The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-30
BURNED AT SEA
The Destitute Crew Of the Brig Belle Arrive
at Philadelphia.

/
The Destitute Crew Of the Brig Belle Arriy
| at Philadelphia.
The steam sailing vessel Wyoming
of the Clyde line, often carries barg,
of coal oil, powder cartridges, ant
other dangerous stuff, and in conse
quence is not allowed to carry passen
gers, says The Philadelphia Press
When she arrived at this port, how.
ever, Tuesday night, she did have on
board considerable list of passengers.
They were shipwrecked mariners, and
the slight violation of rules which the
Wyoming had made in taking them on
board was gracious act of kindness.
There were eleven persons, one of
whom was a woman, and they were
all in sorry state of restitution.
Their story was sad in its details, and
| revealed pitiable view of sea life.
They belonged to the brig Belle, a
Newfoundland vessel from Glaze bay,
laden with soft coal for New York.
The mariners who arrived Tuesday
night were falsely reported by Phil
adelphia paper as arriving last Sunday
afternoon. The weather was bad all
II
hundred miles of New York the vessel
met with an overwhelming disaster.
The entire hold was mass of red-hot
fire. 1t was on Friday afternoon when
Capt. French's attention was called to
what was thought to be steam rising
from the deck. fastening to the
hatchway leading 10 where the coal
was stored he rushed down the steep
stairway and saw volume of smoke
coming up from below. Rushing back
to the deck, he cried 1.-The coal is
on fire."
AT once the men were set to work at |
the pumps, but the water froze almost |
as soon as it left the pipes, and though
the effort was continued for a long
while the fire could not be extinguish-
ed. At last It was given up and the
crew made ready to abandon the brig.
placed all the clothing, papers, and
personal property that could be gath
cred. AS the men were busy at this
ask the flames from tons of burning
coal worked their way through the
iecks and around the cabin. The
coated with ice, was at
acked by the blaze, stripped off the
rozen covering, and little by little
eaten up by the fire. Through the
cams in the deck long, narrow line
II yellowish black-topped flame pro- {
ruded. Around the edge of the YES
ell ran rim of fire. Over all rose the .
ickening smell of coal-gas. =
The waves of the sea were freezing I
old and very rough. The great boat 4
vas lowered, and part of the crew 8
tanned it. Then the small boat was n
1t down, filed with all that the I'M q
ortunate sailors and the wife of Capt. h
rench could rescue from their float h
g home. Some of the men got into "
lis boat, and then the small crafts 4
ade off. r.
Those in the boats were Capt. if
rench, Mrs. French, Alexander o. a,
n, William Fower, James Maloney, Sc
ohn JOY, William Wright, William d.
avanagh, Thomas Wood, Thomas "a
arey, Louis Williams, the mate, and IN
pilot from New York. Williams and ca
e captain and his wife are from st. in
,hn, N. F. The others came from 70
rious parts of Newfoundland. 10
Once at sea harder experience was wi
ldergo one than had been anticipated. nc
le abandoned burning Belle and the in
tie party f1oated apart. The brig 70
on became a big oblong mass of oh
me and smoke. The two little boats hi,
IRE tossed roughly about, and the sn
abs of the men were stiff with cold. ii,
lie party in the small boat could not No
re for their freight and were COM 20
lied to leave their boat. The small mn
at, left to itself, soon filled with NJ;
ter and was lost. The larger craft 70,
ated around, despair settling down ws
on its unlucky passengers. aw
But relief soon came. A schooner 70
s sighted, and the crew and the one on
man rescued. This schooner was lot
} David Clarkson. She took them ~ !
board about fifty miles off Barne- liv
:, and soon brought them to the he,
,es. There they were transferred to ~,
Wyoming. by which they came to ma
lladelphia late on Tuesday night. mi,
pit. French and his wife STAYED on he
Wyoming and the crew were at the wis
lgway house until yesterday morn tbe
Some of the crew left for some wv
the sailors boarding houses then. wo
Ut. French reported at the British nit,
sulate. A pilot from New York bar
had boarded the brig to bring her
, New York harbor left at once for
home. The others of the party ar I
ged to make the journey to New this
ndland at once. The loss on the we
sci and cargo has not been defin- the
y estimated. One of the sailors had not
eral hundred dollars in charge. to
CHI was lost with the other valua- and
in the small boat. Goa
Go-;ua -s|-,,- ces,
"niuS "hu hohR Llle. and