Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-08-08
BURNED In MID-OCRAN.
The Terrible Fire That De.
strOyed the Steamer Egypt.
Awful Suffering and Death of the
$40 Cattle on Board.

A cablegram from London, England, gives
the following particulars of the destruction
by fire at sea OF the National line steamer
Egypt: The steamer Manhattan. having On
board the survivors OF the wrecked Egypt
has arrived at Dover. The state
ment Of the survivors of the Egypt
gives the story of that vessels terrible
accident in mid-ocean. The ship sailed from
New York on July 3 and lay u in the Mar
rows until the next day awaiting the
arrival OF $40 head of cattle. On Thurs
lay an alarm of FIRE was raiset
and il was discovered that flames were
bursting forth from the starboard side
Of the steamer. The first alarEn was given
between 10 and IL O'Clock in the even
ing, and every effort was immediately made
TO keep the fire down. Every InHu OF the
crew and the cattle attendants was SUN
moned on deck, the steam pumps were forced,
and in addition to them steam was turned
into the hold by means OF boilers with
auxiliary pipes attached.
Despite these more than ordinary efforts
the fire gained with marvellous rapidity,
and so furious were the flames that the
metal of the vessel became heated To such
an extent that the paint curlei from
It's foundation and laid like strips
If paper on the deck and blew Of
lpon the water. The engine rooms were 50
not that the men were driven for safety To
The open air, returning every few moments
only 10 find the water thrown up by the
pumps rising rapidly and the flames I'M
lbated.
At O'Clock in the morning the water in
he engine room was knee deep. and the fire
lad made such Roadway that all hands were
driven from below and were unable TO re-
turn. The deck. notwithstanding the con-
Ttant flood of water flowing over II, very
ihortly became almost unbearable, and the
men were driven to the small bQats, convinced
shat further attempts at saving the vessel
would be useless.
When the last small boat left, the Egypt
vas a mass of flames which rose high into
The air, climbing about the tall masts, leap
ng from every port, and lighting the sea for
niles. As the Captains gig left the side OF
he ship the foremost plunged into the ocean.
The position of the crew and cattlemen
vas stin dangerous, for the boats had been
the water but short time when it was
luired constant exertion to bail them
out Fortunately at about o'clock
the morning the German ship
Gustav Oscar, bound from Bremen to New
York, was sighted and took the men aboard,
transferring them later in the same day To
The tank steamer Manhattan, carrying q
largo of powder and bound from New York
20 Hull.
Captain Sumner OF the Egypt was almost
blinded by the terrific smoke and the lntol-
rescued he was sightleSS.
There were $40 head Of cattle on the Egypt,
md all were either burned to death or,
breaking loose and plunging overheard,
we're drowned.
About 337 of these were between decks, the
balance of the GAO were on deck.
The crew partially succeeded in jettisoning
The cotton, but the flames rolled steadily up
ward, increasing in volume and strength, un-
Ill the whole interior became furnace UNI
lpproachable by man, and which speedily
out an end to the sufferings or the poor
orutes confined below.
But the horrors to which the cattle ON
ieck were subjected aroused the sympathy
If the men even in the midst OF their own
peril.
Those cattle tnat were lightly teth-
,red broke loose, and, maddenei by the
heat, they leaped into the sea, while those
more securely tied remained pulling and
iragging at their halters until, envel-
oped in the flames they fell through the
.harred deck into the hold beneath. Moth
ng could be done to relieve them, or
sven to alleviate their terrible suferings.
Their bellowings were heard above
every other sound, and even hours
alter, when the Manhattan passed
over the course the wrecked steamer
1ad taken, hundred or more cattle were
seen swimming in the sea, using every effort
N their dumb misery to save their lives, and
making toward any craft they espied on the
swelling bosom of the ocean.
When last seen the Egypt was drifting
Ilowly toward the horizon, sheet OF hre.
The roaring of the flames and the heart
-ending believing of more than half
thousand cattle died gradually away
n the distance, growing less distinct
every moment. until nothing remained
IN sight excepting the slight glimmer that to
The wrecked men seemed TO be sinking
slowly into the sea.
According to an official statement the fire
occurred 100 miles from Lands End.