STARTLING EXPLOSION ON A STEAMER. Serious Loss of Life.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 32, 12 January 1884, Page 6

STARTLING EXPLOSION ON A STEAMER. Serious Loss of Life.

It is fortunate » indeed for the travelling puMic that it seldom falls to the lot of the journalist to record so singular, and, in all respects, so suggestive a disaster as that •which recently befel the passenger steamer Empress. This vessel left the Humber one Friday morning in October, bound to Hamburg with about 50 passengers on board. She was an iron screw steamer of 1080 tons gross, and was owned or managed by Messrs Bailey and Leetham, of Hull. Very shortly after she had left the river a small leak was discovered, to which, apparently, at the outset but little attention was paid. In proportion, however, as she advanced on her course, the rougher the sea became, and her rolling and tossing caused the leak to increase. The captain consulted with the engineer, and decided upon heading for the Humber again. The vessel wasaccordingly put round, and her engines started at full speed. It seems that amongst the top portion of this steamer's cargo, which was j stowed in the forward part, was a quantity of sulphate of ammonia. High as the sulphate was placed, the water penetrated the vessel at a point above it, and, conse* quently, drained thi'ough the stuff on its way to the bottom of the hold. The vessel continued to steam at full speed all through the night, and by working the pumps con* stantly the water was kept under. It was within a couple of hours of daylight when the Empress entered the Humber, the Spurn ; lighthouse being at that time distant about one mile. The order was passed to open I'the fore hatch that the hold below it might be examined. No sooner was the hatch cover raised than one of the crew of the vessel lowered a lighted lantern. It had scarcely sunk a few feet when a fearful explosion happened : the sound, it is stated; was like a furious burst of thunder ; the adjacent deck was rent and torn into shreds, and four men who were near the hatchway at the moment were blown to pieces, "none of them;" says the' account, "being seen again." A fifth man wa3 tossed to a great height, andfell on a portion of the deck cargo, but by a miracle , escaped with his life. Immediately after the explosion the steamer took fire, and in a very short } time the whole of her forward interior was full of flames. To save life there was nothing that her commander, Captain Barron, could do but run the Empress ashore. Providentially the land was ' close, and ' the vessel' was easily beached at a spot about half ' a mile off from the Spurn Lighthouse. The boats were lowered and the passengers safely put ashore on Spurn Pdint; The .survivors o the crew stubk to the burning eihip and strove to extinguish the flames, but the fire mastered them, and > before long all the plates of the vessel above the water became red hot. Later on a shift, of the wind r c drove the stifling fumes of the- sulphate -of ammonia aft, and the 1 seamen' abandoned the hopeless, task of saving 'the steataer. She blazed fiercely, lighting iip the scene for miles, and all that now. remains 1 of her is her iron shell." " ! ','.,'

YiVmt. The police found out that Walker $1 ul changed the cheque and gone, to the Thames. ' Did not know where he (witness) slept that nifchl. The button of his vest pocket wa> tom and not the same as ' when he put the cheque th-tfe. ' William Wilson, draper, 'deposed that the cheque h.id been tendered to him on •Saturday by defendant, and Witness gave him the change. When he took the cheque to the bank on Monday was told tli.it p-iyment wis stopped. Gave it to the police. Defendant did not tell him how hr cam by the cheque. Cross-examined •: Did not remember defend >nt saying he was going to the 'Thames. When h - found that payment was stopped h*» wired to defend mt who rupiicd th.il he had got the cheque in Warren's billiard ronn— -that he had • changed it for am in there. Defendant had always bwne a good character J-»lm Co'etfiiin, publican, corroborated "former evidence as to his share of the affair. When |»l lintiS told him he had lost the cheque he was in a muddled state. Plantiff a. way :s 'dr. nk hard. The (leietul itit stated that on the day in question plaintiff came into the billiard room and asked him to change the cheque. He was reading the paper at the time. 'Plaintiff having asked tfim to take a drink, deVndant asked whose Cheque it wa^ and •finding it was Oolenian's he cashed it. Robi-rt Walker, billiard marker at Warren's Hotel, depos jd to seeing defendant cash the cheque for plaintiff. Defendant and witness had been reading the newspaper wht-n plaintiff asked defendant to cash the cheque. Some remark was passed as whether it was good. Plaintiff thun got the cheque fr<»m inside his shirt, and he was positive defendant gave plaintiff the money for t;ie cheque. Before plaintiff produced the cheque he asked them 'to take a drink. Walker, before cashing the cheque, looked at it and said ■it was good. Plaintiff was the worse for liquor at ths time. His Worship said he wofcld dismiss the ■case oh it 4*4 * merits. Mr Cuff asked if there was any stain 'on the «Li jmimt's chaiact^r. His Worship said that the defendant lci't the (Joint w ithoiit a stain on his character. There was nothing in the case.

ASSAULT. E. Gross for assaulting J. Matthew was fiiK'd £5 and <>rd tm\ to pay 2 1 s cost*, half -the tine to be given to plaintiff.

SURKTICS <»F THK PEACE. E. Ilbaly, for nh-wnlting Harriet Healy^ was bound over to keep the peace far 12 ■iuoatli3. BREACH OF LICENSING ACT.

W. Diiiocil, v\,ib charged with failing- to maintain accommodation at the Waihoa llotel and closing his licensed house. •Licensed ordered to be forfeited, defendant to pay 7s costs.