New-York tribune., 1902-01-14
OIL DESTROYS AND SAVES.
BURNING. 1T DRIVES MEN FROM SHIP
SCATTERED. 1T MAKES CALM
PATH TO RESCUE.

Three men. Captain F. G. Parker. of Bucks
port. Ne: mis- second mate. Edward s. Harding,
and the steward, all of the fourmasted schooner
James w Fitch, 1,065 tons which burned
IN longitude 2s and north latitude q on Decem-
Der IL. arrived here yesterday on the steamer
Ponce. from San Juan. They told story of ad-
venture that would make good foundation for
a rnelodrama. With their vessel and its cargo
of eleven thousand ten-gallon Of kerosene.
ffty-seven thousand feet of green lumber and
four thousand shocks and fittings afiame from
stem TO stern, and the seas towering in fash
ion that threatened destruction to any small
boat that might be launched, by means OF the
use Of oil and the opportune arrival of Ger
man bark, the Hedvg the entire crew was prov
i6entially saved.
The schooner sailed from this port said
Captain Parker yesterday. on Thanksgiving
Day for Rosario, Argentine Republic On De-
cember - the vessel left the variable winds
OF the Temperate Zone for the trades of the
tropics. and ran into an electric disturbance
For three days severe thunder storms were en-
countered The lightning the thunder, the rain
and the wind made the sea for those three DAYS
wild and awesome spectacle. At II o'clock on
December Is q few welcome rays of sunshine
struggled through the clouds But the clouds
quickly closed over this sight Hardly had the
cheering sunshine disappeared when the en-
HirRer OF the donkey engine AoI NdlO anu Inv
steward came running aft. They said that
smoke was coming uP around the fore and main
Inasts
f'I ordered a hole cut in the galley. The flames
17sred m and II could he seen that there was a
tremendous fire raging below IN ten illnuLes t5
we had a stream from the pump on II, put TINS
seemed only TO ggraNate the fire. The gale was
blowing so fercely that no small boat couid
have lived in it. hut the long boat and the gig
were swung astern l remembered that / had
seen two vessels about twenty miles aStern, ana
wore ship. thinking TO meet one OF them AT l
o,cloct we sighted the bark Hedvig. Those on
the HedYig that we were ahre, ana sloou
bv We had already begun TO put some pro
visions ;nto our boats, but, feeling certain now
that we should be saved. we took them OUT ana
plt into each boat a can of fsh oil iad II not
heen for that oil should never nave peeIi
saved Before we got into the boats we heard tNo
.asplosions below The decks, Whlch haSleneo ouI
6@parture If II had not been Tor the iutnptl
the decks would probably have been oloMn up
7 expeCted more The fire burned the halliaros;
and the calls slid down the masts, to be burned
as thew fell ] VAS the last man 70 leave !le
vessel I tried to find Gypsy, the CUBAN cog pc
fore I left the schooner but could not HhQ hei'
In the confusion she probably got lost. was
able TO bring away my chronometer. Out not ihS
sextant. ,-...,. 49,, .rrao 4
"As we roved away from the Fltch we spread
81, on -ba water and in the trail of it we man
era6 +o roach the Hedvig. Those on the Hedvig
also put over some oil when we got near her.
T., + l,,ur II took US to get to the vessel tWelVe
instinct showers fell. Our boats were ilo'Sled
aboard. and when we were off Ponce Or l.le
Hedvig was bound fo- Pensacola, we GOT mt
them and rowad into port the HedVig continuing
on her way All the crew got work theIe' eA-
rept those who came here