LIKE A VOLCANO. An Exciting Race for Life.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 236, 7 January 1888, Page 2

LIKE A VOLCANO. An Exciting Race for Life.

A sensational occurrence is reported from I Lake Michigan. The steamer Arizona left Marquetto for Portage Lake, but thirty i miles up was forced back by a howling nor'wester and a terrible sea. When a few miles off Marquetto, about 4 ,a.in.,,u, carboy; of acid amcngsfc those gtow^feS^-bfcitween decks broke loose, and w/is brsl<fen by the. rolling and pitching bf the vessel) It was , fill 3d with mixed acid used in making nitroglycerine, and the space between docks, was immediately filled with tho acid's stifling fumes. Soon these penetrated ' every nook and corner of the ship, and shortly it was discovered that the vessel "was on lire. The captain encouraged his crew to hang on as long as possible, all being almost fcuffocatcd. Tho men in tho fire-holds piled fuel into the furnaces, heaping it up until they hud to rush for the deck gasping for air. The engineer stood by his post until he too found it more than flesh and blood could stand. Then he pulled the throttle wide open and rushed to the upper deck for his life.

Tho Battle for Life. Hero gathered the twenty-three men manning the Arizona. A boat was made ready on the windward side and wheio tho sickening fumes were the least dense. A blinding snowstorm was driving across the lake at this tune, and stung like needles. On went the steamer, with not a man below decks, and with two men at the wheel. Meanwhile the lire below decks spread rapidly, the closely battened gangways and hatches imprisoning it and no flames being seen, but the presence of the volcano beneath was manifest from tho dense clouds of yellow sulphurous smoke from the acids and the thick clouds from the burning petroleum, 900 barrels of which were on board. The breakwater at this place was finally made and the steamer swept into the harbour at a tremendous speed, the crew expecting every moment to be blown up. They knew that should one barrel of oil explode every man on board would perish, aud they hung to the sides of tho pitching vessel, expecting eacli moment to be their last. On swept

The Floating Volcano, Captain Grazer hanging to the wheel and now and then giving words of encouragement to his white-faced crew. He steered for tho breakwater, intending to strike that structure hard on, and thus give everybody a chance to escape and at the same tin.* avoid setting tire to numerous other vessels in the harbour. His purpose was carried out successfully. As she struck every man leaped for his life, and the steamer, her propeller working furiously, slowly slewed around and smashed through a log boom, and buried her nose in a sand-bank' Meantime great excitement prevailed all over the city, and the Fire Department was called out. Streams were poured on the burning vessel, but the oil had by this time caught fire, and all efforts to check the flames were vain. Singularly enough not one barrel exploded. The loss will be about 200,000 dollars.