LOSS OF THE SHIP BLUE JACKET BY FIRE.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 179, 12 June 1869, Page 4

LOSS OF THE SHIP BLUE JACKET BY FIRE.

We are indebted to Mr. Hodson for a copy of the Examiner of the 9th instant, from ■which we extract the following : —We have intelligence through Melbourne of the total destruction by fire of the fine ship Blue Jacket, homeward bound from Lyttelton, with a valuable cargo of New Zealand produce, estimated at the value of £130,000 — a heavy loss for the underwriters, the whole being, we understand, fully insured. The intelligence of this sad disaster was brought by the ship Yorkshire, which spoke a vessel bound to Falmouth that had picked up one of the boats of the ill-fated ship seven days at sea, containing the captain, the whole of the passengers and six of the crew. By the account we give below, taken from the Argus, it will be seen that the fire was discovered after the vessel had rounded the Horn, and when she was 10° to the eastward, aud nearly 3° north of the Falkland Island. So rapidly did the fire spread, that the crew were soon compelled to abandon the ship, after a vain attempt to extinguish the flames. By the captain’s account, forwarded to Melbourne for publication, it appears the three boats endeavoured to steer N.W., thus heading towards the land; but the wind was adverse, and the cutter made but little way, while the lesser boats fell off to leeward. Fortunately the cutter was picked up by a vessel from the west coast of America to Falmouth, which was subsequently spoken by the Yorkshire, bound from London to Melbourne. Nothing is known of the two other boats, but unless picked up by an homeward-bound vessel, their chance of safety was very small, as when last seen they were 800 miles to the leeward of the land;—

“ The Blue Jacket left Lyttelton, New Zealand -on February 11, with a number of saloon and fore-cabin passengers, and for about four weeks .Bhe sped on her course without anything occuraiing to break the ordinary routine of the voyage. <©n March 9, however, when inlat. 50°26'5., and lon. 46°58' W., that direst of visitations at sea—fire—was discovered on board, and notwithstanding the intrepid efforts of captain, passengers, and crew, to subdue the conflagration, the gallant ship was utterly destroyed. All on board were speedily transferred to the boats, which had been to some extent provisioned and where some hurried preparations had been made in anticipation of the worst. The - passengers and crew were divided among the three boats ; the captain, chief officer, and all the passengers, together with six of the crew, being in the cutter ; while the remainder of the crew were in the life boats, which were in charge of the second and third officers. The boats kept in company for two, days, but afterwards got separated, and concerning the fate of the two life-boats, with the second and third officers, there is no record. The cutter however, was more fortunate, and after a period of seven days of anxiety and suffering, the castaways were picked up by the Hamburg barque Pyrmont, from Iquique, bound to Falmouth. Every attention which the limited resources of the barque could afford to so large and sudden increase to her compliment was freely given, and just as the fresh water on the barque was giving out they providentially fell in with the Blackwall liner Yorkshire, bound to this port. On ascertaining the state of matters on board the barque, Captain Anderson, with characteristic and praise-' worthy humanity, supplied the Pyrmont .with 6,000 gallons of fresh water and a large quantity of stores. In the good work of contributing to the necessities of the shipwrecked passengers and crew, Mrs. Andersen and the passengers on board the Yorkshire took a very active part, and all the sufferers—from the captain to the cabin toy—expressed themselves glowingly and most gratefully for the kindness manifested towards them. Two of the passengers of the Blue Jacket and one of the crew came on by the Yorkshire to Melbourne with the intention of returning to New Zealand. The fire is supposed to have originated amongst some damp wool. Captain White’s account of the loss of the Blue Jacket is fts • "Oh March 9, at half-past one p.m., in lat.

50° 26' S., and long. 46° 5S' W,, (wind W.N. W) smoke was observed issuing from the forehatch ; had the forehatch opened, and started both fireengines with crew and passengers. After pumping for some two hours aud a half we seemed to get the better of the fire, aud made an attempt to break out and put overboard the burnt bales, but could not succeed, the flames bursting out with greater fierceness. We again closed the hatch, and kept the engines going ; then had the first cutter got out, the two life-boats having been previously got ready, with water, provisions, &c., in them. We hoped to remain on board till morning, but such was not our lot. The men working the engines could not stand the great heat, and had to leave at ten p.m. The flames by this time had reached the topgallant forecastle, and rushed up the foresail and forestays. Before this we had got the ladies and all passengers on board the cutter. The fire still raged with unabated fury when we left at half-past ten p.m. The foremast went over the side about half-an-hour after we left the ship. The mast being made of iron, the fire rushed through the tube, making it red hot and burning all forward. The flames then rushed up the mainstays, setting everything on that mast on fire as rapidly as if by electricity almost. The ship was hove to on the starboard tack, drifting to the S.E. Soon after the mizeumast took tire, but both it and the mainmast held on until morning, when we saw no more of them, the fire still doing fearful destruction. Our boats, three in number, were lying close by at the time ; the crew being in the two life-boats, while Mr. Webber, the third officer, was in charge of the other. They both had strict orders to follow and keep company with the cutter. We kept company for two days, working our way to the westward, and burning rockets and lights all night. On Thursday morning, March 11, they came up as usual. Mr. Bell, the second officer, asked if I could take two seamen out of his boat, as she was leaking. I told him 1 could not, because at that time I had 37 people in the boat, but I requested him to stay by me. There was a heavy sea on at the time, and ha ran to leeward. After this, the third officer’s boat came up, and asked where Bell, the second officer, was. We told them not to run ahead, but to keep by us, and that the course was W.S.W. He also ran to leeward, and both the life-boats came together, running well free. We lost sight of them during the afternoon. Before sunset we ran down to see if anything could be seen of them ; a man was sent to the masthead, but he could not see them. We also sent up a rocket at 8 p.m., but there was no response, although they had rockets on board both boats. I have omitted to say 'hat each boat had a box of gold by way of ballast. I have seen nothing of the boats since. For five days out of the seven we were in the boats, strong westerly winds and gales prevailed, the sea running very high all the time we were in our frail barque. At half-past five, on the morning of March 16, in lat. 50° 65' S. and lon. 53° 61' W., a sail hove in sight, running down upon us. She proved to be the barque Pyrmont, of Hamburg, Captaiu Nieumayer, bound from Iquique to Falmouth for orders. The captain very kindly took us all on board, and gave us all the hospitality he possibly could under the circumstances. The same day we were picked up, and soon after we had beeu taken on board Mr. Farrington, the fourth mate, Mr. Ellis, a second-class passenger, and Thomas Apsey, the third steward, died from the exhaustion and exposure they had undergone It was a great miracle that more of us did not die, considering that for the seven days we were in the boat our allowance was two tablespoonfuls of water, and one of soup per day. I cannot speak too highly in praise of the captain of the Pyrmont, who gave us all his vessel possessed. On Sunday, the 28th, we fell in with the ship Garricks, of Wokington, the captain of which gave us all he could spare, together with a hearty welcome. By this time we had run short of water on the Pyrmont, but on April 1 we had the good luck to fall in with an old friend, Captain Anderson, of the ship Yorkshire, who gave us hearty cheer ; and Mrs. Anderson, I am proud to say, supplied us with lots of clothes.” The following are the names of the saloon and second-cabin passengers : Saloon—Mr. and Mrs. George Saxton, Mr. and Mrs. R. Douglass Campbell, Mr. C. M. Wakefield ; second-cabin —Miss Sheffield, Mrs. Carson and two children, Messrs T. Crampton, T. H. Lippitt and son, Antill, J. Ellis, George Williams, H, Milner, Mr and Mrs. G. Faulkner and three children, and Mr. Edmunds.

The manifest comprised chiefly wool and skins, including a quantity of flax, and 15 boxes gold bullion belonging to the Bank of New Zealand.