The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-04

/ every mold and the speCtacle as a tug
/ brought the vessel irto port ard anchored
her off Lombard street wharf was one
day.
The Destruction of the Amazon.
The year that saw the loss Of the Birk-
enhead near the Cape of Good Hope saw
also the destruction by FIRE of the steamer
Amazon, belonging 10 tho West Indian
Steam Packet company, and the conse
, quent loss of gully 100 Of her passengers
( and crew She belonged to an uulucky
I line and though the +dct has no bearing
on the disaster il is worth pointing out
that in the eleven years of the company
existence, eight of its Meet had been lost
the Medina wrecked on tile coral reef,
near Turk island; the Isis. sunk Off
bermuda, having previously struck on a
reef; the SolWaN wrecked of COrunna.
the Tweed wrecked on the Alacranas
rocks, Gulf of Mexico; the Forth, lost
on the same rocks, the Actolon. lost in
the NegrelloS, hear Carthdgead: ana the
new steamer Demerara, stranded in :he
river Avon. near Bristol, not long before
the Amazon.
BY midnight o. the day following her
departure from Southampton she was
well clear Of the Sicily Isles and had
made 10 miles in w. :. V. course from
that point. The officer on the watch had
occasion 10 20 as far as the forehOld
and saw flames emerging near the galley
He gave the alarm 10 the captain and
set the alarm bell ringing Immediately
passengers and crew came tunIbling upon
y n, a
pool gentleman, who afterwards narrated
the occurrence, says that the scene of
confusion that Ie5Sned on deck beSSared
all description. The flames spread from
end TO end OF the ship with lightning
strides.
The mail boat OH the port size was low
cred, with about 20 people, It SWamped
alongside and all perlShe1- The pinnacle
was also lowered, ana the sea swept all
hands out of her. On the Starboari side
the gig was being steadily lowered full
of hands; the second cutter. in 'front.' of
her, also full. was lowered down when
sea struck her bow, unlocked the tackle,
and, as the ship rose 10 the sea, lifted the
cutter by the stern tackle, and canted
all but two into tie sea. These TWO hung,
doubled over the thwarts screaming Tor
help.
on the starboard side was No. life
boat. Twelve seamen We're in her try
ing TO lower her. but they were prevented
by her being fast on the keel crane. Mr.
Nelson joined these men, vainly endeaVor-
mig to get her over the side, when one OF
them asked him to go back on the deck,
and assist in raising her with the tackle
This was done. The boat was raised out
of the keel crane. and lowered down; but
before half in the water. the flames had
burst through the companion and caught
the men at the foretackle who sprung in
to the boat In this state the boat was
dragged until an oar could be got out TO
fend her off from the cutter. still hanging
in the tackle. when the word was given
to cut away the foretackle, and she drift
ed clear of the doomed ship, which flew
through the water a d fearful pace, and
soon left the boat astern.
The lifeboat was shortly after Joined
by the dingy. then in sinking state.
with five people including Mr.. Vincent.
They We're Immediately taken on board.
and every effort was made 10 assist and
save others. The gale had increased; the
sea was running fearfully high, and the
first effort of the crew to reach the burn
ing vessel was paralysed by tremendous
sea, which Swamped the dingy. tore off
the lifeboat's rudder, and nearly filed her
with water. There was nothing for il but
TO bring her head to the wind. watching
the seas, and directing the men to pull
so as to meet them right ahead.
Burning from Stem to stern.
While in this unenviable position the