THE VOYAGE OF THE PIAKO.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 29, 1 February 1879, Page 4

THE VOYAGE OF THE PIAKO.

The following are tbe parliculcrs of the N.Z.S. Co's Pinko's disastrcu. voyage :•— The earlier part of .__•*•■ voyaje was uneventful, aod the ship rpa.p a splendil rnn, and on November 11 was in ahout 7° son*!* locgitu-'e 32 w<**st, or less th <n 200 milt a from Pernom bufco. At 10 45 am. cf that day, Caplhio Boyd (mr! just left the deck, and wa. in the cabin m-king an mi try io his official log, w«eo Mr Holbeck, the chief officer, camo to him and reported that srnc-fcf** was issuing through the lower fore hatch. Cnptiiu Byd at onco w-nt forward, nnl removing one of the hatc'.ffl, went b low. There was every sicn of fie, hot the 6raoke was not dense. Ho at onco ordered tbe firf-bpJ! to be rung. The fiosc was b-ou!_ht to play down the hatchw-iy r-VHr thn eoii«, while a full force waa put on lo brenk rut cargo, fin*, find out where thf* fire was. Witbin six rainut-s from tha G*st report of the fire Captain Boyd distincily saw a flame »hoot 20 .tet abaft the .oremos. tier of cargo. At once the hose was brought JO play on it, and«r lhe direction of the eecond officer, Mr Hezlewood. The captain th-*n on deck to get the carpeuttr to cot a hole in tbe 'tween decks over the flame. He wes not absent two miou es, but en his return huge volumes of black, sulphurous smoke were running op the hatchwey, aod the men were running op on deck to save .heir lives. Captain Boyd then at once closed down tbe batches, and covered everything with wet blankets. He tried then io get through by tbe married poople'e compartment, but he and his volunteers were driven back almost stifled. AU the hatches were then close I, and also the scuppers, nnd the master had the main deck flooded, the two engines playing down the fore baicb, and holes cut in tbe upper deck, the donkey engine playing down the air shaft. Captain Boyd at thia time altered the ship's course to mako Pernambucco. Iq a comparatively short time the combings of tha hatches becamo so hot that tb»y could not be touched. Meanwhile the bents were got out alongside, nnd some stores put in, but even from the after storeroom the hands were driven back by the fire, anJ that had to bo battened down too. About 2 p.m., most providentially, a barque wus sighted on tho weather-bow, and Captain Boyd made sigrals of distress, and bore up to her. The vessel proved to b»the Loch Doon, bound from San Francisco to Cork. At 3 p.m. Captain Boyd commenced the transhipment of me passenger., which was happily BC - compluhedin two hours without the slightest accident. Of course, now that atl danger ot the sacrifice of human life was passed, Captain Boyd's chief anxu-ty was over; but having done bis duty by tbe passengers, he was loth to neglect the further heavy interests confided to him, and he determined not to abandon his ship and cargo, if bis crew would stick by bim. He told them he intended if possible to take the ship into port, and every m.n on hoard ■aid that he would (.nd di •) stick to the ship, and right manfully ihey worked, never leaving the pumps til! 4 p.m. of the 13th, when the ship reached Pernamouco roalste.d, the Loch Doon following her, and reaching there v few hours afterwards. The origin of the fire bad not then been ascertained. Every regulation had heen carefully observed, an J the captain is certain that no one could have got down below. Immeiiately on his arrival at n e o n I? b «? C °' Caplai ° Boyd wailfld 00 H.B M. Conso), aud conferred with hira and the President of the State, as to arrangements for the care and comfort of the emigrants. Everythinr possible was done to ameliorate Iheir unfortunate position. They were all landed on Cocoanut island (Hba De Moqueria), where a large house and outbuildings were available. The Consul was unwilling to supply clothing, but Captain Boyd at once ordered it for the emigrants at the company's eipenee, and also arranged for their being provisioned suitably, and at the date of the advices all were in excellent health and spirits and ruoafc comfortably housed. To revert to the ship, the fire was gaining rapidly and it was deemed necessary to scuttle her. She waa smoking and blazing at the moment when she was submerged. Late telegraphic advices have apprised the company of the raising of the ship, and the sailing again with her living freight on the 29th December, so she may be expected here about the 10th or 15th February. A perusal ot Captain Boyd's simple narrative of the accident leaves the impression that he acted with calm judgment, discretion, and energy under mest trying circumstances, and to the excellent support he received from his officers and crew is to be added the happy result. No lives have been lost, and though the cargo must be ail more or less damaged the ship has been saved.