New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-23
A STEAMSHIP IN DANGER.
FIRE DISCOVERED ON THE HEIMDAL.
PROMPTLY GOT UNDER CONTROL-EXTENT OF TIE |
DAMAGE NOT KNOWN


DAMAGE NOT KNOWN.
Signals of fire were displayed from the mast head
of the steamship Heimdal OF the Carr Line, rom
Christiansend when she was about ten miles from
the Sandy Hook Lightshi at noon yesterday. nis
information was quickly sent to the once OF the
agents and to Castle Garden, and caused CONSIDER
able anxiety as TO the safety of the three caon anu
the 303 Storage passengers, most OF WHOM W." VIZ
known 70 be women and children. whether the Snip
was in actual danger, what was the extent Oh inc
FIRE could not be asceTtaned until she shouu "IIIle
within hailing distance: hence measures 10 meet
cIIbcke the messenger agent of the line, and MI.
Mareager, the newlY-apponted agent VI to n.ns +
vala Line. by which the steamer Is oMH i' d "eno
10 nee e era mh Hagemeyer John F. Moore the
Immigrant landing agent at Castle ,uaIneni alSo
sent tugs and barges to meet the VeSIeI III Inc %
Bay and take off the passengers. When the vesSel
,yas met below Quarantine no smoke was seen to be
c %c9 and it was thought that the fire
had been distinguished. There was how
% S{s{dne captain ohaPsssn said when the
Weimdal was reached that the fire had not been ex-
tingnished and that he did not think IL wise 10
open the matches until all of the passengers had
been landed. The passengers were an nuouleu On
the after-deck, the boats and raft had been MADE
ready for lowering and other preparations had oeeh
made to abandon the ship if it became necessary
After inspection at Quarantine by the lealh QihceI'
the Heimdal steamed up as far as BedloeS Island
where the passengers were all transferred to the
barges and taker to Castle Garden, the Havemeyer
remaining alongside to render any asSlS'dhoo no'o'
sary to eXtinguSh the fire.
Behrend JOnassen, one of the passengers hISt
discovered smoke coming nom the iorehoiu dpouu d
O'clock Sunday afternoon, when the SesSei Nho
smoke il was concluded that the fire was among the
matches of which. since the duty was removed
large amounts have been brought here from Sws11
dem As there was also liquors in the same hold
considerable fear was felt with regard TO spread
ing of the fire. The passengers were Sad 10 nave
maintained entire presence OF Inlnd Wheh lHey
learned of the fire with the exception Ol
sick child. who became frenzied and con-
tnued 50 until after ShG 2 it fear AT oy TaS
time she was moved on her bed, aud cried in
scandinavian, " Save mel" The passengers were
deck and into the second cabin, where they were
provided with all the bedding, etc, that G0uId ne
collected, and made as comfortable as possible dur
ing the night. The boats were proyiS0ned ana
made ready for lowering at moments notice, and
the captain constructed large raft from SplrS ana
canvas. In the meantime the steam jet, connect
ing with the Orehold TO be used in case OF hre was
turned on and every hole and creviGe by winch
oxygen could enter was stopped up he steam jet
seemed to subduo the fire. but the smoke continued
The steamer will not 90 20 her pier IN hODokch I'M
III il is certain that the fire Is ent rely eNtlngul~cd
The passengers were warm IN their compensation
Of The captains management of the vessel, and the
promptness with which the other officers aud the
crew carried out the orders and attended 10 the
needs and comfort Of the passengers.
Captain Johdu>cu SAID last evening; Ne leIl
ChriStiansend on October q, with mlscrldhenus
cargo in which was included 500 boxes Of safety
matches. There were $50 people al t"Id about
On sunday afternoon, about 80 the ire was dis-
coy cred On investigation | found that II had
broken out among The matches which were stored on
the Starboard side of the main hold Just forward "I
the main hatch. The second officer got the stcridpc
passengers aud their baggage on deck aS soon a.
possible and steam was turned on IN the holu bhI
the ire gained on MS slow ~. We started 70 open
he hatch Is this morning, but had 10 put them ON
again as the fire was gaming rdpdil. we thh'u "
stream of water into the hold through the VENT
lators. At 10 o'clock our signal WAS seen at sandy
Hook and the fire boats tclCgrJphrG Tor. Inc
vessel WAS brought up TO where she H. now FiHt'
ran aground and her hold iloodcd. We expect !"
get her pumped out and up Ia the dock to-moiIo"
Pilot Robert Han who boarded the Hcmdal about
300 miles out Oh Sunday morning sad: An non
deck separates the hold from the tWcru-dcck>;
few hours after the fire was discovered Tins dcck
was too hot to stand on and was warped nv lnr
heat They say that one of the stccragc stewards
discovered the fire first by noticing the neat OF me
deck As an example of the heat of the IRON deck
the trunk of OF the stceragc passengers caught
fire from it and when taken into the open ar bldled
up hcrcely The captain attributes the hr To
spontaneous combustion among some safety
matches" , ,
The Heimdal was grounded between Bcdloc', ana
Ellis Islands. She was surrounded IN the evening
Nv the fre-boats Zophar Mills, Haycmcycr and W.
A. Cheney, which were filing her hold with wafer
When the matches were taken oil, sheets OF lame
shot up from the hold and II was not uniIl >
o'clock that the flames were subducd. AT 10" tide
sine was left almost completely out of the water ana
the work of pumping her ont was begun II is prob
able that she will be loated this morning and taken
to her dock. -,
The Hendal is a schooncr-riggcd, screw-propcll-
ing vessel built of iron with six watcr-tlght com
partments. She was built in Glasgow last year.
but is owned IN Copenhagen ny the frTJa Sicdm
Navigation Company. when the steamship hrkIa
was lost three months ago the ilcimdal was char
tered TO take her place temporarily. Tier diiucn-
si0us are Isl feet in length, - feet beam, - 2-3
feet depth Of hold, and 2,oS5 tons buTthcn.