New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-22
FIRE N i STEAMSHIP.

THE COAL OF TIE ALsATN pIscoy RED To BE
BURNING AFTER LEAVING NEW YORK-THE
VS. FL COMPELLED T. RETURN.
The steamship Alsatia Of the Anchor Line. " hich
sailed for London Saturday with an accident
Sunday that compelled her TO put back to port.
There were nine passengers on board, and heavy
cargo of freight The vessel at the time of the acct
dent was about 22O miles ont, OH Nantucket. sun
day morning at : o'clock fire was discovered m the
lower coal bunker by smoke issuing from IL III tie
vicinity oil the furnace room. vigorous Efforts
were IL once made 10 e. tingUsh the burning Goals,
and To prevent the ire from communicating to any
other port of the vessel \ the A.sttla Is an iron
ship and the bTnkers were o. heavy uon little
danger was apprchcnded by those on board. The
ship was put about soon after the accident and
arr we'd at Quarantine late Monday nl,ht. lester
day morning. shr came up me "a, anu anchored III
the North River OIL the foot OF est Irnth-st.
The ire continued To shoulder. and Was not en-
tirely cxtnguished until yesterday forenoon.
rGBUNr reporter reached the vessel Yesterday
in Il small boat. Captain Craig. the officers and
crew and q number of the passengers were still on
board. Several insurance inspectors an representa-
tives OF the Anchor Line were also on board en-
deayOrug 10 ascertain the nature OF the accident.
The crew were engaged IN raising The damaged coal
from tne bunkers 10 the main deck preparatory TO
It's removal to the cOmpany's pier When asked
about the matter Captain Craig made light ot 1t
in bluff. sailOr-hke way. Such accidents, no sald,
were vrrl liable to occur ut any time. As there
was no Il anger of the ships taking ure IL was not
absolutely necessary To return to TINS port put he
thought 1t best to run no risks with wet coal. The
coal now in the bunkers wOud Ill ID" removes, ana
n now supply taken on board before the vessel
would resume her journey. There was not the
scnte apprc hcnso. of dan ger ut any time Oh The
part Of HE passengers.
Chief Engineer Murray, who was the first to dis
cover the fire. said " Ay attention Was attracted
To the bunkers by smoke about o'clock Sunday
morning. We Immediately got the ships hose out
and turned water upon the burning Goals Ihere
was no explosion rs has been reported The ire
was confined to the lower bunker, and as the
bunker, were well fall 81 it was hard 10 apply the
water TO the right place. There was not tie least
danger from thr fire owing 10 the conStru ton OF
the vessel. which IL built in wnterti2ht compart-
ments. The bunkcrs were made of iron and with
the engine room were separated by iron plates
from the rest of the ship. There was no cOmmuni-
cation with the hold below ana IN consequence or
this the cargo was not injured by the water from
the hose. As to the coal part was taken on board
al London on the last trip. IL was the best West
Hartley coal and also some Welsh coal. The rest
Of il was coal put into the bunkers here JUST before
the vessel started Saturday. IL was all fresh coal
and was not wet when put into the hunkers
There was no damage to the ship and no loss, as
the coal can hr used after being dried
The reporter found two OF the passengers lOung-
ing in the cabin One of them. George W. Scott,
said that the passengers were not IN the least
alarmed by the tire In fact the news of the acct
dent did not reach them until about IL O'Clock
Sunday. Two of the ulue passengers were women,
and even they did not manifest the least alarm Il
IL xpected that the vessel Will he III readiness to
sail lrain bv Tomorrow or rIday.