A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. A Canton River Steamer Burned.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 237, 14 January 1888, Page 8

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

A Canton River Steamer Burned.

Over Three Hundred Lost. Measrre details of the burning of the steamer Wahyeung were received by cable, bufc the following graphic repovt of the great disaster, inwhich over 300 lives were lost, is from the " China Mail " of November 16th :- •' The Wahyeung, a river steamer of 313 tons, trading between Hongkong and Canton, was destroyed by fire last night while on her way up the Canton river, and about 300 Chinese passengers perished. The terrible disaster occurred about 9- o'clock, when the vessel was about half way on her journey, and near Chun Pee .point. The Wahyeung left this port about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon with about sGo<Chmese passengers and a general cargo. The ship was densely crowded with these holiday* makers, a large proportion of whom were women and children. Ail went well, until the hour mentioned, when suddenly the alarm was raised that fire had broken out in the after hold. The fire had got a serious hold before any measure could be taken to prevent its spreading. The officers, after one or two efforts to get down into the hold, gave up the attempt, and ran forward. By this time the crowd of Chinese passengers were in a state of the wildest excitement, and the scene on deck was one of the utmost panic .and* confusion.Scarcely had the officers reached the forward part of the vessel when a vast mass of flame rose above the after hold, and driven by the wind, which was howling from aft, sped forward with dreadful rapidity, and in a few seconds the ship was burning from stem to stern. An attempt was made to get out the lifeboats, but it was impossible to get near them. In this awful state of matters it was found that nothing could be done except to turn the vessel's head on to the beach. The mass of human beings on deck had crowded forward before the. fire as it swiftly advanced, until there was no room for further retieat, and those who did not throw themselves overboard were devoured by the flames. In the frantic crush which took place many of the women and children met a death little less horriblo than that of burning, while of those who in desperation flung themselves from the fated ship but few escaped drowning. The fearful spectacle of the blazing ship was seen fro:n other vessels at; a considerable distance, and what help could be rendered was readily given ; but in so short a time as there was for making any efforts to sa ve life, it was but little that could be done. The captain and officers, the only Europeans on board, barely escaped with their live 3. The engineers had been driven from the engines soon after the fire was observed, bufc the vessel continued to go full sjseed toward the beach.The officers were in momentary expectation of an explosion occurring, and had given up all hope of ever leaving the vessel alive. Fortunately for them, however, no explosion did take place, and a few seconds after the ship touched the bank of the river they leapt into the water, the deck being then burning under their feet. They could All swim except Chambers, the engineer, but- he*, thanks to Captain De Witt's gallant efforts, was safely taken on shore with the others- -Hantian, the second engineer, aud Sindel, the chief officor. As the Wahyeung struck the beach, a boat of the steamship Pasig came around thepointand succeeded in picking up about fifty of the passengers out of the water. The steamship Powan, which Mas astern of the Wahyeung going up the river, also despatched a boat to the rescue, in which about twenty passengers were saved. A boat from the Fatshan, which was farther up the river also saved a few. A few were saved by the steam-launch Kam Wah, belonging to the Tok Kee, and by Chinese customs boat 6 !. About 100 altogether .succeeded in getting ashore from the burning vessel.