that the captain,
amid steam and smoke, Ia position scarcely
and encouragement Of his crew, was porson-
nliy conducting the work against the fire.
The smoke WAS still pouring from the hatch
WY Forward, and some time later d brisk
Name was seen To issue from ono of the VEN
'1ilators. The vessel was turned before the
wind, but stall no word Of advice Or encour-
nx0inent no information as TO our actual con-
ditlon, came from the captain himself. An
Otnlnous and unhroken silence prevailed, and
even when we spoke To each other cur words
were uttered IN Whiapers Thus matters re- |
maineA for some time, but suddenly. while /
ali we're waiting anNiousiy Tor some official |
announcement o mans voice. strong and
dear rang out the welcome words, The cap
tain bids me say that there IL NO further dan |
HThis statement was received with hllr-
Eah that came from u hundred threats. The
announcement brought relief to many until
passengers who 10 spite Of tho fniliug rain,
had remained on deck. gradually withdrew
M their cabins, although some doubted still I
The full force Of the good news. About IL
o'clock the captain, exhausted. his clothing
yet and torn, the PRESENTATION, still stream
Inn down his weather-beaten face, appeared
among the passengers. With bundle OF black
sewing silk In his hand, and said: Ladies'
md gentlemen, the danger Is past. we found
the seat and origin Of the fire In the centre Of
the freight taken on at Southampton. 1t was
fortunate that the goods consisted mainly OF
Min like this. which does not give an active
fame. BIZ assured that the fire Is out
In SAFETY.
THE effect OF this announcement upon the
passengers can better be imagined than de-
ecrihed. Never were glader tidings spoken,
Hnd they were received by all as their deliv-
france from the great danger which had been
threatened, The working Of the pumps had
ceased, the propeller began to move. and the
The passengers gradually retired to rest, con-
adent 81 their safety, and On awakening the
morning found the good ship III
much the same condition as Ii nothing unu-
Bnal had occurred"
Did you learn how the fire orignated?"
No. we did not. 1t is not clear what caused
Iks but we congratulated ourselves that 1t wss
70 soon discovered and SO speedily brought
under control. When the danger had passed
the passengers held a meeting, and returned
thanks to the officers and crew for their gal
LAntry and devotion. We agreed upon state-4
xnent OF facts for publication, which Is sub
sfantlally the same as that which have
4tven You. or course feel bound to tell
you nothing except what Is contained In that
Statement, with which the captain is partisu
|arly pleased
And that is the reason, presume, he has
ordered that no other shall be made ?"
s1 suppose So"