A FIERY CARGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22214, 14 September 1935, Page 5 (Supplement)

A FIERY CARGO

Dy NELSON LYSAOHT. Kutarere, Bay of Plenty (Age 15.) (Original.)

Heavily laden with coal the Gull put to sea and as she rounded the Knobbios her crew gave a hearty cheer, for the tugboat bad loft them to tramp alone the seven thousand miles across the I'neilic to Chile. Ninety-four clays out it was reported that the ship's cargo was on (ire. The news spread quickly and all hands mustered aft to hoar tho captain's verdict. "Close all hatches!" ho ordered. " Batten down tightly so that no air can get below!" The hatches were soon on, anil in response to the mate s three whistles all hands gathered alt again, where, in calm tones, the captain addressed them He believed in straight, direct speech and wont straight to the point. " Tho coal is on fire below," he began, "due, 1 ox|H!Ct, to the soaking it got in Newcastle. The friction and pressure brought on by constant rolling must have fired it. There is no immediate danger, as, by abutting ofl all ventilation, we should be able to smother the fire. Wo will have tho boats ready and be prepared to leave if necessary. In the meantime the best thing we can do is to carry on and hope for the wind to come along and drive us into port as soon as possible We are a thousand miles from land, but right in the track ot the trades. The boats were soon provisioned and the crew dressed in their warmest clothes in preparation for any emergency. Pour days after the fire had started the carpenter caine up from the lower fore-peak and reported that the forward bulkhead was hot. Ihe pitch in the seams of the deck began to soften and bubble. The ship would have to be deserted. All the time heavy layers of clouds were hanking up to the eastward, moving swiftly with vivid (lashes of lightning streaking across the sky. The boats were ready and some of the men wanted to leave the ship straight away, but the captain urged them to see what the storm would do first The rain canio, followed by dazzling flashes of lightning overhead and crashing thunder, then, as if the heavens had gone mad, the fury of the wind burst upon the ship. With a roar that rivalled the thunder, the slatting royals and top gallant sails blew out The ship heeled over to an alarming angle as she raced through the water. I,ee rail under and pounding seas and spray from the weather side smothering the ship . Burning ship and furious gale, and living men working in the turmoil

"Steady men!" The commanding voice of the captain rang out above the howl of the gale. We have a chance vet We'll open the hatches and flood the holds. Six men come along with mo.' The seas swept over the ship and flooded the decks as the captain and iiis party scrambled toward the main hatch. They cut the lashings, ripped the coverings oti and then rushed aft to the poop again The ship lurched A monstrous sea towered over her for an instant then crashed aboard With a sickening crack the mainmast, struck by lightning, broke ofi near the dock and fell over the side, buckling the bulwarks with its ,-rushing weight As the water poured below volumes of steam row up from the gaping hatch and splintered deck The shifi lay sluggishly in the water, almost dead, as the hundreds of tons of water that had gone down the open hatch sank her deeper in the sea The gale was still howling and the seas running high, hut she rode to her broken mast which was acting as an anchor Gradually th* .steam subsided -"he fire was out Now the task was to save the ship from foundering Hell ropes were rigged to the pump handles and. choking in the .sulphurous fumes emitted from below, the crew pumped foi dear life. As the night came on the gah eased A last hard squall, a torrential down nom of rain and it was over The sea fell leaving the distressed ship lying deep in the water The crew worked on and, in addition to pumping, a staging was rigged the after hatch and coal heaved overboard By daylight there was six feet of water in the holds, and, with the jettisoned cargo the ship had sufficient buovancv to he safe.