The morning call., 1892-02-23
BURNED AT SEA.
Destruction Of the Coal Laden
German Ship Clara.
The Crew Forced to Take to the Boats Rescue
OF the Captain and Twelve Men-A Boat
Load of Thirteen Missing.
Another coal-laden ship las been burned

Another coal-laden ship las been burned
at sea- and the probabilities are that half
her crew has met watery grave. The fine
German ship Clara, bound from Liverpool
to this port, must now be added to the list
of vessels already reported as destroyed
during the last few months by spontaneous
combustion. The news was brought to
san Francisco by the British ship Califor-
MIA that arrived in port last evening, having
on board Captain Kuhlmann and twelve Of
the crew of the ill-fated ship.
The Clara sailed from Liverpool for this
port pa days ago and bad luck seems to
have attended her from the start. Soon
after clearing the channel she was caught
in q gale that lasted five days, and besides
suffering other slight damages her rudder-
head was twisted. Although i was patched
as we'll as possible under the circumstances
and answered we'll enough iii fine weather
it broke off short in the first blow that the
ship was IN.
Recourse was then had to the monkey
filler and the ship was headed for Rio de
Janeir0, where she arrived on October 10.
Here the ruddPr was repaired and once
more Captain Kuhlmann set out on his
long voyage 10 San Francisco, which port,
however, his ship was destined never 10
reach.
HOVE TO OFF CAPE HORN.
Off Cape Horn the weather was unusually
severe and the ship was compelled to neaYo
TO for several days, and also suffered the
loss OF many OF her sails. Nothing very
serious occurred, however, until the ship
was in latitude 20 south and about los
west, when fire was discovered in the cargo.
The pumps were rugged and torrents of
water flowed into the hold. For time 1t
seemed as if the fire had been qutnched,
but such was not the case, however, and
the crew of the vessel found that instead OF
being put out the fire still Smodered and
the ship was a floating volcano. Once more
the pumps were put to work and holes cut
in the deck through which the streams OF
water was turned on the burning mass be-
low
Finding that this would not subdue the
flames the matches were taken of and the
work of digging down to the fire began. In
spite Of the intense heat the men worked
like beavers, and they had good reason to
work for their ship was over 1000 miles
from land and no help In sight
For forty-eight hours they shOveled and
dug until the heat became too great TO bear,
and the glowing mass OF coal sent out dense
volumes of binding smoke that threatened
to suffocate them. Again the matches were
battened down and tons Of water pumped
into the ship, but the fire rapidly glined,
and soon the pitch in the decks began to
boil.
DRINKING WATER HEATED.
Even the water in the tanks became hot
enough to send a cloud Of steam up through
the fresh-water pump. Then Captain kuhl-
mann realized the dread truth ;hat the ship
was doomed TO destruction and reluctantly
gave the order to clear away the boats.
The crew numbered twenty-Six all told,
and when the only two boats available we're
lowered the captain and twelve men entered
one and the mate with the others manned
the remaining boat.
BY wise provision in the German marine
laws each ship boat is provided with box
containing charts, compass, seXtant and
nautical almanac, while breakers Of water
and bread and beef are also slowed in the
boats Thus the crew had food enough 10
last at least fourteen days and longer if put
on short allowance.
Both boats were furnished with a chrO-
nometer and mate and captain had the
necessary instruments 10 find the latitude
and longitude. The boats left the burning
ship about shutdown in latitude south,
longitude ll2 west, but remained close TO
her during the night The castaways did
not leave her any too soon, for about 10
o'clock the flames burst from the hatch
ways and in a short time the fine vessel was
on fire from stem TO stern.
A GRAND SPECTACLE PRESENTED.
Mast after mast and sail after sail were
soon in flames and afforded a grand and
solemn spectacle, as, waited by ligh I
breeze, she slowly sailed along on fire from
truck TO keel.
! daylight nothing was left but burned
and charred hulk that took a final
plunge aud disappeared beneath the waves.
The two boats then shaped their course
toward the MarquesaS Islands, distant at
| least 1000 miles but the sea was smooth
and the trade winds steadily waited them
toward the haven OF refuge.
The boats kept close together until night
came, and then were separated in the dark
ness. For six days the boat In which Cap
tain kuhlmaun was sailed steadily on her
course, and during that time only one blow
occurred. and that only lasted twelve hours,
and the men had no difficulty in riding il
out, assisted by a sea lanchOr formed of the
oars and sail.
On the afternoon of the sixth day sail
was sighted and to the JOY OF the ship
wrecked men she was seen to be bearing
down toward them. She proved TO be the
| British ship California, bound from New
castle, y. ). w, 10 San Francisco.
RECEIVED WITH OPEN ARMS.
Captain Dickinson received the ship
wrecked men with open arms and made
them as comfortable as possible, while the
opened their chests and shared their cloth
NJ with the unfortunate sailors There
S a possibility that the mates boat
may have been picked up by passing yes
sci, or she may have reached the islands;
but this is considered doubtful. as the day
after the captains boat was picked up a
strong gale commenced. that lasted several
days. and the boat and all she contained
may have gone to the bottom in the heavy
sea.
The Clara was owned by d. II Watjen &
Co. of Bremen, and was built ut Bremen
haven in 1882 She was wooden vessel of
1857 tous register, and has been in San
Francisco several times. The cargo MAS
consigned to Meyer Wilson & Co.. and
was fully insured. There was no insurance
on the ship and the loss will fall altogether
on the owners.
BY a strange fatality the Clara and the i'll
fated American ship Rappahannock lay
side by side in the docks a. Liverpool, and
both loaded coal for this port at the same
time and both were des lroyed at sea in the
same manner except that the American ship
was carried into Juan Fernandez before
she was consumed, and thus the crew
escaped the long and dangerous voyage in
open boats, which fell TO the lot OF the
Clara's crew.
nTN A NH I'M M ANEVaTV