BRAVER? ON A BURNING SHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10836, 20 August 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

BRAVER? ON A BURNING SHIP.

MAGNIFICENT BEHAVIOUR OF THE

, .... OFFICERS AND CREW. ; New York, July 9.— was the Clyde line steamship' Delaware that was afire off Bar-'-negat Inlet on Friday night. Courage, discipline, and self-devotion on the part of the officers and crew brought off all hands not only without loss of life, but without disorder, while the vessel was burning in the open sea. N From captain to stewardess every employee of the line on board was at the right place at the right time, working in perfect accord, and thus turning what might well have been another ocean tragedy like that off the Newfoundland Banks, had a panic prevailed, into an orderly disembarkation. Shortly after the boats had left the burning vessel they were picked up by the lifesavers' ocean tug Ocean King, and by the fishing-smack S. P. Miller, and all the passengers landed in New York. The Delaware left New York for Charleston and Jacksonville with 75 passengers, of whom nine were women and three children. Stewardess Ellen C. Hill played an important part in managing the disembarkation. About half-past eleven o'clock ,011 Friday night one of the crew reported that smoke was coming up through the alter hatch, and that the deck was hot. Investigation showed that there was a fire in the hold under the after cabin, and it had already gained dangerous headway. Captain Ingram ordered the hose to be manned, and the ship's head pointed for the beach, but it soon became evident that she could hardly hope to reach shore before the flames should drive everyone overboard.

Calling his officers around him, Captain Ingram gave his orders, which were that perfect discipline must be maintained ; that passengers must be awakened and warned, and that the first boats to bo lowered were for the passengers. After they were safe it would be time enough for those responsible for the ship to consider their own safety. It was a-quarter to twelve when the officers passed from stateroom to stateroom rousing the passengers, nearly all of whom had gone to bed. In each case the officers, after knocking, said: " Get dressed and come on deck as soon as possible, There is a fire on the ship. Do not be alarmed; there is plenty of time and no danger. Boats will bo waiting for you as soon as you reach the deck. No baggage can be taken. Keep cool and obey orders, and everything will be all right." Under these clear and calmly delivered directions tiie passengers came out, frightened but orderly, and assembled on the deck, where some of (he women broke down. Captain Ingram and his officers walked up and down, assuring them there was no cause for alarm; that the boats ,were being prepared, the sea was calm, and land only a short distance away. With these words mingled the sounds of axes crashing through the deck us the crew cut holes for the hose, hoping to retard the progress of the fire. While the officers were making the rounds of the staterooms for the second time Stewardess Hill came up with an armful of life preservers, which she distributed among the women. One of them, halfhysterically, dropped hers on the deck. "Oh, I can never get it on," she wept. "I'll fix it for you," said Miss Hill, cheerily, and, having bundled up the trembling woman, went on to the next.

When all the women and children were thus safeguarded, the stewardess still had one life preserver left, and this she offered to the first man she met. " Keep it yourself," said he, "I can swim." "Oh, no," said the stewardess, "I belong to the ship. You como first; I'll find another for myself." "All women to the first boat," shouted Captain Ingram, and Miss Hill, dropping tho life preserver, hurried over to the port side to help. With encouraging words the sailors detailed for that duty passed the women and children along into the boat, but when it was being lowered, one young woman remained on deck..

"Get in, madam," cried the captain. " There's plenty of room." '• I'll stay with my husband, sir," she replied. "I am not afraid." She was Mrs. ,J. D, M. Chmssen, of Charleston, S.C., a bride of three weeks With her husband she was lowered into the next boat.

Captain Ingram was the lust to leave the burning ship, and be did not go until he had satisfied himself by enumeration of his passengers that no one could have been left on board. Not a person was lost ; not one injured. The superintendent of tho lifo-saving station of Point Pleasant reported this afternoon that the steamer Delaware had sunk about three and a-half miles off that place.