The San Francisco call., 1896-04-08

the wetting they received in a gale few
days previously, and in consequence were
slow to ignite. Before any great damage
was done the crew had rushed aloft and
extinguished the flames.
1t was race against the flames, and as
soon as Captain Randall got within hail
ing distance of Point Lobos he set the
signal ''6' in the rigging, and five minutes
later the big tug Fearless was racing down
the bay TO render assistance.
No. g IS the private signal of the Spreck-
els tugboat line. and it means, al want
assistance; send the Fearless"
When the second tug arrived 1t was de-
cided to take the burning ship to Sausa-
Ito. There she was run close inshore and
inside of twenty minutes the Vigilant had
two six-inch streams and the Fearless
eight iwo-inch streams pouring into the
hold of the Bradloch. The big wrecking
pump on The Fearless was not used as it
was thought better not to fill the ship up
too quickly. She gradually sank into the
soft mud and by midnight all danger was
over. This morning the work of pumping
her out began and it is expected that by
noontime she will be at anchor in the
stream.
The Bradloch is from Newcastle, n. s.
w, and is loaded with Cardiff Colliery
coal. She Is the third vessel that has
come to grief owing to the same kind of
cargo, and the chances are that the Ameri-
can ship G. +. Sargent, nov loading at the
same mine, will not be insured. The Hol-
inwood was the first TO suffer. Soon after
she sailed for San Francisco her coal
caught fire and she was compelled to put
into Lyttleton, New Zealand, and dis
charge a portion of the smoldering COAL
She sailed again on February last and
will be anxiously looked for.
The British bark Alexandra also loaded
the same kind of coal and she was towed
into port on March % by the tug Fearless
with her cargo blazing. She was run on
the Mission mud flats and the fire drowned
out. Now comes the Bradloch with the
same coal and the underwriters are dis
gusted. Captain Metcalf, who boarded the
vessel soon alter she was run on the mud
flats at Sausalito, remarked: This will
surance men will bar it IN the future.
Three fires inside of three months is lit
tie too high an average. In all three in
stances the underwriters have come off
very lucky; but of course no one can tell
when ship and cargo will go. This coal
is from a new seam, and there is too much
sulphur in it and too much danger OF spon-
taneous combustion"
While the Bradloch was being towed up
the bay the crew was engaged In removing
their effects and provisions from the life
boats. Monday last they W. ere only eighty
miles west of San Francisco, and when the
cargo caught fire and the ventilator lids
began to pop off and the decks to heave
with every explosion. they thought it was
time to prepare for emergencies. The
boats were accordingly provisioned and
got ready for lowering, and it was not
until the Golden Gate was entered that
the men were satisfied that all danger was
passed. Then they went quietly to the
gallev and got some food, having eaten
nothing for twenty-four hours.
"Taking it all in all, said one of the
apprentice boys, lit has been the worst
voyage / have ever made. We had nothing
but contrary winds from the day we left
Newcastle, aud during the sixty-fve days