The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-13
BURNED IN MID-OCEAN.
The Terrible Fire That De-
= stroyed the Steamer Egypt.
Awful Suffering and Death of the
GAO Cattle on Board.

the following particulars of the destruction
by fire at sea Of tn, 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 9, and lay to in the Mar
rows until the next day awaiting the
arrival of $40 head of cattle. On Thurs
day an alarm Of fire was raised,
and it was discovered that flames were
bursting forth from the starboari side
Of the steamer The first alarm was given
between 10 and IL o'clock in the even
ing, and every effort was immediately made
to keep the fire down. Every man OF the
crew :nd the cattle attendants was sum
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 curled from
its foundation and laid like strips
of paper on tho deck and blew off
upon the water. The engine rooms were so
hot that the men We're driven for safety to
the open air, returning every few moments
only to find the water thrown up oy tne
pumps rising rapidly and the flames un'
abated.
At o'clock in the morning the water IN
the engine room was knee deep, and the IRE
had made such headway that all hands were
Adriven from below and were unable to re-
turn. The deck. notwithstanding the con-
slant food Of water flowing over it, very
shortly became almost unbearabie, ana the
men we're driven to the small boats, convinced
that further attempts at saving the vessel
would be useless.
When the last small boat left, the Egypt
was a mass of flames, which rose high into
the dir, climbing about the tall masts, leap
ing from every port and lighting the sea for
miles. As the Captains gig left the side OF
the ship the foremast plunged into the ocean.
the position of the crew and cattlemen
was still dangerous, for the boats had been
In the water but a short time when it was
found they leaked badly, and it re-
quired constant exertion. to bail them
. out Fortunately at about = O'Clock
in the morning the German ship
Gustav Oscar, bound from Bremen to New
York, was sighted and took the men aboard,
transferring them later ip the same day to
the tank steamer Manhattan, carrying
cargo Of powder and bound from New York
to Hull.
Captain Sumner Of the Egypt was almost
blinded by the terrific smoke and the intol-
cradle heat, and for three days after pelng
rescued he was sightless.
There were $40 head Of cattle on the Egypt,
and all were either burned to death or,
breaking loose and plunging overheard,
were drowned.
About 337 Of these were between decks, the
balance of the GAO were on deck.
The crew partially succeeded in jettisoning
G,,t ba ao ro1la1 ctaa6i1v
ward, increasing in volume and strength, un-
til the whole interior became furnace un-
approachable by man, and which speedily
putan end to the sufferinSs OF the poor
brutes confined below.
But the horrors to which the cattle on
deck were subjected aroused the sympathy
Of the men even in the midst OF their own
peril.
Those cattle that were lightly teth-
ered broke loose and, maddened by the
beat, they leaped into the sea while those
more securely tied remained pulling and
kSragginS at their halters until, envel-
poped in the flames. they fell through the
charred deck into the hold beneath. Moth
Ing could be done to relieve them, or
!, even to alleviate their terrible sufferings.
Their bellowings were heard above
later, when the Manhattan passed
over the course the wrecked steamer
had taken, hundred or more cattle were
seen swimming in the sea, using every effort
In 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
slowly toward the horizon, sheet Of fire.
The roaring of the flames and the heart.
rending believing of more than half
thousand cattle died gradually away
In the distance, growing less distinc.
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.