The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-11
FIGHT FIREIN MID-OCEAN
The Crew Of the Steamship Worsley
Hall Have a Fearful Voyage.
A GALLANT RACE TO PORT.

Flames Discovered in the Cargo Of Cotton
While Far From Laud---For Three
Days They Ragged In the Hold of the
vessel---.A Fierce Storm Made the
Situation Even More Thrilling.
NEW YORK C1rY Especially With a fire
raging in her fore hold and her iron sides
as hot as sizzling gridiron. the British
steamship Worsley Hall, which left New
Orleans on October 16. steamed slowly
into this port Monday morning. For
three days the fire had been feeding on
the cotton cargo, and during that time the
crew had been fighting it dav and night.
They kept up the fight while gale swept
the vessel for fifteen hours; water and steam
were poured into the furnace below decks,
and every effort was made to quench the
notwithstanding fire. Finally they gave
up the struggle and started for this port as
last resort.
The steamers hold was half full OF water
when she anchored off Clifton, Staten ISL
and. She was heeled far to starboard. and
her bow had settled until she looked as II
about to dive to the bottom. Still the fire
smouldered among the cotton bales, and ten
hours more Of hard labor scarcely suf1ced
to conquer it.
When the Worsley Hall left New Orleans
three hundred tons Of grain in bulk were
spread out on the bottom OF her big hold.
On top Of the grain 7790 bales Of cotton were
piled.
The steamer at o'clock last Friday morn
ing was $50 miles east by south Of Sandy
Hook and steaming on her course for Havre,
when Chief Officer Lewthwaite noticed
smoke coming from the ventilators directly
under the bridge. He called Captain Charles
Cameron, who summoned the entire crew OF
f1fty-hve men.
The forward hatch was opened and thick
volume Of smoke poured out. In spite OF
the smoke twenty bales Of cotton were
was 80 intense, however. that the captain
decided to attack the blaze from another
point Portions Of the saloon floor were
ripped up. holes were drilled through the
iron deck underneath and steam and water
were forced upon the burning cargo with the
full power OF the pumps. In spite
of this the fire had gained such an ascen-
dancy that at p. m. a sheet Of flame was
pouring out Of the hatchway. Steam and
hand pumps were throwing all the water
possible into this hatch, and finally the fire
was driven back sufficiently to enable the
men to clap on the hatch again.
Hardly had this been done before a tre-
mendous gale burst upon the vessel. She
was hove to, and throughout Friday night
all hands remained at their posts.
It was not until Saturday that the gale
blew itself out. In the meantime four life
boats, we'll supplied with food and water,
had been made ready to launch at mo-
ment's notice. After the storm Captain
Cameron steered for this port.
Two tugs and the steamers pumps flooded
was beached north Of Bay Ridge on the Long
Island shore, to keep her from sinking. The
fire had been drowned out, but the cargo was
ruined, and the vessel seriously damaged:
The Worsley Hall belongs to the Hall Line,
OF Liverpool. and registers 5000 tons. Cap
tain Cameron believes spontaneous combus-
ton caused the fire.