THE BURNING OF H.M.S.S. BOMBAY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 249, 7 April 1865, Page 3

THE BURNING OF H.M.S.S. BOMBAY.

The following (says the Scotsman) are extracts from a priivate letter written immediately after a conversation with Lieutenant Stirling, who brought home Admiral Elliott’s despatch : “ The Bombay left Monte "Video on the morning of the 14th December for target practice. She went about fourteen miles away, when a man handing shells in the shell-room perceived a little jet of steam coming up from the after hold, and immediately gave the alarm. This was between two and 1 three o’clock. The pumps were instantly set to work, and all "worked well. But the men were suffocated, and could hardly remain to work them, and the fire conld not be kept under.' Oh one side of the fire was the spirit-room, on the other the magazine. The spirit-room took fire, the casks burst, and the spirit* ran alLorer. the

ship, which became one mass of flame. The order was given to. lower the boats and escape. Some boats could not be loweredfrom the tackle being on fire. However, most of them were got out, hut- had to be kept a good distance from the ship on account of the fire. Therefore ail had to jump in and swim off from the ship to reach the boats. Ail the officers could swim more or less; many of the men could not, which accounts for the great loss of life among them. Mr Stirling says he swims himself very badly, and was an hour and a half in the water before he could be picked up. Many of the men clinging to bits of the snip were killed too, he believes, by the cables falling away red-bot among them, and by the melted lead, of which there seems to have been a great deal in the bowsprit. This melted lead pouring down on them made them loosen their hold of whatever they were holding by, and go down. The great anchors, too, when their ropes were burned, fell and crushed them. The mainmast went over at a quarter to four, only three-quarters of an hour after the first alarm of fire. By five o’clock, I think, the crew were all either lost or saved. The magazine blew up about seven o’clock, and the ship went .down, leaving not a vestige behind. Not an article of any sort was saved but the clothes in which the officers and crew jumped into the sea, and most of them had thrown off jackets, &c., to jump in and swim. The behaviour of the men was perfect all through. The origin of the fire is quite unaccounted for. The regulations about fire, matches, &c., were very strict; no petroleum or inflammable oils were used on board. The after-hold contained biscuits, salt pork, &c., but nothing of a more dangerous character. The Bombay was i • time the fire was discovered. Had she been steaming there would have been a much better chance, by turning on the engines, and getting the fire under. The weather was happily very fine, and the boats could therefore be reached and filled in a way that would have been impossible .in less good weather, such as they had almost invariably up to that time. The Bombay was too far away from Monte Video for the fire to be early discovered there; but I think about five o’clock it was telegraphed by the Stromboli to Admiral Elliot, who went off in her towards the scene, fl e arrived in time to see her blow up. They got back to Monte Video about 10 o’clock at night. Admiral Elliot had time only to write a „ hurried despatch. I imagine we shall have no Letters. The French mail went off earfy next morning—Mr Stirling in her. He says Admiral Elliot was well, but mudh cut up by the loss of the ship. Poor Capt. Campbell, too, was well, and it seems as if no blame attached to him.” A private letter, received at Plymouth from an officer at Kio Janeiro, gives a few further particulars of the loss of the Bombap. At 3.30 p.m., one watch was piped to quarters to exercise in firing. On the man whose duty it was to hand up shell going below he discovered the fire. The fire-bell was immediately rung, and pumps rigged and played on the fire, but the flames burst up the hatchways, and in a few minutes all communication between quarter-deck and forecastle was effectually stopped. The order was then given to out all boats, and in eight minutes there were in the water, with the exception of the launch, and when that boat, was being lifted, the flames coming up the after hatch burnt the stays, aud she came down by the run. The greatest order, coolness, and intrepidity were displayed by all, Mr Watts, the. master, taking time *f every occurrence with watch and note-book in hand. The mainmast soon went over the side. The order was then given to all to look out for themselves. They immediately jumped overboard, and swam to the boats lying off, those who could not swim holding on by ropes ; some fell and were drowned. Orders had been given for no boats to go near the burning ship, but the jolly-boat, manned by volunteers, pulled in three or four times, and brought away every one they could see. At seven p.m. the ship blew up, not a particle of her remaining. The boats arrived at Monte Video at eleven p.m. Dr Smallhorn, Mr Franklin, boatswain, and about t)0 men, are lost. The admiral, secretary, flag secretary, and clerks, were all at Monte Video.