Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-23
FIGHTING FIRE At SEA.
HE Bellies Crews Narrow Escsps, several
Of the stsn Frsstbitssn.


fPhilade'phIa TsmexI
The tow.boat John 9. Franklin brought
70 Philadelphia yesterday afternoon one OF
the most d,sconsolate and wretched.look.
ing lot Of seafarers who ever reached the
port. One OF them-snd perhaps the
cheeriest OF the lot was a woman. and a
sood.looking one. She was the wife o:
Sapiain Alexander Knowles, Of the 900 ton
Nova scotian brig Belle, which left Glace
bay, In the blue-nosed province, on the 1st
OF December for New York. and was aban-
doned when on Gre sixty miles of Cape Hen
loren on Friday. Her captain. his wife.
crew, and George ID. lIarron, New York
pilot, wee taken on by the schooner David
GARRISON, on which they arrived ut the
bieakwater on saturday. Three OF the six
men who, with the captain, two mates. and
COOK, made up the briggs complement, were
so badly frostbiiten in the feet that theJ
had 10 lie carried across the gang pink TO
the Walnut.street wharf, where the Frank
lin landed. They were Olaf Andersen. A
Swede: George McKechnie, a Scotcbman;
and Peter Deem, one OF the few American
sca.dogs who survive from the DAYS OF the
fastsailing packets and maritime supremacy
OF the country.
The Belle had trouble from head winds
nearly from the start. She had great diff
Gully In getting near enough to New York
harbor 10 get a pilot, and picked up Hsr-
ron, an adventurous mariner, hundred
miles out at sea. Then came north wind,
such as Captain Knowles said he never
knew when the Gulf Of st. Lawrence was
his principal cruising ground. The vessel
had secured her pilot, but when they got
bin he was OF no Use. for the wind took
the shipin hand and blew her straight
down the jersey coast. IL was in the first OF
that gale that the three men got their feet
frosibitten. They were in the rigging for
three hours IN getting the canvas furled.
which bad been al set In order 10 make
New York harbor.
THE SHIP IN FLAMES.
It was at this time, when half the fore
mast hands were laid up, that the vessel
took fire at l O'Clock in the afternoon OF
Friday. She had been drifting under bare
poles al night. and in the morning Captain
Knowles had endeayored to work up against
the wind and get somewhere near New
York. He gave up the idea shortly before
the fire broke on. and his short-handed
crew were exhausted in the effort to make
sail. Ii was Mrs. Knowles who discovered
the fire.
81 was In the galley" she said. "for the
crew were so shortbanded that the cook
had been helping to work the ship. and
was worn out. so was getting dinner. |
suppose that If my feet had not been so des-
reratelv cold dor we could not even keep
the cabin warm). should have discovered
the fire sooner. for the deck beneath my
feet must have been red hot long before
saw the first smoke. When / saw It come
fltering through the cracks ran aud gave
the alarm"
Captain Knowles went down alone under
the fOre-peak to see the cause OF the distur-
bance. As he entered the hold he was met
By sitting blast OF gas, and then the flame
leaped up. The cargo was largely composed
OF Nova-Scotia coal. which had been ignited
by spontaneous combustion from lot OF
old painf-cans. The captain dashed back
for life. puff Of flame folio wing him. Then
all hands-eyen the fr0st-bitten men were
called TO the pumps. and the fight began.
The water froze almost in the air and the
pilot. who was handling the nozzle when
the first stream was directed. left a good
sized patch OF skin from his right hand on
the brass.
BATTLING WITH THE FLAMES.
Meantime the wind gcpt on blowing, and
rs III chuRul tue Hiifllt tue ldliti btSdh W
spring out in all directions. The water
thrown on il seemed only 10 feed It. Plucky
Mrs. Knowles went quietly to work and
got what effects she could out OF the cabin,
while the men were fighting the fire. With
her own hand she improyised signal OF
distress and ran 1t up the mizzenmast.
Then she calmly watched the unequal COO
flict. for the gale was steadily driving the
men aft. Those who worked the pumps
were coated with lee in half an hours
time after the fire broke out, the gale
throwing back more Of the sea-water from
their hose on them than reached the fire.
The GARRISON came TO the rescue in about
two hours after the distress-signal was
hoisted. There wasno need OF 1t then. for
the flames had got free enough to light the
sea for miles around. When her yawl.boat
reached the side OF the Belle the whole
ships company had been crowded into the
stern by the fire. So narrow was the es-
cape that not even the captains kit, which
his wife had brought on deck, was saved.
Hall an hour later the 400 tons OF blazing
coal went Kissing to the bottom.
Captain Knowles will proceed from here
by rail 10 New York and from there home.
He loses by the fire half interest in the
vessel, which, with her cargo, was worth
$4,000.