FIRE ON BOARD THE COMPETITOR.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 416, 18 October 1861, Page 2

FIRE ON BOARD THE COMPETITOR.

About half-past seven o'clock on Saturday night, September 28, the ringing of ships' bells, which was quickly taken up by the fire-bells at the stations on shore, gave notice that a repetition of the calamity attendant on the Sovereign of the Seas, was being enacted.

In this instance the accident occurred on board the fine American ship Competitor. Captain Leckie had left his vessel about half-an-hour, when the steward detected smoke coming into the cabin, apparently from the hold. He immediately ran to the chief officer, and informed him of the circumstance, who 0:1 lifting the fore-hatch, was driven back by the volumes of smoke ; closing the hatch, he called all hands and manned the ship's force-pump, and commenced throwing water below through an aperture left in the hatchway. The alarm caused by the ringing of the ship's bell attracted Captain Leckie's attention, who was on board the Early Bird, lying at the Circular Wharf, in company with Captain Cook, Captain Maciel, and Captain Giftbrd. Fortunately a boat was alongside, and proceeding down the harbor, these gentlemen were not long in discovering that the lire was on board the Competitor. On gaining the fleck. Captain Maciel ran forward and saw the flames ascending from the ship's hold, and all hands at work throwing water below. The Harbor Master was also aboard in a few minutes, together with Captain M'Kay of the Nagasaki, and Captain Kerr of the White Star.

A boat was despatched to the Waterloo and La Hogue for their engines, and the request was promptly complied with, and Captain Green and his chief officer, Mr. Peters, and Captain Williams, ofLaHoguej were quickly on the spot, with tho engines from their respective ships, which were soon in active play. The Washington (s.), with the engine belonging io-the No. 2 Volunteer Fire Company on board, shortly after came alongside, a large body of water was thus in a very short time being poured inio the ship's hold, the impression being that the dunnage wood, .stored in the fore-peak, was the seat of the lire. ■■ ' From-this time up to 11 p.m. a cb'ntinous stream of. water was poured below, without any perceptible impression being made ; meanwhile the anchor was hove short, for the purpose of facilitating the moving of the vessel into shallow water, should it be found necessary to scuttle—and half an hour later, finding the fire still unsubdued, the Harbor Master ordered the Washington to tow her into Earni Cove, where she was.again anchored. . About midnight Mr. Peters, chief officer of the Waterloo, caused a ladder to be passed down the fore hatchway into the lower hold, and despite the stifling body of smoke that continued to issue from the hatchway, in the most gallant manner wont below, a lantern and the hose from No. 2 engine being lowered at the same time—such an act of daring has been seldom witnessed, it. appearing almost impossible for any person to exist a minute in such an atmosphere. His efforts however in the attempt to cave such valuable property were crowned with success, and a sense of relief was experienced by those on deok anxiously awaiting the result, when his 6heering voice was heard from the depths of the vessel culling on the firemen to ' pump away, 1 at the same time explaining the position of the danger, which lay in one of the beams being in a blaze, and not the dunnage,, as was at first supposed. Hose in hand, he manfully stood his ground, although uncertain of the extent of danger to which he might be exposed, and directing the stream of water on the burning timber, had placed the ship in comparative safety.

After coining .on. dcclj for a few moments, he again went below to finish tho work he had commenced with 60 much risk, Captain Green accompanying him, and.by midnight the fire was completely out. On inspecting the place it was found that a cask of kerosine oil, two casks of tar and a cask of pork, stared at the foot of the foremast, had been completely burnt, and that the fire had at length communicated witli the massive timber of which the ship is built. The beam immediately abaft the fore-hatch is much burnt, and the knee adjoining it and the vessel's side completely destroyed. It, was generally admitted by those on board that the .courageous conduct of Mr.'Peters, in venturing below, alone saved the ship, and it is to be hoped that such a meritorious act wijl not be lost sight of in the. proper quartet, although his ship pioceeded to sea VMtpribiv, On the fire nVst. becoming known, Messrs J. Kich;ards, Moran, and P. Murray, watermen belonging to the new wnarf, pushed off in their boats to render assistance, and succeeded without any accident in getting1 a large portion of Captain Leckie's effects safe on shore,, returning qu board again to assist ia working

the engine. The water police, under Inspector Cowell, were also quickly on board, and exerted themselves greatly in trying to get the fire under; in Tact, for four hours, every man did all that it was possible to accomplish in such a trying time. Ycsterdav' morning Captain M'Kay sent his crew on board to assist in pumping the Competitor out, some four feet of water having been thrown into her during the night. Of course the origin of tho fire remains at present a mystery.— Sydney Herald, Tho French transport ship Dorade, 4 guns, Commander Sabourin, after lying at anchor in Wellington harbor for nearly four months, sailed for Tahiti on tho rd6fch September. The illness of the captain has been the cause of her detention. Commander Sabourin and his officers have enjoyed all the courtesies ef Wellington, and leave it much improved in health.— Wellington Independent. The schooner Zillah arrived from Otago, after a stormy passage, on Thursday afternoon, October 3. She brings no further intelligence from the gold-fields. We learn that seamen demand jgl2 per man for the run from Porfc Chalmers to Auckland.— New Zea~ lander. • ' The schooner Salcombe Castle, left Auckland on the sth instant for Otago with 47 passengers.

NELSON MARKETS.—October 17.

Mr. Sounder's Mills— Flour per ton£2o Wheat, best samples, per bushel, 7s to 8s Bread, 4-lb loaf, Is Butter, iresh, per lb, Is 6d Cheese, Is Bd, scarce Candles, sperm, Is 9d ~ home-made, lOd „ Sydney,ls

Eggs, perdoz, Is 2d Beef and Mutton 6d to 8d Veal and Pork 8d Turkeys, each, 7s Geese 6s to 7s Ducks, per pair, 6s Fowls, 5s Potatoes, per 112 lbs, 7s Turnips, 3d per bunch Onions, 2d to 4d per lb *

AUCKLAND MA, Fine flour, £19 per ton Seconds, £15 to £17 Wheat, 7s per bushel Oats, 5s per bushel Hay, £7 per ton Straw, £5 per ton

\KETS.~-October 3. Beef, 7d to 8d per ft) Mutton, 7d to 8d per lb Pork, 7d to 9d per lb Potatoes, 5s to 6s per cwt Flax, £16 per ton Bricks, £2 17s 6d to £3