The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-10

The following reports OF the IRE in
the hold of the America Maru are those
teIegraphed to the Japanese Govern
ment at Tokyo. and presumably should
be correct:
TOKYO. Sept 16.-Fire having bro
ken out in the bunkers OF the +. *. Is.
steamer America Maru. which left Yo-
kohama on the 10th inst. for San
Francisco. the steamer put back to
Yokohama and arrived there yester-
day evening. Ii is stated that on the
morning of the 18th inst, when about
$50 knots from Yokohama. smoke was
seen rising from the No. hold. Upon
examination it was found that fire had
broken out. The mails were immedi-
ately taken out the matches were
tightly closed and steam was sent into
the hold to extinguish the fire. II was,
however, considered dangerous 20 con-
tinue the voyage. and IL was decided
to put back to Yokohama. The fire
was at first not made known 10 the
passengers. for fear of a panic. The
passengers carried were 40 first and
second class, in addition to 323 emf
grants for Hawaii in the steerage. IL
is alleged that prior to the departure
of the steamer from \ Yokohama IL was
already known that the coal at the
bottom of the bunkers was on fire. At
tention was called to the fact by the
Harbor Masters Office, but the captain
replied that there was no danger and
the vessel accordingly left. The fire
was discovered on tue fourth day after
leaving port. On the re-arrival OF the
vessel at Yokohama, the harbor master
ordered her to stay outside the break
until tho fnSnaCtnr had haan
dispatched from the Marine Office. The
passengers have been landed, and
Lloyd's surveyor. in conjunction with
the employees, are examining the
steamer this morning. An agitation is
being organized to- prosecute the cap
tain for wilfully endangering the lives
of the passengers and the crew. as he
got under way knowing that the
steamer was already on fire.
TOKYO. Sept. 17.-Lloyd's surveyor
examined the America Maru yesterday
and found that the fire was still burn
ing in No. hold. which was again
closed. Ii was decided to discharge
the wet coal from which the gas broke
out and the vessel was allowed to- en-
| ter inside the breakwater. the dis
| charging of the coal being completed
at IL a. m. yesterday. Ii was un-
| hnOWn yesterday diteiuooH Wuttuta
| the fire in the hold was out or not. -
The cargo in the No. . hold was gen
| eral goods and rice and sake for Ha-
wall The 323 emigrants for Hawaii
still remain on board and may be sent
on by another steamer. III the damage
| to the America Maru is not serious
however, il is arranged that they
shall be sent on by the same steamer
| Later.-The passengers by the
America Maru were mostly landed yes
terday afternoon. and il has been ar
ranged that 143 of the emigrants en-
gagged by the Morioka and KumamotC
Emigration Companies shall be SEN
by the City of Picking, which leave:
Yokohama on the 10Th inst. Many o
the passengers are also going on othel
steamers. The passengers by tn
America Maru have demanded from
the Togo Kisen Kaisha payment OF ex
penses for detention at Yokohama an'
other damage. The company recog
} nizeS the obligation and has agreed {,
pay adequate compensation.
\ Yokohama paper says: We lear
as we are going TO press that tn
America Maru has been examined b.
officials from the Communications De
partment in conjunction with Lloyd
surveyors for this port, and that the
found the ship practically free fror
injury. Five hundred yen will cove
all the damage. The fire was confine
to the coal. These facts have bee
telegraphed TO the insurance offices 1
London. and il is expected that tn
ship will leave for San Francisco O
| the 26th inst"