A COAL-LADEN SHIP BURNT AT SEA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5276, 21 February 1878, Page 3

A COAL-LADEN SHIP BURNT AT SEA.

(From the Marine Engineering News.) Advices have lately reached. Liverpool from Captain H. H. Williams, reporting the burning of the British wooden barque Flora, while on a voyage from Glasgow for Bombay with a cargo of coal. A brief report of the disaster wa' received at Lloyd’s a month ago, but the details are interesting as illustrating the danger of coal cargoes. Witli the exception of the first officer, who was suffocated, the crew were picked up by the steamer Counsellor, the captain of which vessel is warmly prai-ed and thanked for his services. Captain Williams say* ;—“The Flora loaded 1100 tons of coal at Port Glasgow, and sailed on May 10th with a crew of 16 hands, all told, for Bombay. Had three ventilators and platform, and a Seattle hatch aft. The ventilators were 3ft. at bottom, ISin. at top, and lOin. broad. All went on well until the 19th Augnst, when we discovered a volume of smoke coming up the fore hatchway, and found the coal heated three or four feet forward of the main hatch. We opened the hatch and jettisoned a quantity of coal, so as to get at the seat of the fire, set the pumps to work, played water over the coals, battened down all hatches a .id scuttles to stop all draught, and cut holes in the deck to rim the water through. When there was 3fliu. of water in tire well, set the main pump to work, and played tire water by means of boxes and hose down through the holes iu the deck over the c >als where they were heate i. This we did night and day, stopping at intervals to get some cable-chain on deck, anchors over, and so on, until the 24th of August (our 100th day out), when we were iu lat. N., 62.\deg. E., or about 800 miles south-west of Bombay. At 3 a.tn. on this day found flames below the deck. Pumps still kept going. At 8 the second mate went down the lazarette for a rope, and the steward followed him. They were observi d from the deck to become unconscious, ami wore hauled up immediately, the chief officer (Thomas Owens, of Cardigan, late master of the barque Lotos) having jumped down to assist them up. One of the crew, named Lane, also jumped down, but became nearly suffocated, and was hauled up insensible. The chief officer was overcome, and could not be rescued, as we could not breathe near tire scuttle for the sulphurous gas and smoke that were coming up. At this moment the forehatch blew up, and also the lazarette doors, the deck becomfull of smoke, ami rendering it difficult to breathe, and impossible to remain in the cabin or forecastle. This threw a gloom and horrorover all the men on hoard. Every effort was made to recover the three men who were lying insensible on the deck. The man Lane came round in twenty minutes, the second mate in three-quarters of an hour, and the steward iu an hour and a quarter. As soon as these recovered set some hands to the pumps and others to netting the boats over the sides, as nothing more could be done towards saving the ship. The flames were now making their way up the hatchways and decks, aud the water out of the pumps was quite hot, and also the fresh water out of the tanks. At noon the boats were ready for lowering, watered and provisioned, and supplied as well as possible under the circumstances. Called the crew aft and instructed them to keep all together as long as possible, and if obliged to part to steer N.B, that being the direction of the nearest land. Divided them into their respective boats, and told them not to lose sight of the ship that night, but to keep to windward of her, as that was the best chance of being picked up. At 1.30 lowered the boats, got into them, and lowered them adern, myself, carpenter, steward, and Lane remaining on board as long as possible. At 4 p.m. the frames bad spread all over the deck, the galleyhouse and forecastle were burning, and the fire was making its way aft. At 4.30 all got into the boats and cast off, the flames then reactin g the sails. Set sails on the boats and remained near the ship. At 7 p.m, the bowsprit and fore and main masts c line down in a blaze, and at 9 the flames extended from stem to sterm, the mizzenmast alone standing, and being only visible through the flames as the vessel rolled. At 9.30 a steamer came towards us, showing lights and rockets, picked us up, and kindly treated us until we lauded at Aden. The steamer proved to be the Counsellor (Harrison’s line), from Calcutta to London, W. Tntton, commander. Arrived at Aden on the 30th August, and were ordered, as many as could be accommodated, to proceed to England in the same steamer. Myself and six men were so conveyed, and the remainder were left to follow.”

Tho official inquiry at Liverpool into the burning of the ship Flora, of London, in the Indian Ocean, on the 21th August last, terminated on Saturday, October 13th. She was on her voyage from Port Glasgow to Bombay, and had on board a cargo of about 1100 tons of “ Merry’s Motherwell L. coal.” The Court held that the destruction of the vessel was entirely owing to the spontaneous combustion of the cargo. The ventilation seemed to have been adopted, after consideration, as the beat and most effective mode of carrying such a cargo in safety. A doubt had been expressed, however, by one experienced shipmaster as to the system adopted, ho being inclined to think that the laying of the platform on the bottom of the hold was a mistake, causing too much ventilation. But this was done at the instance of those interested in the insurance of tho vessel. Tho Court had had before it the report of tho Royal Commission on the spontaneous combustion of coal in ships, aud was inclined to think that the “ surface ventilation” recommended by the commissioners was highly desirable, and to concur strongly in their recommendation that the thermometer should bo constantly used and daily registered in the log book. 'The Court returned Captain Williams’ his certificate, and recommended that the Board of 'Trade should pay the expenses of his attendance.