The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-09
FIRE AFTER SEA COLLISION.
/iHBESIS FIRENEN fPOTS0NED
~ PHOSPHOROI FUMES.
Boat Had Just Scraped Tier Forefoet on
Against submerged Dcrellct Wien
Fire Was Discovered In the Cotton
Forward Nobody Died OF II but ihetat

Fire was Discovered In the Cotton
Forward Nobody Died OF II but thetat
With the ancient wireless telegraphy OF
bunting the new. trim British freight steam
ship Zambesi announced to lhe tfansat ors
of sea short hand at the Hook as she psfsed
in Yesterday morning. that she had been IN
collision with derel!ct and that the cargo
in her bold was ahre. That summary Of her
woes prompted the ship news men 10 hustle
FOR tug and board the luckless freightcr
when she came up the bay and anchored
on Liberty Island
1t was a weary but happy ships COM
pany that old the msadyentures OF the
[ Zambesi Capt Edward Rooney. one OF
| few Gets who command English vessels,
/ was III in his berth hut not 90 III 10 gpin the
/ yarn, the first he has had occasion TO tell
( in forty years sea rowing. There was moth
! ing except slight aarboard lis' and DIP
by the head that indicated anything tho
matter with the ship Her decks were
spotless and her drab sides, save for few
scratches looked as If she had Just come out
Of dry dock. But there was fire still smoul-
derng in her fore hold and a gap, invisible,
below the water line and OF unknown di-
mansions Just abaft her stem
The zambesi sailed from Savannah on
Jan. with a cargo consisting OF 27c0 tons
OF phosphate rock. $50 bales Of cotton and
500 tons of cotton meal. She ran into foul
weather on the third day out, last Thursday.
and, though laden to her Plimsoll hne. and
drawing % feet. she rolled heavily
The ship was about 800 niles east Of
Hatteras about eo'clock that night, when
Capt Rooney who was on the bridge. was
thrown against the rail by a tremendous
jnr 1t seemed as II the ship had smashed
into a rock Men on duty all over her were
hurled from their feet and her steel frames
ouivered. The lookout on the forecaBtle
head had seen nothing in the darkness Ike
"A ship. but at the moment Of impact he had
peered below and seen the outline OF the
hull OF a capsized derelict
After a temporary check the Zambesi
gathered way again and the derelct swished
hy her s,arboard side. The skipper saw
the huh plainly enough as he leaned over the
starboard rail Of the bridge, to guess that II
was about $50 feet long and that it was
floating on buoyant cargo Of lumber He
had already signaled 10 the engine room |
10 stop the ship and she was nearly at a
standstill when he made his observation
The skipper and the engineer after I
finding that there we're fourteen feet Of
water in the forepeak, decided 10 shape ]
a course for this port for repairs The !
sea was still tumultuouS. Al II O'Clock /
on Friday morning while the ship was |
heading this vav sailor reported that 4
the forward deck over hold No was 50 4
hot that 1t converted the spcay of the I
tumbhng seas into steam. The veutilators
of the fore hold we're opened. They belched /
smoke They were closed instantly, and
the engineer turned live steam into the
compartment in which cotton and phos-
phate are slowed The gale had increased
and the skipper was fearful that the racket
ing the ship was getting might open her
wounds forward.
Five fremen and three sailors who were
asleep in the fremens forecastle. which is
directly over the place whore the cotton
was burning were needed for immediate
duty The skipper was going to put on
all steam and make race for port, not
knowing whether the fire might gain
Roadway and the rent in the ships fore
foot spread
The man who went to the hremen's fore
castle to rouse the sleepers was driven
from the door by suhocaung fumes.
He reported the plight Of his shipmates
to the skipper and all hands were ordered
forward to rescue the seven men They
were dragged out one by one to the open
deck Every man was unconscious. They
were carried to the captains cabin. the
ship mrching and taking aboard many sea
crcsts meanwhile. Soma Of the men went
into convilsons while The Skipper was
trying 10 get the fumes. due 10 the effect
Of the fire on the phosphate rock out OF
their lungs and stomaohs. lie give them
mustard and warm water "a an emetic
and thoy finally came around, after much
suffering. but were unable 10 60 ia work
again
Al the engineers and sailors were set to
shoyelling coal and the frTiRhtsr bucked
the opposing seas like Russian ICE
breaker It was glad moment when the
skipper found himself inside the Hook in
auiescent wRter. He had been three
nights without steep and was shaken Bit
by the strain on hie nerves. as was every
other member Of the ships company eE-
,ept the cabin boy. who, when he posed
Tor his picture folded bis arms and looked
"a impressive and fearless as pirate in
comic opera
In the hustle TO save the seven lives in
he foracastle nins other lives were for
gotten They belonged TO the ships cat
md every one Of them was snsfied out
She was buried in the fiercest sea that the =
hip had on her short voyage The gale
hifted and heaped up seas on the port
luarter. one OF which lifted lifeboat from
ts checks and hurled 1t against two ventila- !
ors, carrying them away
Capt Rooney said last evening that he /,
bought that the FIRE in the cargo would
e practically out before this morning, J
md that he would then await the orrers
II his agents. Punch Fdye & Co. 20 /.
20 into dry dock. He said he could not I,
,uess the extent OF the damage under water ,
cut that ne thought there was pretty big {
lole.