Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-12-18
Cbe roSS Of the
"GarI of GIdoil."
IN THE cath of August I embarked

my native land on furlough. She was
one of the finest and strongest ships in
the trade, and any insurance might have
been had on the chances of her success
fully resisting the winds and waves.
She was laden with cotton. The num-
Der of individuals on board were 45, in
cluding three ladies and an infant and
the captain and his crew. 1t unfortu-
nutely happened that the cotton had
been brought on board in n damp state,
not being dried at the warehouse pre-
viously to being put on board, and it
seems not unlikely that the fire damp
may have been generated within, in the
same manner as in haystack when 1t
has been stacked damp.
On the Goth of September, after n
series of baffling winds and calms, and
heavy rain with squalls of wind, we got
into seven degrees 81 minutes south
latitude; and the trade wind appeared
to have fairly caught hold of our sails.
We began now to anticipate our arrival
Mt the Cape. On the morning of the
2Tth l rose early (about half past five)
and went on deck. l found one of my
fellow passengers there, and we per-
ceived q steam apparently arising from
the fore hatchways. mentioned ut the
time to H that thought it might
be caused by fire damp, and, if not i'm
1nediatcly checked, might become fire.
The captain came on deck, and asked
him what it was; he answered steam
and that it was common enough in cot
ton-loaded ships when the matches were
opened. l said nothing, but the smoke
becoming more dense and beginning to
assume n different color, 1 began to
think that all was not right, and also
that he had some idea of the kind, as
saw the carpenter cutting holes in the
deck just above the place whence the
smoke appeared to come.
I went down to dress, and about half
past six the captain knocked at my door
and told me that part of the cotton was
on fire, and he wished to see ull the gen
tlemen passengers on deck. We accord
ingly assembled, and he then stated the
case to be tl;is: That some part of the
cargo appeared to have spontaneously
ignited, and that he purposed removing
the bales until they should discover the
OntS anu IIdNC lIllO"h
overheard, as we'll as those which ap-
peared to be in the same damaged con-
dition; and that it being necessary, in
his opinion, to do this, he deemed it his
duty to lay the case before us. We of
course submitted everything to his
Judgment, and he ordered the hands to
breakfast as quickly as possible, and to
work to discover the source of the fire.
After breakfast he said there did not
appear to be any immediate danger.
However, about eight o'clock the
smoke became much thicker and began
to roll through the after hatchway,
the draught having been admitted for
ward in order to enable the men to
work. Several bales were removed, but
The heat began to be intolerable below,
and the smoke rolled out in suffocating
volumes; and before nine o'clock we dis
covered that part of the deck had caught
fire, which obliged the men to discon-
tinue their labors. The captain then
ordered the matches to be battened
down, with a view to keep the fire from
bursting out, and to hoist out all the
boats and stock them in case of ne
cessity. This was done, and about half
past one the three ladies, two sick pas
sensers, an infant and female servant
were put in the longboat, with 216 gal
Ions of water, 20 gallons of brandy and
biscuit for a months consumption, to-
gether with such pots of jam and pre-
served meats as we could get at, and the
days provision of fresh and salted meat.
-. IL.
matches were then opened and all hands
set to work to endeavor to extinguish
the fire. The main hatchway being
lifted and tarpaulin removed, there
was a sail underneath which was so
hot that the men could hardly remove
1t. When they did the heat and smoke
came up worse than ever, and it being
now known from inspection that the
fire was underneath that part, orders
were given to hoist out the uppermost
bales in order to get at those that were
burning underneath. But when the
men laid hold of the lashings to intro
duce a crane-hook they were found tc
have been burned through beneath ant
came away in their hands. The cast
now appeared bad indeed. However. We
cut bale open and tried to remove il
by handfuls, but the smoke and heat
became so overpowering that no maj
could stand over it, and water in tht
quantities we dared to use it only
seemed to increase it, for had the cap
tain ventured TO pump water into tn,
ship sufficient to extiuguish the fir,
the bales would have swelled SO mucl
as to burst open the deck.
Under these circumstances, perceiv
ing the case to be utterly hopeless. tn
captain colled us together on the pooI
and asked II anyone could propose an,
expedient likely to avail in extinguish
ing the fire and saving the ship. AS II
that case, said he, we will stick by he
while a hope remains. 1t was unani
mously agreed that all had been don
that could be done; the men had beer
most arduous In their exertions. bu
one and all seemed positively decided
that the case was hopeless. The hea