The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-20
BURNED IN MID-OCEAN.
A Pet Monkey Discovers snip on
Fire and Saves the Crew.

A Pet Monkey Discovers Ship on
Fire and Saves the Crew.
With every sail drawing, aloft and allow,
even to her skysails, the British full-rigged
ship Stephen D. Horton passed out OF Jus
harbor Of Calcutta, India, IN spanklns
breeze, bound for New York. One hundred
tons of saltpetre were stored in her hold, be-
sides $500 tons of jute in bales. The storo-
room held provisions of every SORT tns
weather was fair and everything looked
favorable for the homeward voyage,
Now the charrei hull of the snip Hes
, fathoms deep, over four hundred miles east
of Pernambuco, and with the ship ,perlSne9
two Of her crew. The others reached land
after terrible privation and On the steamship
Advance, lately arriving at New o!k
from Brazilian ports were captain
Lewis and his wife. They saved not
even a change of clothing and were giad 70
escape from the burning vessel with tnelr
lives With them was Mrs. LewlsS pet
monkey, who was the first to discover the
fire on the Inflated Horton.
The voyage up to December q was very
uneventful, Captain Lewis said. The snip
had touched at st. Helena on December 1T,
and was at eleven O'clock of the 9th about
four hundred and twenty miles from
Pernambuco. The weather was almost dead
calm anu ULl6 SCOTCulllS uedO VI q ~ ANpASe>A
sun beat upon the slowly moving vessel.
Suddenly Chief Mate William Coalfeet's
attention was attracted by the strange act
ions of Jocko, the pet monkey, who was
perched on one OF the ventllatorg Leading
down below. The monkey would sniff at tho
opening, and then running along the deck,
chatter at great rate. The mate went over
to the ventiator, but before he reached it
saw a thin column of smoke coming out The
truth flashed upon him at once that the ship
was on fire.
Picking up Jocko he went below ana
quietly informed the Captain, who gave or
ders to open one of the after matches. 1t
was done and deluge Of water was poured
down by the laboring crew. The smoke in
creased and rolled upward in black cloud.
Then a square hole was cut through the
decks and water poured in upon the burning
cargo.
But it was of no avail and Captain Lewis
had the hole closed again and the matches
sealed up tight, while all sail was crowded
on and the ships course laid for Pernam-
buco. The wind was light, and she made but
little progress
At half.past three in the afternoon the ex-
pected crisis came. With a dull report the
matches flew upward, wrenchei from their
fastenings by the force Of the explosion. The
fire had reached the saltpetre.
A cloud of smoke poured through the open
matches and enveloped the doomed vessel.
Flames were now breaking out above the
matches and two boats hanging at the davitS
were at once lowered.
There was only time to tumble few cases
of sea biscuit into each boat and couple Of
casks of water. The flames were rapidly
gathering headwuy when the boats struck
the water.
Nine or ten sailors jumped into the sea and
were hauled on board the boats, but John
Davis, seaman,o on striking the water threw
up his hands and disappeared. He was seen
no more. The monkey climbed down one OF
the davit ropes and nestled in Mrs. Lewis's
arms.
The boats were rowed away from the burn.
ing vessel Then it was discovered that
Henry Younger, the carpenter. was missing.
He was seen few minutes before the lower
ing Of the boats near the starboard rail- and
he is supposed to have gone after his money
and to have perished.
Long tongues Of flame were running up the
Horizons taper masts, and soon the entire
ship was mass Of flames. She burned like
tinder, and the blazing craft could be seen
by those in the boats far into the night. In
the morning she had disappeared.
The weather was intensely hot, and the
sailors suffered terribly as they rowed. They
we're 400 miles from land, and in order that
their provisions might hold out the rations
were made one biscuit per day each. On the
forenoon Of the third day they hailed the
bark Twilight, bound from Cardiff, England,
TO VALPARAISO and were rescued.
The Stephen ID. Horton was built at
Spencer Island, N. s., in August, 1881. The
fire. is supposed to have been caused by
spontaneous combustion.