The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-21
ABLAZE IN TIE NARR0WS.
THIRTEEN MEN SIZED EROM DEI TH ny
4 SPINTEL'S BIRkING.
An ESpio-ion thnt shork the Houses on staten
Isisrd-A Strangely HenutIfui Spectacle
NJ nrnd nr Ninhi-'Ihe pinIn'a AIorY.


Tho Italian bark Amalf cleared on Satur-
day for Barcelona Spnn. and dropped down |
the harhor to wait for n favorable opportunity |
to 20 to sea Her Captain WIS anxious to get |
or for her cargo had been slowed since May 10. |
She anchored OF the upper end Of Staten ISL |
and in the midst OF n feet of some thirty or |
forty ships nearly yall laden and outward bound. |
Her cargo consisted Of 22oD barrels of pctro-
leum She carrcd crew of twelve mon. and |
was commanded by her principal owner. Capt. |
G.. Aman Shortly after o'clock yesterday
morning tho Captain was awakened by tho |
barking OF u dog. The ship was foundto bo on
fire. Tho crew had barely time TO jump into
the boat and pull Off before the decks were
blown out by terrific explosion. She burned
to tho waters edge At nighiall n grent volume
OF dense smoke was rising from the charrcd
hulk and floating up toward the northwest.
hanging close above the water.
Tho Amnln lay nearly abreast tho Tompkns-
willie landing about u quarter ot n mile from tho
shorc. The explosion awakened nearly every
body In the village 1t was attended by n con-
cusson that shook the houses to their tounda-
tions. resident OF the village who has oXpe-
ricnccd several earthquakes in California. says
| that the effect closely resembed that produced
| by an cArthquake. At that tiric in the morning
! the clouds overhead were Of I'm inky blackness.
a grand display. Nearly everybody in the
| village and on tho shores for many miles.
was watching it. A resident Of Tomp-
| Itself Hc says: a volume Of red flame
shot up from the hold Of the vessel. carrying
| with 1t portions ot the decks, implements. and
| lower rigging. II mountrd higher than the
t2pmast. and scgmered burning fragments IN
| all directions. These were mirrored IN IN.
water "a they were falling, The Dames leapcd
| from rope 10 rope In the rigging. and in an IN
| small ropes looked like threads of fame The
| cords with which the iured sails had been made
| fast were burned of. and the sails unfurled
| themselves. Then the flames caught them and
burned them till they rose on the heated air and
were broken into charred fragments. These
loated away ON the wind ike dry leaves over
forest fire.
An of fthis-the volume Of flame bursting from
the vesseIs hold. the burning rigging; ana the
flying cindcrs-was mirrored IN tho black
water. forming such picture as ~ never
tho wnter ut night The spnrs and ropes Of the
| vessel lying near seemed To be glded py the
i6c men iranine on The rails Il thosc SHIPS and
watching the ilames The light was 50 bril-
liant that ono could see to road newspaper on
the landing. Tho faces oi the crowds along tho
shore were Hs clearly dis,ernible Us they would
The smaller portions Of the rigging were
quickly consumed and only the thieser wiro
lett Tho foremasi was tho last 20 fall. some
thing about the tru X seemed 10 prevent me
flames from climbing over II; but al last
they caught above. and soon the mast
vessel vessel curici up in 6ranis ana dropped
I into. the weier. and {nrn h1atrd away
! ON the tlNn. 4 NW NrSNrl burned NNNn lt lNf
wntcr mars hut ns her cargo was consumed.
She ro,e. and tnnt Is why she keeps Hhont so
long Toward dayl.Eht the sn1k 1ke was 50 q,iis, ,,,
could be possibc-and the display wns Tar less
. Yesterday afternoon Capt Amaln stood on
| the landing Rt Tompkinsville and looked al
: the still burning hulk whil, he smoked 9 cigar
- my dog Fido u little water spaniel, only a few
a months old | could hardly speak, my ,throa
and lungs were 50 chokrd with smoke. coul,
y breathe only with great difficulty. ran 10 the
q door and shouted 70 the mate. volume o
G shin. Thc crew hurried on deck. We al
n jumped into the boats. without saving anYthln "a
hut what W. had on and pulled AVA from IN,
ship. We had only gone n few yards whrt
> here the taptnin made an expressive upwar'
o gesture with both hands NJ I'll" went
N The dog that warned the Captain nnd crev
4 just in time 10 enable them To- cs'npe heinl
+. blown into the air by the EXPLOSION was himse!
i hoistcd To- an unpleasant height when she blev
"a uu. He came 90 tho surface alter h" Tell hn'
!. he climbed on som" plnnks that were hoatin.
il and was taken on board. Yesterday the Captail
Ia recovered him. The ships crew saved only tn
" garments in which they had been sleeping
l. They rowed among the many craft on the W aye
"a In the hop" Of finding one with appliances 10
x throwing water, hut none was found. The Can
~ tain OF the italian bark Pasquale Airllo too
. the men on board his vessel and gave then
a, such clothing, as his crew could spare IN
{. crew came to this city in the o'ciock boat an
= attracted considerable attention rs they norkc
II up from the icrry house III their bare feet, an
- nothing Of the set OF the garments.
r While the Aman was burning she was sur
n rounded by fleet of small rowbuats illlrd wit
a. men and boys that endeaNOred To carry ava
is such articles rs thcy could find floating nea
n her. When the crew were present they reslste
a. all such depredations. and yesterday afternoo
4 they were sure that the men VINO tried To caf 7
q away parts Of the ship were river thieves IL
A. boatmen around the Tompkinsville landing 81
al that there were no river thieves near there an
No that only attempts were made to save sue
IA articles ms were sure to be lost unless take
- away. There was a rumor that some f22,OOO
r. gold was In the ship. Another rumor placed
= at 1000. Capt. Amal says that he Ind ie
IN pounds sterling in his haggage and that thel
~ was no large amount belonging 10 anybody els
Al O'Clock last evening tn" hulk had swui
"a around SO that the splinicred bowsprt an
- chArred flgurchead pointed down the Narrow
40 The edges OF tho hulk were So far burned dow
rs that when vessel passed hy the swell create
in leaped into the fiery interior and produced
~ scpthing sound. The waves Missed from tine b
n, metallic straps on her sides. \ great volume
81 | smoke was ascending from the merry pit I
A. | her hold ana red flames lraped into the smol
10 cloud. Tho heat was so intense that the ii'et
10 | small boats was kept at some little dlsian
'r- | from her. though cooling hrrt 10 WAS bow
-. | over the water. The fastrnings OF the anch
ii" | chains remained firm. There were some Tea
as | that she would break loose and drilt again
rn tho docks or among the shipping; nut Car
nj AmHlil said that she was ballhstrd ana won
IN | sink II the chains held long enough 10 ltl II
Oo | water flow into her hold
,v The origin ui the fire Is unknown. Ihe CA
bS | tain is of opinion that gas must hay" arisen
" some manner from the OIL, and hnNe br'
NM | ignlted. The shippers OF tho on MclHsn'
,o Ackrrman Il Co., think that II was OF TOO M
80 test to cause the fire in that manner. The cs
h., mated value Of the cargo ~ something ov
~ 10000. for which sum It was insured.