REWARD OF BRAVERY.

Evening Star, Issue 3822, 25 May 1875, Page 3

REWARD OF BRAVERY.

An interesting ceremony took place not very long since on board the Windsor Castle, steamship, in Messrs Wigram's graving dock. Poplar. It .was the presentation by the Board of Rewards to the captain and three officers of that ship, in recognition of their bravery when a fire broke out on board. The Windsor Castle called at Dartmouth on the 23rd October, on her outward voyage from London to the Cape of Good Hope. Two days afterwards she was in the Bay of Biscay, when, at nine o’clock on the Sunday morning, smoke was seen issuing from the fore compartments of the hold. Fire had broken out among some oiled cloth, which constituted part of the cargo, and attributed to spontaneous combustion. Preparations were made for filling the compartment with water; the donkey engine was set to work to accomplish this, and while the fire was thus drowned below, the flame that had seized the underside of the deck was extinguished by water directed upon it from hose. The crew to a man worked heartily and continuously for forty-eight hours. But to obtain more help the ship’s head was turned to the coast of Spain, and arriving at Corunna the same afternoon, assistance was obtained from the Ferrol dockyard. While one portion of the crew was busy about the fire, another made ready the boats for the escape of the passengers (of whom the vessel had a full complement), should the last resource become necessary! The luggage was got upon deck, and the six boats were partly lowered, so that a few minutes would have sufficed to have provisioned them and embarked the passengers. The water poured*into the hold extinguished mr e fire » and lowered the ship’s head Bft or 10ft. Then when all danger appeared to be past, the sluices were opened, the water expelled, and the captain resolved to return to London. Arrived in the Thames, the damaged cargo was discharged, and the vessel resumed her journey to the Cape, whence she had just returned. Her owners, Messrs Donald, Currie, and Co., were supported by the passengers in the opinion that the preservation of the ship from a terrible calamity was due to the wisdom and the good government of Captain Hawson, seconded|by the .intrepidity and coolness of his officers and crew. One of them the carpenter Mackie, was lowered through the smoke to cut a hole, and, although drawn up more than once insensible, he returned to the task until it was accomplished, The presentation was made by Mr Thomas Gray, the Assistant-Secretary to the Board of Trade, who said it was unfortunately his very unpleasant duty sometimes to have to cancel the certificates of masters, mates, and engineers, and generally to make himself and his department offensive to shipowners, &c. Besides that interference, his department had also to reward merit, which was an extremely good thin?. What a contrast this occurrence presented to the wrecks of the Northfleet, the Cospatrick, and the La Plata. In the Windsor Castle everything necessary was done because the captain and officers were coolbeaded men—in the other ships confusion reigned from the first. To Captain Howson he had the pleasure to present a gold watch anchor and chain, of the value of LSO: to Mi Christie, the chief officer, he presented a pold watch and chain, of the value of L4O. His reward was only less than the captain’s becausejit was a principle with the Board that the captain was first in every way. To Mr Peter Morrison, the chief engineer, he presented a silver watch and chain, worth L3O. To Mr William Mackie, the carpenter, the Board awarded a silver watch and chain, worth L 25. It was als% stated that the imderTSli? 1 ’ 8 a S reed with the owners to present LSOO to the officers and crew of the Windsor Castle, of which LIOO would be given to the captain.

SHIPPING TELEGEAM.

Auckland, May 25.— Arrived: Emily M'Laren, from London. She brings no passengers. Nelson, May 25.—2.20 p.m.; The s.s. Maori sailed at noon for Wellington,