Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-13
A FIRE AT SEA.
Thrilling Experience on the Steamer
DOnan.
Nel0 York Special, 9TH.

Yel0 York Special, 9th.
The steamer DOnan, of the Bremen line,
has reached this port after thirteen days
passage from southampton. She had on
board thirty-tiYe passengers who had been
exposed to imminent peril from a fire
which broke out in the cargo on Wednes-
day last from some undiscovered cause,
but which was eXtinguished with no dam
age to human life. 1t was midnight on
Wednesday, and the passengers had
nearly all retired to their berths when
smell of burning material began to per-
wade the cabin. For while it was diff
cult to locate the fire.
The carpenter found that it came from
a compartment where the cargo was
stored. The alarm was given, but eX-
treme caution had to be used. There were
3j6 passengers on the vessel. Captain
Ringh took precautions TO preserve order
and insure temporary safety, but first the
fire had to he feTreted out and its extent
ascertained. 1t was only after tumbling
about through heaps of merchandise
below. and in a sitting atmosphere, that
it was found to be in the part of the cargo
itself that the fire was raging, and that it
was burning most tiercely at a point amid
ships. Several attempts were made TO
reach it. but these were soon shown to be
impracticahle. and il became evident that
the upper decks must be torn away.
The immigrants were quietly aroused
and conducted in squads to the deck. At
first they had no intimatiOn of the real ma
ture of their danger, but gradually the inn
pOrtance of what was going on forced
itself upon them. Then the frightened
people crowded together like sheep, and
looked with scared faces in the direction
Of the clamOr. Whether it was that fear
paralyzed them or the doubt of what was
going on prevented their being fairly
,f4 no Has,C iE M known hllf
they agree that the whole thrOng behaved
better than could be expected under the
circumstances. There was little uprOar
among them. The women even refrained
from crying.
Indeed" said the first officer, Il only
noticed one person making any hubbub at
all. and that was II little fellow of about
fourteen
The men went to work to smash the con-
fiuing timbers. The crew were recruited
by the more available of the passengers,
but it was slow work. The iron sheathing
OF the decks, ordinarily precaution for
safety, was now an obstacle to it. 1t
turned the blows of axes; saws were use
less on it. The pumps were rugged ready,
but the water was spilled at random in
this dilemma.
A heavy assault was ordered on the un-
Welded metal by utensils rarely called
into use on shipbOard. Big mallets were
hauled out. and. Win might ana mann, all
hands pounded at the decks till they
Welded in places and then sank in and
opened a way 10 the burning cargo. The
berths in the immigrants compartments
had. meantime, been demolished and a
way broken into the place where the mer-
chandise was stored, Then, while the
pumps flooded it from above, the men
tumbled bales and boxes out into the
vacant place, and struggled bravery TO
reach the flames. The immigrants here
rendered good service. Soon the Efforts
of all were repaid, and the volume oil
smoke rising from below lessened.
Mr.. r. G. Wilberforce has subjected
himself to not little unpleasant criti-
cism by the publication of the third vol
ume OF the life of his father, the Bishop.
The Times, of London. refers to its ''pro-
found interest as well as its amazing in
discretion" TO which comment, MIR. VIII
berforce, in a letter TO that newspaper, re-
plies that could il see the materials he has
rBfrained from publishing ''it might mar
vel al his amazing moderation" The
Spectator takes him up on this point. 1t
can .sOrlY wonder that if he went in for
the penny he did not go in for the pound,
He does not seem,n il adds, ''tO scruple at
all publishing criticisms which, if any one
chose 10 take them up in court Of Jaw
Of course a most foolish thing to do
would be thoroughly hbelOus. Where
does he draw his imaginary lineT
n .