Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-20
SHIP ABLAzE At SEA
Steamer Stockholm City Gut
ted by Fire.
THE CAPTAINS STORY
He Tells OF His Thrilling Experience
Comes Into Port without Chart
or Compass. Damage
Reaches $4,000.

Without chart, compass or wheel the
British steamship Stockholm City, Cap
tain Richards, bound from Manchester
{: to : Newport News, steamed into this
harbor at 6 O'Clock last evening.
The vessel left Manchester on Christ
mas day and besides sncountering fierce
gales and rough seas, fire broke out in
her bunkeus, destroying the cabins.
saloon. bridge, wheelhouse and all the
woodwork in the middle of the vessel.
The Officers and crew of Thirty men
not only lost alb tigsir money, but
nearly every vcstege Of wearing APP
parre.l, anIt some of the, men old not
have enough clothing TO cover their
ybcslies that they might come ashore
'last night.
Probably no crSw ever had a more
thrilling experience. Two days and
nights death staryd them in the face
and they We're compelled to sbift about
the hlrEins steamer in order TO keep
from being roasted alive but the sea-
men fought The flames like Trejans and
Finally succeeded in eNtinsuishing the
fire. When seen last night by a repor-
ter FOR the Daily Press Captain Richard
: was ciai in rags. with his face ani
hanG.s burnt brown.
Fer three days l have bad no sleep
and nothing to eat" said the master of
( 'AnS diu all dlIIISSl feiAS
to collapse. My crew have no clothes.
no money. no anything.
We left Manchester on Christmas
day for this port. On the foenwng day
we encountered heavy seas uad hurri-
cane winds. The slip was light, as we
Were in ballast, and she tossed Over the
iplllowly' waves like cork. AT times
the sea was SO rough we could not steer
at all. ami hence w We're Delayed.
The first good weather we@had was-
HAST week and ell went well till last
Sunday night at II O'Clock, when fire
broke out in the coal bunks;s For a
WHITE tlsatlames ragged fierceiy, bus aftsT
three 5Ss55of hard work the fire was
extis @Ited. At 5 O'Clock Monday
ms ing the fire broke out again,
- SadIng TO the cabins and d stroying
- wye woodwork amidship. Every man
prtlaad was put to work and We
l bait fire for cu, lives, for it locked as
s$ss-Sa 3, - were doomed to fiery furnace.
Sa.se did not get the fir under contro,
Til: earivs8s-siS morning.
II fas.|alI OF my steering gear. This
wheel hsause wes destroyed and had
5 ta steer by hand. c7omiEe; $50 miles with
out chart or compass Fortunately
guessed the 1atitu'!N- correctly. first go-
s ing south ON a parallel ard then trus
west It'll last night. Then was guiG'ld
by the North Star, reaching Cape Henry
this morning.
I'VE has some narrow es2ones. Whs,
the fire br,,k. out the second time Chief
Engineer Wears WIS asleep in HIS cabin
i and he narrawiyn escaped in iG:s night
c!-,thes. All of his personal effects were
burned. He lost about $1,000 in monrS
and clothes. Other losses sustained by
nlyslaf and crew viii reach 81 900. Even
our provisi.r-s We're burne+i and for the
last thnesGays we inve lived en- :. scan
ty supply of pork and potatoes. All OF
the ships papers We're destroyed"
The vessel has rot been surveyed. but
it is esitinated that tN@ damage will
reach S:0,DG0.
Furness, Witty & Co, ard she
cargo. West ,Hartelpool Is tn steamers
honfe port. Her gross tonnage is 1859
The fire on the Stockholm City, it Is
thnGgSt, originated from spontaneous
combustion, the gaS%s from the coal ig-
hitting.
DR.. a. C. Jones. the quarantine officer,
was the first person TO board the Stock
holm City when STA arrived in the har-
'for. The ships papers having btSn des-
trayed by fire Calt:slin Richards could
fuJt produce health certificate. and the
: members of the crew Were subjected to
a. rigid examination.
Steward Joseph Richards. of the
Chesapeake e Ohio steamship Appomat-
I. toX, which is now in port, is a brother
of the ma ster of the Stockholm City.
Shortly after coming ashore Captain
Richards visited his brother, who sup
piled him with suit of clothes.
This is the first trip the Stockholm
3 City has made TO this part in the last
two years.