BURNING OF THE SHIP MARANOA, AT SEA.

Otago Witness, Issue 746, 17 March 1866, Page 14

BURNING OF THE SHIP MARANOA, AT SEA.

(From the Times of India J

The ship Maranoa, Coptain Birch, left Bombay on 6th November, with a cargo of coal ior Aden. She experienced fine weather and a fair wind until the Uth, up to which "me all went well. On this date the wind dropped, and a calm ensued, the heat of the weather being excessive. During the day steam was observed coming up the hatches, when an immediate examination of the cargo was made, but nothing was discovered to lead to the conclusion that the coal had taken fire ; all appeared perfectly safe, and the hold was quite cool. At 4a m. the next morning, tbe 15th, it was noticed that very little steam was coming up the hatches, but at daylight it v»as observed that the steam began to assume the appearance of imoke, and at about the same time a moderate breeze sprang up. At six o'clock it was ascertained beyond doubt that it was smoke coming up from below, and the terrible reality broke upon them that the cargo was on fire. In order to be prepared for any emergency that might arise, two water-casks on the deck were immediately filled with fresh water. Shortly afterwards the cook, who was going aft to the captain's cabin, perceived flames coming up the after ventiiaior, which le immediately reported to the captain, who had remained on dick nearly the whole night from apprehensions of danger. Thecaptan immediately ordered the batches to be battened down, in order if possible to stifle the flames, and assemble 1 the entire crew to acquaint them with their position. He then divided them into gangs. The first was placed u'idir the orders of Mr Cowell, the first officer, who was directed to get the boats out; the second gang, under the direction of the steward, was appointed to get provisions and water in readiness for the boat?; while another was employed in passing water on to tbe after hatch, it having burned through a few minutes after being battrned down. It was found necessary to place all the spare sails over the hatch in order to get the boats off the skids, which were directly over the after -hatch. The fourth gang was occupied, under the direction of the fourth officer, in getting the top-gallant studding sails out of the tops to make sails for the boats. By halfpast nine the chronometer, compasses, the crew's kit, and a supply of provisions had been passed into the boats. Having only a limited quantity of fresh water, an attempt was now made to get a supply from below. The head pump pipe W"s cut away as far down as possible, when the first officer and a seaman name James Roach volunteered to proceed below and place the end in a water- cask, which they succeeded in doing, although the smoke was most dense at the time. At that moment the hatches blew up with a loud explosioD, when fltme and dense volumes of smoke issued fi om all the hatches. The crew were then called aft, and held in readiness to get into the ba ts. By noon flames were breaking out all over the ship, and the masts and sails then caught fire. The crew immediately took to the boats; the flames in the meantime were found breaking out of the ship's side, within a foot of the water line. At half past twelve the boats were compelled to cast off from the ship, in order to avoid being swamped by the falling masts and spars. Ten minutes afterwards the mainmast fell by the board, the boats meanwhile laying on their oars to watch the progress of the fla nes. An hour afterwards the mizenmast fell over the side, and 3 o'clock the foremast ftll, taking with it the jibboom. As nothing was to be gained by staying longer by the burning vessel, the captain considered how best to provide tor the safety of the crew. They were then in lat. 15-41 N, and long. 58*34 E, or about 700 miles from Bombay. To have returned to the latter piace would have been impossible, owing to the head wind?, and it was therefore, decided to steer for Aden, (about 900 miles.) Sails were at once rigged, and, in order to keep together, all the boats were taken in i tow of the long boat. At 9 o'clock the same

evening it was found necessary to cast adrift the second cutter, it being leaky, and three men being found insufficient to keep it afloat. At midnight the ship had burned down to the water's edge, and at 4 o'clock, the flames suddenly disappearing, it was then known that she must have gone down ; at daylight uo ti aces of her could fee seen. During the whole day the boats continued their course without a vessel appearing in sight. No vessel was seen either on the following day. The boats continued in tow of the long boat. Tho provisions were served out at regular hours, but it was found necessary to restrict the water to one quart for each man per day. On the 18th they experienced a moderate E N.E. wind, but no sail appeared in sight. At daylight on the 1 9th ( they sighted Rast Fertak, bearing N.N.W., ! and about forty miles distant. It was then found necessary to still further restrict the supply of tresh water to one pint and a half | per day for each man. On the evening of the 19th the breeze freshened and the sea rose, during which the stem of the gig was dragged out, and her provisions and crew had to te I transferred to the other boat, rhe injured boat being cast adrift. This day and the next were both passed without any vessels being sighted, j but on the morning of the 21st a vessel was observed bearing south. They trimmed soils and put out all the oars to overtake her, which they accomplished in two hours, when she proved to be a native bungalow. They obtained a supply of water, and parted company at nine o'clock, being then abreast of Macullah, and made all sail again for Aden. No other vessels were seen during the remainder of the day, and at daylight the next morning (the 22nd), land was seen a long way off. During the day, several birds alighted on the boat and remained. At noon, the smoke from a steamer was observed bearing S.W. by S. Sails were trimmed in order to approach her, and the oars got out to assist their progress ; the ensign was also placed at the mast-head of the long-boat, with the Union down as a signal of distress. The anxiety of the crew was now intense, but it was soon relieved, for, by the steamer changing its course and bearing down for the boats, it was known that their signal of distress had been observed. By 1.20 they were alongside what proved to be the P. and O. Company's mail-steamer Malta. The captain of the Maranoa, probably thinking it h opeless to expect so many to be taken od board the mail-steamer, merely asked to be supplied with water, and to be allowed to continue their voyage to Aden. This,^however, Captain Hyde, of tbe Malta, would not listen to. It appears that, before reaching tje boats, they had arrived at the conclusion that their services would be required, and after consulting Mr Black, it was decided to bring all the crew on to Bombay. The preparations had already been made, and tackle for raising the boats prepared; an ' , before Captain Birch had time to express regret that his beat would have to be cast adrift, they were hauled on deck, and the mailsteamer was again proceeding on her voyage, but little more than two hours having elapsed since the steamer was first sighted. The crew of the Maranoa, numbering in all thirty-one, had thus been more than a week in open boats, during which they had proceeded over 800 miles. The cause of the burning of the Maranoa will doubtless be officially inquired into, but it appears to have arisen from spontaneous combustion. The vessel was owned by Messrs Gibbs, Bright aod Co, of Liverpool, the Bombay agents being Messrs Wallace and Co. She was insured for L 16,000, and had been chartered, as above stated, to convey 2000 tons of coal to Aden for the use of the Bombay and Bengal Steamship Company, ' which cargo is also insured.

The correspondent of the " Dunstan Times," writing from Cromwell, says "In my correspondence some three or four weeks last, I noted that at Five Mile Creek, a number of miners were doing well. I also penned that the locality was on the northern side of the Clutha, to the left of the main road leading to Albert Town, also that the neigh'uorheod was universally auriferous — capital with enterprise only being necessary to open up a very extensive and remunerative goldfield. Since that time I have paid the district two visits, and have received indubitable proof of the correctness of my remarks. For a considerable period past, the up-country journals of Otago have been compelled to rest satisfied with giving mining intelligence of an unsatisfactory nature, and in each consecutive issue giving only commonplace detaile of individual workings in old established localities. However, I am in a position to state positively that a new goldfield on a small scale has been opened at Five Mile Creek. During the past fortnight the gullies for several miles further on have been prospected, and found one and all to contain gold in sufficient quantities to pay well for sluicing. These gullies course from the high ranges towards the flat bordering the Clutha, and at various distances from each other; there are several large creeks, also coursing from the same ranges, out of which water races may be directed to any of the adjacent terraces or gullies. Thomas and Tippet have just completed a large race from the Bannockburn to tha auriferoab terraces on the western side of the Kawarau and Molyneux, and breasting the town of Cromwell. The race has been very appropriately named the ' Cromwell Irresistible Water Eace.' The proprietors have erected a large dam for provisional purposes, and to all appearance the proprietors of the undertaking are likely to make the immediate neighbourhood of Cromwell a Bcene of extensive sluicing operations. Mr Horrigar., in a spirit of commendabe livalry, has so improved his race and dam as to render it no mean liral to the vaunted 'Irrtsistible.'"