The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-04-11

A Fire Starts in the steamer
Nikahala.

4ne IRE alarm was rung tuesday
morning about 1916 o'clock. In a
few seconds afterwards Engines No.
and 2 were seen passing down Fort
street at lively rate. Cries Of Fire on
the Mikahals brought several hun
dreds OF people to the l. I. S. n. Co s
wharf at the foot of Fort street.
When the engines arrived, the blaze
was found to be well under control,
so they returned without rendering
any assistance
1t appears that 20 tons of fertil-
izers, put up in $50 bags, were placed
on deck in the forward part of the
ship. The name of the infamable sub
stance differs, according to down
town scientists. One gentleman calls
it saltpetre, guano specialist names
it nitrate of soda; Captain Goodman,
of the Robert Levers, says it is mu
riate of potash. Whether all these
scientific terms mean the same thing
or not, the experts could not agree;
but they all say it is a dangerous
cargo. The so-called saltpetre was
carefully slowed on the forward deck
on temporary platform made of
redwood boards, being specially built
as precaution against fire. a
thick covering of tarpaulins was
also carefully placed on the top and
the sides, so everybody on board
thought the cargo was perfectly safe.
While the officers and men were
busily engaged putting freight on
board, one of them noticed smoke
issuing from the ssltpeter pile. Two
good sized streams worked by the
wharf donkey engine played on the
fire for nearly ten minutes, but as
the flames began to spead, Passenger
Agent VIM. Ross telephoned the fire
alarm. When the fire engines ar
rived, a detachment of sailors from
the Boston was already on board
helping to put out the fire by throw
ing overheard bags containing the
substance. A boats crew from the
Naniwa also came but they returned
on board their ship as the fire was
already under control. By Ills
A. NJ, or about thirty minutes from
the time the smoke was first noticed,
the last spark of fire was extin
guished, the two streams from the
donkey engine being successfully
applied. A part of the redwood
boards on which the substance was
placed was scorched while several
we're completely burned up, but the
deck of the vessel was unframed.
The balance of the saltpeter was
removed on shore by command
OF Captains Campbell and Godfrey
Captain CLANCY of the Mikahala was
at the company's blacksmith shop
during the FIRE, and only learned of
the impending danger to his ship
when it was almost out. When he
arrived the bags were being taken
ashore.
The fire is supposed to have been
caused by a spark from the donkey
engine which is stationed on the
wharf
After the trouble was all over Cap
tain Peterson of the Pele related his
experience on the Pele when a cargo
of the same substance took fire at
sea and the entire cargo was jetti-
soned to save the ship.
Captain Campbell seconded his
story by giving similar instance
which took place on the Liholiho
some time ago. Captain Penhallow
was an eye witness years ago of an
instance where 400 tons of saltpetre
took fire in the hold of vessel lying
at anchor at Calcutta.
According to the steamers people
the bags caught fire last Monday on
the wharf, but it was quickly put out.
The twenty tons of saltpeter was
shipped by 81. Hsckfeld & Co., and
was intended to be used as fertilizer
at the Lihue Plantation. 1t was
valued at $1,000 About one-ffth of
the cargo was thrown into the sea.