The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-06
SHIP BLEW UP AT SEA
BELLE OF BATH 4FIRE WITH 4
 CARGO OF OIL.
Crew Took to the Boats-vesseI Sprung n Leak First and Men Were Exhausted.

SESW LoOh LAc boNNh-NSSSoi oPkuhS
 Leak First and Men Were Exhausted.
 New York, July 5.-Seventeen ship wrecked sailors brought to port to-day a tale of battle with that most dread ed of all enemies at sea-flre. The men Prince Line steamship Sardinian Prince from South American ports and points in the West Indies. They embarked at Barbadoes, having been forwarded from there by the United States Consul. The men belonged to the American ship Belle of Bath, which was burned at sea on June IS, about 150 miles east ward of Barbadoes. Their trip was one which they are never likely to forget
 The Belle of Bath left this port on June ?, clearing for Hong Kong with a cargo of case oil. All went well until July 9, when the first weeks journey was at an end. The ship was sailing along in fairly good weather when sud- N~AA'S HAiS Hti uAits o iSeih'
 Capt. Curtis ordered all hands to the pumps promptly as the leak was found to be bad one. The water gained upon them steadily, and every moment it looked as If the vessel would go to the bottom. After twenty-four hours of incessant work the water was re- duced in the hold, but the leak could not be stopped, and the crew worked in relays for nine days pumping the water out. When the men were almost ex- hausted, on Friday afternoon, and some of them were on the verge of col lapse, the cry of "Firel' rang through the ship First Mate Cox detected lit- tie clouds of smoke coming from the forecastle, and quickly sounded the alarm. Capt. Curtis. who was below snatching a few minutes sleep, sprang on deck and ordered the matches bat tened down.
 In a few minutes clouds of smoke were issuing from the forecastle &C., companied by flames. The fire soon was shooting high in the air and famed by a breeze, was threatening the whole ship
 Capt. Curtis realized at once that his whole vessel was doomed, and that to endeavor to fight the fire would be use- ltss and dangerous. Boats were hastily provisioned. The order was given by the captain to lower them at once. With marvellous rapidity the flames spread all over the ship and the men were forced to make haste to get into the boats.
 The boats dropped away to leeward. and the men were put to the oars and rowed away to a safe distance. By this time the ship was a blazing fur mace. The flames had reached the oil and burst from every part of the ves- sell
 When the flames had eaten their way into the hold a tremendous explo- sion was heard. The decks of the ship flew up the sides burst. and a great body of smoke and flame filled the afr
 It took perhaps half an hour to finish the work. When the smoke died away the men in the yawl could see that the Belle of Bath had been burned to the waters edge.
 The fire occurred in lat 1029. long 1885, which Capt. Curtis made out to be 150 miles from land. A strong gale was blowing at the time. heavy sea was running and with every sweep of the oars the little lifeboat was in dan ger of being swamped. Under light canvas 120 miles was made. and after twenty-foIir hours struggling in the rough waters, land was sighted It was early Sunday morning. and the crew of- fered up prayer for their lucky es- cape.
 A newspaper clipping from Barba- does paper concerning the fire was shown to the reporter. It said that Capt Curtis, when questioned about the origin of the fire. declared that the crew had set fire to the vessel in order to escape duty at the pumps. Mate Cox indignantly denies this, saying that the cause of the fire still remains a mystery.
 Capt Curtis remained at Barbadoes to settle some business with the United States consul He will sail on the steamship Sobralenz for New York.