The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1885-01-08
MADE SHIPLEss BY FIRE.

Capt. Jerry Il. Park, of the Amer
lean ship Alert, which was burned al
sea on the morning of Nov. IA last
arrived at New York port on the 27tI
ult., on the steamer Maranheuse from
Pernambuco. The captain looked
strong and healthy, but admitted that
a few months on shore after his terri
bic Experience would do him good.
Capt. Park was accompanied by his
wife, a handsome, dark-eyed lady,
and their little boy of eight years.
Nine of the nineteen men who COM
posed the crew of the Alert were al
so passengers on the Maranheuse.
IF you have ever been at sea and
have suddenly discovered that your
ship is on fire when you are thousand
miles from land and nota sail in sight,
you can, perhaps, realize our feelings
when we made the discovery" said
the captain. "The Alert left this
port on Oct. Is last, bound for Shang-
hal. She carried nineteen men all
told, and my wife and boy. Our car
go was 10000 cases of crude oil. We
had good weather, and no accidents
occurred until early on Nov. IA we
lost the trades and in place of them
caught rain squalls and gales. The
horizon all around us suddenly be-
came black about 10 o'clock on that
morning and in second the rain
poured down in torrents"
"Where were you then ?"
"About one thousand miles off the
South American coast. Our latitude
was $40; longitude, 29.10. Sudden
ly terrific roll of thunder was heard,
followed almost instantly by the sharp
crack of lightning, and we saw our
fore-royal split into small pieces.
From there the lightning ran around
the rigging tearing the sails and
splintering the masts, then with a
crash came down on deck knocking
every man down, but doing no dam
age to the deck. | cannot describe
my feelings. | felt tired all over at
first, but i'll few moments seemed
better for the shock. None of the
men were injured and recovered very
quickly, after which we made an ex-
animation of the vessel and found her
apparently all right except the rig
ging. All this transpired in less time
than | have taken to tell it. A few
minutes later, at exactly 1920 o clock,
one. of the crew saw smoke issuing
from the forehatch, which was cover.
ed with tarpaulin to keep out the
rain. | Immediately ordered the
hatch removed, and as it was take1
off a cloud of smoke almost suffocateC
us. Immediately a stream of water
was directed into the hold, but il
seemed only to increase the smoke
We could not get into the hatch, anC
despairing of quenching the fire with
water | ordered the hatch again clos
ed. Hardly was the cover on when
a terrific explosion threw us all of
our feet. The crew were panie-strick-
en- for an instant, but soon recovered
themselves and we again directed {
stream of water into the hold, from
which the red flames were pouring
forth, every moment growing larger
Huge volumes of black smoke accom-
panied the flames. Then we discov
cred that the entire ship was fillec
with smoke, and tongues of flame be
gan to eat their way on all sides.
realized at once that the vessel coult
not be saved and gave orders to max,
ready to abandon her. Three boat.
were equipped with a few clothes
private possessions and provisions anC
at 1870 o'clock we left her. She wa,
then one mass of flames.
"Our three boats were made fas
to each other astern, and we KEEP
near the burning ship in hopes tina
some passing vessel would be attrac
ted by the flames. The sea was cain
and the weather fine, so that we die
not suffer much in this respect. Oul
condition was appalling as hour aftei
hour we drifted about and no sail ap
peared. My wife behaved nobly anC
we did all we could for her comfort
Throughout that night the vesse
burned fiercely, lighting up the wa
tiers for miles around. The sight wa
brilliant and one we shall never for
GET
"On the following morning at
o'clock the French steamer Cont,
d'Eu, from Havre for Pernambuco
came along. We were all taken OF
board without much difficulty, an,
four days later were landed at Per
nambuco. There we were provide,
for by the American Consul and sen
home.
HE Fort Worth (Texasl Gazettl