The daily gazette., 1881-07-09

vCEGhy
The British bark Beatrice, Captain
Stewart, loaded with oil, was struck
by lightning yesterday evening about
7 O'Clock while off Reedy Island, near
Fort Delaware, and with her cargo was
entirely consumed by fire. One life was
lost and four men we're seriously in
jured.
A terrific thunderstorm arose about
fifteen minutes before O'Clock and
ragged with the greatest fury for Eearly
three quarters OF an hour. The Beatrice
was bound for Rouen, and was being
towed down ths river by the tug Startle.
rne storm came up from the northea It
and the rain fell In torrents for ten min
utes before the lightning appeared. rbe
bark was direc'ly in the storm centre,
and when 1t broke, her mizzenmast was
struck and shattered. The fluid ran
down the mast into the hold, and in An
instant fired the infammabls cargo.
A terrible explosion followed few
minute later, and the main hatch
was blown into the river and with it a
sailor, who Immediately sunk and
was drowned. A column of fame
shot high into The air and the staud-
ing rigging was wrapped in flames.
FIVE MEN INJURED.
The pilot, Israel Hughes, was
standing in the after part oil the ves-
sci when the explosion occurred. A
yawl boat was blown bodily into the
river, and in its passage struck him
on one leg and broke 1t. Capt Ain
Stewart, the mate, and two sailors
had some of the flying timber hurled
against them and all Of them were in>
iured about the head and chest. As
soon as the vessel took fire the tug cut
her two line and steamed with all
speed to the Inflated craft. The pilot
was found clinging to rope, with his
body half in the water, and he was
rescued when just ready to drop into
the river from exhaustion. The rest
Of the crew and the Captain were to-
gether in the after part of the vessel,
to which the flames had not yet ex'
tended. They were taken off and put
on board the tug.
| The miZzenmast was shattered from
top to bottom, and where the lightning
had entered the hold ragged Lole wa'
torn in the deck. The fire gained sucl
headway that in very short time iron
the moment she was struck the bark wa
dismantled hulk. The tug Inca, bonnt
for Philadelphia, was within few mile
of Reedy Island when the fire broke out
She steamed rapidly up to the burning
craft and attempted to extinguish thu
fire, but without success. When The tut
r, sumed her way up the river the Beat
race had turned on her side aud wa
sinking rapidly.
THE MOST TERRIBLE STORM IN q
| YEARS.
Captain Carr Of the Clyde steamship
Ashland was found this morning at 1.3
o'clock by a Press reporter as bis vesse
was being made fast to the wharf. III
said the storm was the most terrible b
Ehad ever seen in twenty years.
passed the burning bark coming up to
night" said he sand the she was goin
fast"
II seems to me she must have bee
directly 10 the path of the gale, whic
wa simply terrific. never remtmbe
seeing seeing such storm In my Ill
before. 1t was short but furious. Th
thunder and lightning were frightiu
and l feared for Q time that we might 3
struck ourselves. did bot stop to
anything for the burning vessel as
saw the tug there.
At any rate, nothing could be don
for her when we passed, as she wa
, then burned nearly to the water
] edge"
The tug Startle left the scene ,
the wreck with the rescued crew at
o'clock last night, but at 8 o'cloc
this morning she had net arrived :
her wharf in PhiladelphIa.-Press.