Evening journal., 1891-07-24
BURNED IN THE BAY.
Fire Breaks Out In an oil-Laden Vessel
and Her Crew Has Narrow Escape.


TIE British bark Syringa, Captain
Baker, from Philadelphia for Vigo, Spain,
with 220, 600 gallons of crude petroleum,
was destroyed by fire in the Delaware
bay, off the Fourteen Fathom Bank
Light yesterday morning. The scene was
the most thrilling that has been wit
messed in the Delaware bay for many
years The Philadelphia Inquirer gives
the following account
The earliest intelligence of the disas-
ter was received from Pilot John Yer
dun, who was taking out the steamship
Duchess. He wired to the Maritime Ex-
change from Lewes that the Syringa was
on FIRE AS 1t was known that she had q
cargo of 2, 200 cases of crude petroleum
the utmost CONSERVATION prevailed re
garding the probable fate of the unfortu
nate crew.
All day long kilograms were flying to
every possible point from which it was
thought news could be received, but IL
was not until the steamship Tormore,
Captain Dewar, from Demerara reached
her dock that the first authentic &C
counts were made known.
Pilot Clinton Long, who brought the
steamer up, said 'We sighted the
burning vessel at 730 a m anchored
about mile below the Fourteen Fathom
Bank Light. The tugs Pioneer. Juno.
Reliance and A. Hughes we're alongside
rhe Pioneer and Juno were pouring
good streams of water on her, and the
Reliance was lying off with the long
boat Of the bark towing astern, she
having takeh of the crew. The Syringa
was riding flood and this brought her
head to the wind, which was blowing
freshly from the east-southeast. This
drove the flames towards the stern, and
they der ed about running up the ril
ging, licking the rails and twining round
the masts. The whole upper works
seemed to be in blaze. OF course we
slowed down to see if we could be of any
use, but 1t was helpless case and as
there was plenty Of assistance at hand
we kept on after Rscertaining that the
crew were safe.
At one slock the vessel was pretty
well Quilted out, and the tug Hughes.
which had left her tow, the bark Onward,
to go to the burning vessels assistance,
again resumed her trip to the Brakwater.
The Juno was towing a -four master
schooner when she sighted the burning
Syrings, and her captain Immediately
tugged the schooner to an anchorage of
the Brandywine shoals and made for the
distressed bark.
The first notice that the crew of the
SyriDga had of the fire was by the an
chor watch seeing smoke issuing from
the forehatch He Immediately gave the
alarm This was about 3 a m. AL
hands were ordered TO quarters and o
desperate battle TO save the vessel began.
The strong breeze, coupled with the
deadly fumes Of the burning oil, how
o or, drove them from their stations, ano
soon all hands had to take refuge aft, as
the flames had full possession forward
The fierce glare lit up the bav for miles
around and soon the tug Reliance was
alongside, followed by the Pioneer. Cap
tain Baker stuck to his post to the last
and almost had to be dragged into the
boat whe1 it was decided to abandon the
bark
Secretary Sherwood OF the Maritime
Exchange will inspect what remains OF
the Syringa in. his capacity as Lloyd's
agent
The danger of carrying crude petrol
cum in cases has often been pointed out,
said Captain Hughes. ''0nce case goe
the rest are nearly always bound to fol
low In barrels the oil has bette
chance Of escaping the flames, for bar
rel will stand great deal Of scorchinI
before theoil will ignite At the sam
time acci tents are rare and general,
occur from preventable causes
Captain Quickssll, Of the steamboa
Republic, which passed close to the burn
ing vessel, thought It might be possibl
to save the hull by towing 1t ashore o
the Eastern shoals.
The Syringa was built in 1872 at India
Town, N r. She was owned by Mills
Jago and received thorough overhau
ing at Liverpool in 1888 and reclasseC
Her cargo was valued at $17. 600 and
fully insured The vessel itself was onl
partially insured, The agents for til
Syrinra in this city are Lawrence Johl
son & Co.