BURNING OF A BARQUE AT SEA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1701, 16 January 1874, Page 2

BURNING OF A BARQUE AT SEA.

[MELBOURNE ARGOB, JAN. 6.] Particulars concerning the burning at sea of a vessel destined for this port have been 7 L 'tee'eived by the extra mail brought here by the R.M.S.S. Ellora. The vessel alluded to :i .was ithe Juan Ferrin, an iron clipper barque of about 400 tons, built some two years ago ;;:./j at /the well, known shipbuilding yard of John Reid and Son, Port Glasgow, and purchased recently for Captain A. Currie, of this city. i. She was constructed of the best material, and ' was registered on the first letter at Lloyd's, . •■ . .and by those who have seen her she has ' been described as a beautiful model, and almost like a yacht in her equipment and finish. The barque, when overtaken by the disaster which Jed to her abandonment, was '(;) i bound from Liverpool to Monte Video with I / :!.la general cargo, one item of which was four tons of gunpowder. From Monte Video the barque was to proceed to Mauritius, and then V j ! 'come' on to Melbourne with a cargo of sugar. The details of the catastrophe will De gathered from tHe subjoined copy of the protest made by Captain Fox, master of the Juan Ferrin, ■■'' when he reached Rio:— " f I, ThomaslFox, late manter of tbe British barque Juan ; i Eerrin, of Greenock, declare that I sailed from the port of Liverpool on the 10th of August last, bound to Monte Video, laden ! with a general cargo, nothing of importance occurring until the 24th of September,; at 3 •' -p.mj when smoke was perceived escaping near the pump, the hatches being perfectly and securely battened down. All hands were then called. and the after-hatches were taken ofl, when it was discovered that the {'vlHntoW was densely.filled with smoke. I then endeavored to throw overboard four tons of gunpowder. which, was stowed there; but the crew, through fear, refused to obey my .!*] orders, and persisted in getting out a 1 boat. v ,1 therefore, with the chief officer and second ~ **"'■ mate, "continued .endeavoring to get the* gunpowder out, but only succeeded in getting about three tons, when the fire became so intense that we were compelled to leave the hold, and at once assisted in getting the boat out over the side leaping in without water ■ f ; orjfood, and at a distance of 120: miles! from land. The fire, according to , my opinion, „ « . . out on the starboard side of the main--1 maaV.arid before leaving the vessel it was burning as clear as if fed by spirits' and already -through the decks. After leaving the (vessel about five minutes, we saw the - -j niainmast melted out, and the explosioii took place a short time afterwards. On the; 26th ..." we .discovered the land, and made for the ' : ' ' "xie>rest point, which proved to be Ita'ghay. A ' telegram was sent to this place, to St Catherine, and the consul retured an answer T that we were to proceed there. I borrowed a ■ sail and put to sea. and arrived there all safe. We were then sent to this port by steamer. This day news has been brought up by the . ■ . • : 'Pacific boat that the hull of a vessel has been ■j>!i.'.j towed into Monte Video. I shall therefore start for that port by the next steamer to identify the property, and look after the '-■:■■■. {.interests of whom it may concern. It is very difficult to get along without money, still I 7 ' must manage. I have got the consol to give . the second mate a passage home. Rio de Janeiro, October 10, 1873.