The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-16
HOTEL AND CORRIDOR.


he is on his way to Liverpool, having
reached San Francisco a couple of
days ago. Captain Hughes was master
| of the handsome British bark Repub-
lie, which was fired on Sunday, April
Is, by the dangerous Australian coal
when 800 miles from shore in the Pa
cific. All the papers had dispatches
of the affair in brief. but local people
may have the benefit of the story from
the captains own lips, as recited to
the Corridor man yesterday afternoon.
The bronzed but dapper little Welsh
man began:
Yes, we had a tough fight. We
fought the fire for six DAYS and never
abandoned the ship until our lives
were IN jeopardy by remaining. My
snip, the four-masted bark Republic,
of Liverpool left Newcastle, N. S. W..
January %, with 6. cargo of $40 tons
OF what is known as cooperative coal,
and a crew of thirty-two hands in all.
While we encountered very unfavor
able winds varying from easterly to
southeasterly and veering to north
easterly, we had fine weather through
out the voyage, which was absolutely
without incident until April TO- Early
on the morning of that date tiny
column of smoke leaked out of the
forehatch, and upon investigation l
found that the temperature in the ven
tilating pipes had risen from 81 to 6S
degrees
The forehatch was opened, and so
little smoke escaped that / felt no
cause for alarm, but at once took steps
to eXtinguiSh what was to all appear
ances an incipient fire. The pumps
were rugged and the men went to work
with will, but to our great surprise
the tons of water we poured into the
hold seemed to have no effect. How
ever, we kept working night and day
for the next five days, but meanwhile
the heat below kept increasing rapidly,
in spite of every eXertion to check the
flames.
lon April 10 the first indication that
the vessel was in imminent danger
came in the shape of rumblings in the
holds which eliminated at o'clock in
the evening TO a terrific explosion.
Matches L and were blown into the
sea, carrying with them a lot of loose
tackle, and the fire, which had evil
IDENTIFY been smouldering all this time,
broke out in earnest.
Il hoped after the escape of the pent
UP gas to do more effective work, but
the heat below increased to 120 de-
greeS and the water we kept pouring
into the hold turned to steam imme-
diately. By this time the decks were
getting pretty hot, and it was evident
that unless we got the upper hand of
the fire very soon, the ship was
doomed. The men redoubled their eff
forts that night, but without effect
and next morning to our unspeakable
relief we sighted the four-masted ship
HOLLYWOOD, bound for San Francisco
AS soon as possible l spoke her, sig
mailing that my cargo was on fire, and
asking her to keep us company in case
of accident. Captain Kidd responded
that he would do so, and the men, who
had become somewhat disheartened by
their long and fruitless struggle,
worked like Trojans all the day.
''On April II the smoke and heat
gradually increased and a series of
violent explosions ensued, shaking the
vessel from stem to stern and causing
the decks to lift in most alarming
manner.
after each explosion sheets of flame
and dense volumes OF smoke escaped
from the ventilatorS, but we kept at
work for twenty-four hours longer.
The fire still continued to gain on US,
however, and on the afternoon Of April
10, after an unusually Severe explo-
sion, L decided to abandon the ship.
Accordingly at 6:15 pm: sent the
crew in two lifeboats in charge of the
first and second mates, over to the
HOLLYWOOD, which lay to some two
miles south of our port bow.
After the men had all been safely
transferred my first mate returned for
me, and 1 reluctantly left the Repub
lie to her fate. Owing to the heavy
sea which was then running it was
impossible for the men to save their
effects, and all 1 succeeded in saving
were my ships papers. vsbo7 M
The HOLLYWOOD stood by my vessel
during the night, but next morning, as
the fore and mainmasts had gone by
the board and the entire vessel was
enveloped in smoke and flame,
Captain Kidd concluded that he
could be of no further assistance and
squared away on his course.
Il can never finish bestowing praise
upon Capt. Kidd for the kindness with
which he treated myself and crew in
our emergency, for he spared no pains
to insure our comfort, and did every
thing within his power to assist US
ever since we had the good fortune to
meet him.
THE Republic is not the only ship
which has been lost in this way, and
people are beginning to class-tllis Aus
tralian coal as a dangerous article
The captain is charmed, he says,
with our pretty little city"
Those registering at the Knutsford
yesterday were G. E. Lindberg, Mime
sofa; Henry G. We'll, New York; Mrs.
NJ. L. Graham, Chicago; J. E. Lander
and DR.. j. 7. Maclean, New York; c.
S. Wilcox and wife, and G. L. Deach,
Chicago; Mrs. c. A. Hill and Mrs. C.
A Watson, New York; S. E. milford,
Portland, James Bateman, jr., Phila-
delphia; r. L. Gurnie, Chicago; j. G.
Walker, Chicago; d. E. Petlis, Port
land; G. n. Castillo, New York, and J.
F. Webb, ST. Louis.
The Templeton arrivals ofEesterday
were: Mr.. c. A. Hill and wife, and
Mrs. c. A. Watson, New York; George
N. Nefft and wife, Kansas City; C. S.
Brooks, Boston; Mr.. and Mrs. w R.
Spinney, New York; F. H. Tichenor,
Manitou; w. V. Densnior and wife, San
Jose; j. P. Eumbach, New York, and
r. l.. -Duvall, Council Bluffs.
w. J. Mcconnell, Idaho; ]. c. Barch,
Nebraska, and DR.. Allen and wife are
stopping at the Cullen.
The Walker house caught j. W. Rey-
holds, Rochester; j. D. Mooney, Den
yer; E. H. Knapp, Lynn, and W. D.
Candland, Mt. Pleasant.
SONS OF HERMANN.
The German Schiller lodge No. of
Utah. Sons of Hermann, will give a
grand ball on Monday, May 49, at the