Year: 1870

The United States Mail steamer "GenernI


Lytle' on Fire, bur Saved by n Patent SEX


tinguisher.o


The Cincinnati Gazette of the 25th says:-


Instead of having to chronicle the destruction
of one of the finest of the three splendid steam
ers OF the Louisville Mail line, and of recounting
the horrible scenes and loss of life by fire and
water that generally accompany such dis
aster, it is our pleasing duty to write of her
deliverance and rescue from such an end by
the fortunate circumstances that through the
liberality of the President and owners, she was
some four months ago, supplied with portable
fire eXtingnishers, one of which, on Friday
evening last, was the sole means of saving this
vessel.


The Lytle left her wharf at Louisville at the
regular hour on Friday evening last, April %,
under the command of Captain David Whitten
There was, as usual, large number of passen-
gers on board, including many ladies and chill
dren, besides her regular quantity of freight.
The vessel had proceeded about thirty miles on
her trip to this city, when at about o'clock
p. M, the chief pilot, Charles Dittman, who was
steering at the time, discovered smoke issuing
from the deck convenient to the larboard smoke
stack Quick as thought he transferred his duty
to his assistant, Mr.. M. G. Brehanny who is a
registered pilot, and who was sitting at his side
and repairing to the spot he discovered the
steamer to be on fire. He rushed below only in
time to see the flames and smoke smultane eously
break out through one of the state-rooms. The
alarm flew over the ship, and promptly all hands
were at their posts, and buckets of water, which
were all ready filled, and standing within few
feet of the blazing woodwork, were quickly
emptied upon it, but seemingly with no effect.
The captain Immediately rushed to the pilot
Mr.. Brehanny, and ordered him to run the
steamer on shore.


None hut those who have been on board a
steamer when the alarm of fire goes round can
form any idea of the wild excitement and alarm
that prevail. Deeds are done quickly and
sharp: and men at such time, when minute
becomes, as it were, an hour, have an opportu-
nf CHI uytrrr fhn nlr
what is known as presence of mind. While the
fames were bursting forth and DESTROYING the
beautiful, gilded ceiling and cornices of the
grand saloon, the steward of the.vessel, Jacob
Light, appears on the scene with red cylindri-
cal vessel on his back, which was marked "Uni-
versal Fire Extinguisher," and which had laid
on its shelf in an obscure for the last four
months, regarded by many, no doubt as an en-
trely superfuous article of furniture; but now,
when least expected, the moment of danger had
come when its powcrwas to be relied upen The
faucet was turned, while the point of the little
hose was aimed at the unsparing element.


The white expanding acid stream few out and
Instantly every spot it touched stopped blazing
and only smoked. All eyes saw that the ship
was saved. The order to run the fine vessel
ashore was countermanded and she again re-
sumed her course. The fierce flames could
make no headway in the face of that tiny
stream sent forth from the little scientific
prodigy. In less than a minute the fire was
completely extinguished. The whole occurrence
probably did not occupy more time than it takes
to read the narration of it. The chief pilot,
Charles Dittman, says:-'"The boat could not
possibly have been saved by any other means at
hand" 1t was a moment of triumph for the
little Portable Fire Extinguisher for dozens of
buckets of water had been thrown on the flames
without subduing them in the least. There
were four of the extinguishers on board, each
situated in different part of the vessel. The
other three were rapidly brought to the scene of
the fire, but they were not needed, and were
returned to their places without having been
used.