Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-07-12
The Alarm of Fire.


We were homeward bound from
a distant port, and with average
luck would be at home in four weeks.
Mirth and iollity prevailed on board,
for the people aft as well as for
ward caught the infection, and re-
laxed the severity of their quarter
deck faces, diminishing the awful
distance between the cabin and the
forecastle in exact proportion as the
space lessened between the ship
and the shore.
One fine evening all hands were
seated in the forecastle engaged in
various amusements; for the second
dog watch is time when both the
watch below and the watch on deck
(if there is no work to be DONE, }
are considered at liberty to enjoy
themselves at the top of their
bent Half dozen different par
ties where playing whist, euchre
and checkers, and the rest were al
ternately telling anecdotes and sing
ing comic songs.
"Clew'p r'yals!" sang out the sec
ond mate; and those of the watch
nearest the door, scrambled out to
execute the order.
They soon returned and the in
terrupted games went on. Scarce
ly, however, had new hands been
dealt to the card players, when we
were started by the cry which made
us jump up in hurry-"Fire!
fire! fire! All hands come aft"
Away we ran, expecting to see
no less than a sheet flame bursting
out of the main hatch; but nothing
of the kind, not even smoke was to
be seen. But as we got further aft,
we shifted a distinct odor Of fire,
which smelt more like woolen rags
than anything else. The captain
and his wife were on deck, the lat
ter declaring again and again, 1--WE
shall die. I'm shure of it!'
A landsman can scarcely imagine
the excitement which an alarm of
fire creates at sea. The officers flew
about in every direction, calling the
men to come here and "go there"
and every nook and corner above
the deck searched. The third mate,
wishing to distinguish himself,
jumped up on the galley, and k mock
ed the cooks funnel down with "a
handspike; while the cook, OH his
part, threw the draw bucket as far
as he could to leeward, determined
to save that article at least from the
flames. The carpenter got his axe
to cut away the masts, but wisely
concluded to wait for orders.
"Mr. Brown" yelled the cap
tain, "take some of the men and
clear away the boats ready for
launching! There's no knowing
how soon we may need them."
At the mention of the boats, the
captains wife gave scream and
tainted, but revived in time to sip
the glass of brandy and water which
the steward Immediately brought.
Just then it occurred to the mate
to put his nose to the ventilators,
of which there were two OH the
poop deck, which opened into the
lower hold, and between decks. So
he ran to the starboard one, and
single sniff was enough to reward
him for his pains.
"Oh, Captain Stone," he bawled,
1.-The fire is in the hold; the smell
comes up from the ventilator strong
enough to knock you over3'
Good Lord!" cried the captain,
"then it's all up with us! But how
in the duce could the fire take down
there among the cargo?"
IL can explain that" cried the
carpenter, who prided himself on
being great scientific man; "it's
spontaneous combustion. Some of
the cocoanut oil must have got
spilled on that hemp in the lower
hold, and the two together chemi-
cally generated heat, and finally set
the hemp afre. It's all very plain
if you understand chemistry"
very likely, sir--very likely"
replied the captain; "but we don't
want to know anything about the
origin of the fire now; all we want
to know is how to extinguish it,
Break open the boody hatch, car
penter."
81 would suggest" began Chips.