Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-11-29
CRACKING DECKS.
RsariIe Rknss Beneath, Bla1s
SaileB Adore.


NEW IonK, Nov. z3--Ihe stout fanke,
ship A. J. Fuller which % opportuneiy turn
ed up ard rescued the shipwrecked mariner
of the steamer Santiago. anchored OF Bed
loe's Island at II O'Clock Tuesday night. A
number Of the crew had been burned ant
Otherwise disabled before the Santiago "a
abandoned. and they we're pretty anxious b
get ashore % have their injuries dressed ant
treated. A tug boat transferred them from
The Fuller 70 . pier alousside Of the Batter,
ses wall
Capt. Robert Potter the master of the III
fortuned craft. had an interview with th,
Messfs. Sandesson Immediately after his ~
rival st the once and related in = graphic
style the story Of the destruction Of his 6n,
steamer. The men saved nothing excep
the clothing they stood in.
Captain Potters Account.
Capt Potter wrote out an exhaustive &C
count Of the burning of his vessel and th,
subsequent rescue OF all hands; but this was
intended for the British Consul. and he de.
clined to show IL to the press. He, however,
made plain, unvafnished statement of the
affair to . reporter.
The weather vas not particularly favora.
Bile, he said, when the Santiago cleared
Sandy Hook on Sunday morning, the 18th
inst. Besides the cargo under deck there
were ls9 head Of American ca tie.
| Everything gave promise Of speedy and
prosperous voyage. At 4.20 p. NJ. Of the
| 18th, the steamer was 2s3 miles east OF
Sandy Hook. There was Z very fresh wind
blowing from the south southeast at thai
hour, and the barometer in its rapid down
ward flight showed Indications Of an ap-
preaching storn. Suddenly one of the
officers Of the wa1eh rushed into Capt. Pot
ter's stateroom and shouted:
"Ths snip il Aitrs. Cir;
the chip 10 afire." To rush on deck was the
work Of 4 second, and then Capt. Potter saw
that the officer had spoken the truth. Dense
volumes of smoke were rolling out from the
deck seams and butts of the poop deck.
Hardly had the skipper given the order to
find out the cause of this fire than smoke
pufed out from under the tarpsulins on the
covers Of Nos. and . matches and from the
apron Of the mainmast.
Capt. Potter ordered the after-hatch COW
ers to be lifted. The 1000 odd bales of cot.
ton which the vessel had we're slowed in
these compartments, and the captain realized
at once that the cotton was responsible for
the FIRE.
As soon as the matches were removed
binding flames burst out and the men were
driven back. The four passengers were in
saloon at the time, and the shouts of the crew
brought them on deck in jiny; but Capt.
Potter compelled them to go below again
Five lengths of hose we're then run out
and with the steam from the engine room 81
many more streams of water were pointed
dOwr the burning hatchway. This went on
for fifteen minutes, and the smoke died away
| sufficiently to let the men see that the whole
cargo of cotton under the hatchway wal
Ablszs from Side to Side.
The heat thrown out BY the flames was 90
intense that the men begged Capt. Potter to
burst holes in the deck and apply the hose
nozzles to the apertures. This was done,
tho deck being broken at the bulwarks on
both sides of the ship. The sailors worked
with the strength Of despair, but it was in
| vain, and the fire gained steadily.
At p. NJ. it was decided that the vessel
wss making too much draught under heI
| headway of steam, and the captain wore shiE
and steamed slowly before the wind. Thii
reduced the draught good deal and gave
the men better chance to fight the flames.
| The cattle be came quite troublesome abou'
| this time, Jumping about in heir stalls Is il
| they knew by instinct of the danger.
| At 5.l5 O'Clock, although the fire hose wai
still At work, the deck became so hot thai
the men could barely walk upon it. At $40
the steering gear of the ship gave way will
snap, having been burned out. Ths
steamer then
Becoming Upmanagsable.
| the engines we're stopped altogether.
At that hour the vessel. from the engine
compartment Art. was all afame. and the
crew were being driven forward. step by
step. At 6.45 the beams which held up the
after deck. ten solid pieces Of iron, wen
down with crash, and the after deck fell il
few minutes later. The cattle now refuset
to remain in the stalls on the deck, Their
was a stampede when ct seven O'Clock th'
stalls took the flames and singed the hide o
the dumb bru'es.
Forty of them, living mas of flames
burst from their prison and jumped over TIL
steamers side into the sea and
Swan Away From the Steamer.
The remainder fell of and jumped into tn
! flames when the midship portion of the decl
gave away.
II was all up then and Capt. Potter realixinI
| this fact held . consultation and it was agreet
to take to the lifeboats. The passengers in
cluding Capt. Charles joy, Mrs. knight snd
her infant and Mr.. Wadsworth were help
ed into the boat nrst 1t was dark then will
high sea running. The boats we're manne
and lowered. Just a. they left the ships sid
the vessel turned over and took on . heav.
list to starboard. The lifeboats alled wit
the passengers and crew, we're fastened b
painters to the burning vessel with the In
tention of remaining there until daylight.
Il They remained for fifteen minutes only
however. the pitch Of the sea being too vic
lent, forcing them to sheer of from tn
burning hulk. The boat had sufficient pre-
visions to last two days. Afte- they left th
Santiago the mainmast was seen 10 toppl
oter into the sea The ship was then q
afire forward and the
CaIcasses Of Dead Cattle
fioated around on the water. The sea VI
too rough to hoist sails on the lifeboats an
to keep the email craft from foundering thei
navieators had to head up to the waves.
i The boats lost sight Of one another afte
being afioat an hour. At daylight on ii
2Oth, the Fuller came along, brought to tn
scene BY the bright glare OF the Santiago
flames The work of the rescue was the
speedily accomplished
TUIpn luuUl1. RAIL-