The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-08
BURNING OF THE LOUIS BUcKL
Thrilling Experience of the Doomed
Schooner's Crew.

thrilling Experience of the Doomed
Schooner's Crew.
The New York Times prints the follow
ing story of the burning Of the steam
schooner Louis Bucki last week and the
rescue of the crew by Cap. Smith Of the
ocean steamship Nacoochee of the Savannah
and New York line, contained in the
MORNING NEWS telegraph columns:
Shortly before O'Clock Tuesday morn
ing. as the Savannah steamship Nacoochee,
which arrived here yesterday, was steaming
along over a smooth sea aud under clear
skv. forty miles to the southwark of the
Ewing Pan lightship, smoke was discovered
upon the horizon to the northeast. As this
resembled more the smoke from a burning
vessel than that from the funnel of steam
ship. Capt. Smith at once altered his course
and ran toward 1t.
He soon discovered the hull of vessel
burned almost to the waters edge Near
the blackened derelict he made out a small
hoat. which appeared to be overloaded with
human beings. A few moments later the
Nacoochee hove TO close to the boat, the
occupants of which proved to be thirteen
men and one woman, who had made their
escape from the burning vessel. They were
taken on board.
The burned vessel was the steam auxiliary
three masted schooner Louis Bucki, which
left this port for Jacksonville May so with
a general cargo, which contained, among
other things, quantity of paraffine and
fifteen casks of gasoline, which had been
secured on deck. The only passenger was a
woman, who was a friend of Capt. Hansen,
on her way to join some friends at Jack
sonville.
The second mate had charge of the deck
at 2 O'CLOCK Tuesday morning, when the
vessel was proceeding slowly in latitude
So s. and longitude 7S' 81. The weather
was clear and the moon was shining brightly.
Seaman Wieland Parker, who was at the
wheel. saw smoke coming out OF the engine
room windows He called out to the second
mate, who ran to the companionway of the
cabin and aroused the captain, after which
he called to the men in the forecastle
Mean while the smoke had rapidly increased
in volume. and when Capt. Hansen rushed,
half dressed, on deck he saw flames leaping
out of the engine room windows THE fire
pumps were quickly rugged and two streams
of water were turned upon the flames, but
without any apparent effect. The fire had
now gained complete control of the vessel.
'Clear away the longboat!" cried the
captain. The men rushed to the starboard
side, where the longboau hung, but as they
did so flames were seen running along its
side. The crew then turned their attention
to smaller boat on the port side. This
was hurriedly launched and the woman
and all hands climbed down into it, lower
ing its gunwales almost to the waters edge.
No one had attempted to save anything ex-
cept life. >
The boat had scarcely pushed away from
the schooner when the fire reached the
gasoline casks. There was loud explosion
and balls of fire shot up into the air. Then
a sheet of liquid fire poured over the vessels
side and spread Kissing outward over the
surface of the ocean. The men were
obliged to row hard in order to GET beyond
the reach of the sheet of burning oil. When
they were out of immediate dagger the
boat stopped and its occupants watched the
grand but terrifying scene. The vessels
hull was wrapped from stem to stern in a
huge sheet of fire, while far above the
roaring mass fared three great tongues of
fame which had climbed the masts to the
very trucks and were rapidly working their
destruction.
The smoke had obscurei the moon and
the darkness which hung outside the fierce
glare of the flames seemed impenetrable.
The crew sat in cramped positions in the
little boat watching the fire and waiting for
daylight One by one the burning masts
tottered and fell over into the sea. The hull
was still in flames whsn daylight came.
Then the little boats passengers sat and
watched fer some passing vessel. Forum
ately there were no indications of 6
storm. Shortly after 6 o'clock, when the
crew had been more than four hours in tbs
open boat, the smoke of steamship was
seen in the southwark. Soon afterward the
spar, stack and hull of the Nacoochee rost
above the horizon and approached thu