FIGHTING FLAMES AT SEA. Experience on the Burned Maasdam.—A Young Captain's Bravery Saves the Lives of Crew and Passengers.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 83, 3 January 1885, Page 3

FIGHTING FLAMES AT SEA. Experience on the Burned Maasdam.— A Young Captain's Bravery Saves the Lives of Crew and Passengers.

Tjik steamship Maasdam, of tho Nothcr-lands-Amorican Navigation Company, plying between New York and Koitcnlam, was burned at sea last Friday, in latitudo 49 dog. 40 miv. north, longitudo 2S dog. west. Tho passengers and crow, numbciing ISO persons, wore all saved, and arrived at this port yesterday on tho North Gorman Lloyd steamship llhcin, which picked them up at sea. Tho entire cargo was lost. The ship sailed from Rotterdam on Octobor ISth, having on board eight first-class passengers, one hundred and thirty-threo steerage, a crew of fortyH\e men, and a cargo of steel and iron wiro, dry goods, gin and ppirits. On the morning of October 24th, at 7 o'clock, there was a cry of "lire," and ilamcs and j smoke were discovered breaking out in the engine-room caused by the explosion of a kerosene-oil tank. The alarm spread instantly throughout the ship, and tho s-leep ing passengers awoke to tho horrors of a ; fire at sea. Capt, Van den Zee ordered the men to the hand-pumps ; the steam-pumps were set to work, and streams of water flowed into tho onginc-ioom, Every hatch was battened down to prevent draught. The engines were slowed down, but it was impossible to bring the ship before the wind on account ot the suffocating smoke and fire-damp. The flames gained with tenible rapidity, and smoke burst through every crevice from stem to stern, and the deck heaved us if about to burst from tho pent-up forces beneath it. Second Engineer C. Zickman stopped his engines and opened the safetyvalves before he left his post. The flames licked his face and singed his hair. Third and Fourth Engineers \V. Legland and W. Vcrmatt wero also burned doing their duty, and barely escaped with their lives. By this time tho fire had caught in the boiier-room. The flames reached the feed piped of the steam pump and melted them. Fresh mon were put to the hand-pumps, but the stiff wind blew across the ship, and smoke and flame covered the boats on tho port side, threatening them w ith destruction. Captain Van den Zee ordered them to bo lowered and equipped with food and water. The terrified passengers, seeing this action, rushed for the boats, but the Captain threw himselt before them, and ordered them back. Horror-stricken, helploss, and despairing, they obeyed. Mothers hold thoir babies frantically to their breaht.s, husbands and wives clung fondly in each other's arms, brothers and sisters embraced and whimpered hurried farewells— all expected to part for ever. The hungry flames roaring on one sido, the raging sea on the others it was an awful moment. Only tho coolness of captain and crew averted a terrible catastrophe. With encouraging voico and helpful action they strovo to calm tho fears of tho people and keep them back till the last chance of saving the gbio she al-Ia 1 -I bo swept aw ay. At noon tho fires in the engine put out, but the whole after spar-dec in flames, and the coal was burning fa. t Holes were cut in tho upper deck andodbrto wero made to throw some of the cargo overboard, but the smoke prevented it. The fire gained every moment, and at 2 o'clock the hand-pumps gavo out, the suction Mosc boing burned, leaving only the fore pump. The deck burst in several places, and threatened instant destruction. At 2.30 Captain Van don Zee, deciding that nothing moro could bo done, ordered down the remaining boats. In good order the passengers left tho ship, tho cabin passengers going first, followed by the steerage and crew. The captain was tho last to go. It was 4 o'clock when he loft the ekek ; not a life had been lost. Before separating, tho officors of oach of tho six boats woro ordered to romain in the neighbourhood of the ship, as tho flames would bo most likely to attract tho attention of passing vessels. Tho mainmast fell at 5 o'clock, and at 7 the foremast was seen to go by the board. The sea was rough, but the boats livod through it, and at 9 o'clock the lights of a steamer -gleamed out of tho darkness. ' It was the Rhein, and soon every soul that had left the Maasdam was on. hoard. The passenger^

saved nothing but the olothes they wore, their money, and their railroad tickets. Capt. Van den Zee is thirty years old, a native of Rotterdam, Holland, and has • followed the sea since boyhood. He was promoted from First Officer of the Edam five months ago to Captain of the Maasdam.—M 1 . Y. "Tribune," Nov. 1.