Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY, 28TH MARCH, 1867. BURNING OF THE MONTMORENCY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 465, 28 March 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY.

THURSDAY, 28TH MARCH, 1867. BURNING OF THE MONTMORENCY.

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"Wjci.k busily engaged daring the past nmht preparing lor the issue of this in-.rtii'w's i'i;er we were suddenly iiiteniptcd by an alarm of tire, and on proceeding to the b?ac!i we discovered ti.at the goud slr.p McTitunnvucy, but so irtvntiy arrived from England as to have beau c!»u>i..s! < ,;l in our last issue, was oa lire between her main and torc-masis. lire flames were rushing up thi'iiig'i her forward hatchway to tt'.o height of 1 > or 10 feet, without at that time u lucath of air to divert them to tho light or left. This occurred about 1 u.tu., and was, as it alteiwvarda appeared, hut shortly after the tire itself was discovered on board ■ —so rapid was the progress of the devouring clement when once it made iis appearance. No person seems to have been abroad on the Spit, at the time of the discovery cl the fire, for rockets were seat aloft, end blue light signals burnt, with the view of calling

intention oa shore, but to no purpose, lor not uut.ii the vessel was iu actual Haines was it seen or known to be on lire ; even then it was first seen from the Tarrack-hiil, and the news was then brought. down by a horseman—who redo LiiJdy to the .Spit to arouse t';e folk, and send help that might be nee .ii-il to the sailors known to be still o.i board. It v, as known that at least cue of the ship’s boats was on shore, and the captain also (we believe this h irg the hr?;, night lie bad been away fiom the vessel since her arrival): ana it was not known how much help might be needed by the first officer and those left in charge. The cry of lire speedily aroused the captain of the

ill-file.l vessel, and we may say the whole of the inhabitants on the Spit. Several boats put off as quickly as possible, and great numbers of people assembled ou the beach, to watch tlu progress of i lie flames, and anxiously await iho return of the first boat with pews, Jby the aid of a powerful glass!

we were enabled from time to time to observe the work of destruction. The llames, as we have said, were at first confined to mid-ships, between the main and fore masts. As might be: expected, the rigging and masts soon -UitguL mc , ixi3i * iit 0 hi it 11! - mi;—. and afterwards the mizen, the flames being driven aft by a breeze that then .-prang up—producing a striking spectacle, especially when the sails (being burnt through) suddenly unfurled, and scattered showers of burning fragments, which, blowing aft, fell into the sea like a golden rain. At halfpast 2, the mizen-mast being burnt through at the foot, and the main-mast at the main-top, both gave way at the same instant, the former falling clean over the stern into the sea, and the maintop head downwards to the deck — j forming with the yard and the stand--1 ing main-mast a representation of the ! Roman letter A—being retained in j this position by the standing rigging, ! which was of wire, and therefore not | easily destroyed, even by flames such as j those which were by this time raging j from stem to stern. Soon after this, !(at about 2’45 a.m.), a boat was seen |in the offing, making for shore, and ’speedily the welcome news was told, and received amidst loud cheers, —that all hands were saved.

From enquries made at this time and since, we have been able to gather, that at about midnight the watch discovered smoke coming up the fore hatchway, and immediately alarmed ihe first officer and the remainder of the crew ; that every practicable measure was taken to extinguish, or stay the progress of the fire, but in vain, for being overcome by the effect of the suffocating vapors, they were at length compelled to desist, and fasten down the Latches. The fire, however, bad i grown too strong to be so kept under,! and the bursting forth of the flames with uncontrollable fury, warned the seamen of the necessity for getting out the boats as the only means of saving their lives. They took to the boats at about 1.30 a.m., but remained in proximity to the burning ship until she had become an entire wreck- At 4 a.m. the foremast, being burnt off the foot, fell backward on the deck, and in its fall bringing down the remainder of the stump of the mainmast. Nothing now remains of the ship that 1 but yesterday looked so fair, and that had done her duty so far and so w'ell, but a flaming hull, with some remnant of the bowsprit. At daylight she had burnt nearly to the water’s edge. In addition to a very valuable cargo for this port, none of which had been landed, and all of which is destroyed, a large amount of valuable property is lost by the passengers, who, of course,' are totally deprived of their properties,: we have one particular instance where* title deeds, plate, and heirlooms of generations past are, by this sad mishap,, totally and irrecoverably lost, and we have been informed that Captain MTvenzie, who by bis affability and gentlemanly conduct during the voyage endeared himself to all, has lost all his earthly goods, which were in Tis cabin, and uninsured.