SHIPPING CASUALTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11365, 7 May 1900, Page 5

SHIPPING CASUALTY

BURNING OF A SHIP.

1000 MILES IN OPEN BOATS.

It very rarely happens that the crew of a ship -which takes fire in mid-ocean, and has to be abandoned, and the crew take to open boats for a journey of 1000 miles, comes so well out of the ordeal as did the crew of the Chilian ship Hindostan, which took fire while on the voyage from Port Blakely and San Francisco to South America, wiiii a cargo of lumber, in March last. The crew eventually reached the Marquesas Islands in safety, and were then taken on to Papeete, Tahiti, four of them reaching Auckland by the Union Company's steamer Ovalau from that port on Saturday morning.

The Hindostan left Port Blakely for Caldera, South America, on December 8 last, and put into San Francisco in distress on January 8, having met with heavy weather, during which she sprang a leak, making so much water that she had to make for the Californian port for repairs. The ship eventually left San Francisco on February 8, having on board the master (Captain Walsh), Cliief-officei Kiehn, and 20 others of a crew. Everything went well until March 8, when the ship was found to be on fire. The discovery was made about half-past three o'clock in the morning, the position of the ship being hit. 8 south, long. 123 west, about 1000 miles to the eastward of the Marquesas Islands. All hands were at once called on deck, and attempts made to subdue the outbreak. Tho fire apparently broke out amongst the cargo of timber between the floor and the main hatch, immediately underneath the spot where the donkey engine was on the deck.

For seven hour? the crew worked energetically in the endeavour to overcome the fire, but without avail, the fire having obtjined too great a hold before it was discovered, and with such a highly inflammable cargo as pine timber to feed it, the heat and smoke became so intense that the crew could stand it no longer, and the order was given to prepare to take to the boats. Although not definitely decided, it is supposed that tho fire ma caused by the donkey-engine, which had to be continually worked to keep tho vessel free from water, as sho leaked so badly. There were two boats belonging to the ship, and as there was plenty of time, a plentiful supply of provisions, including biscuits, kegs of beef, and tins of preserved meats, and a good supply of water, were placed in them before leaving the ship. In addition the crew saved nearly all of their clothing and effects. The Marquesas Islands, 1000 miles to the westward, was the nearest nlace which could be made fcr, and that same afternoon a start was made for the desired destination, there being nine men in the captain's boat and 13 in tha mate's boat.

Fortunately the weather proved very favourable, it being fine most of the time, the only exception being that as the islands were being made a squall was met with, which delayed the boats for about a day. What between rowing and sailing very good progress was made, the average distance covered each day haw: about 90 miles. On the eleventh day (March 19) after abandoning the ship, the boats readied Oneapn, one of tho island ports of the Marquesas, but were not permitted to land owing to the officials being afraid of the introduction of the plague, thinking that the ship was bound from Honolulu. They were eventually allowed to land, but were detained in quarantine for three days. The men wore afterwards sent on to Utona, another 'slc.nd at the group, were they wero taken on board of the Union Company's steamer Southern Cross, and conveyed to Tahiti. Captain Welsh and several'others of the crew went on to San Francisco by cno of the schooners trading between Papeete and San Francisco, four others, via., Chiefofficer Kielm, Carpenter Bertram, and Thomas Brimer and John Marney, A.B.'s, came on to Auckland by the Ovalau, the others remaining at Papeete in the meanwhile.

The Hindostan was a wooden ship, built at St John's, New Brunswick, in 1874, and was of the following dimensions Length, 217.9 ft; breadth. 39.3 ft; depth, 24.1 ft; tonnage, 1629. She was owned by O. de M. Buques, of Valparaiso.