BURNING OF THE SHIP RESULT.

West Coast Times, Issue 337, 22 October 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

BURNING OF THE SHIP RESULT.

One of those heavy casualties, 1 of which there have been not a few in the bay, the utter destruction of a ship by fire, occurred yesterday at Saudridge, the fated vessel on this occasion being the Result, a ship well known in the Australian trade, and probably one of the finest merchantmen that ever entered Port Phillip Heads. The Result arrived here on the loth ulfc., under the command of Captain Stewart, R.X.R., and was berthed on the cast side of the Melbourne and Ilobson's ßßar} r Railway Pier, at the extreme^end, where she had partially discharged her inward cargo, as \vell as taken on board some hundreds of tons of her home freight. Of the latter, consisting chiefly, of wattle bark, copper ore, and hides, there wpre about 400 tons on board ; and of the undischarged portion of her cargo there were some 500 tons, mostly facing boards, wine and spirits, in bulk and case, and miscellaneous goods. Any satisfactory or definite information as to the origin of the fire — whether it was purely accidental, or caused by gross carelessness, or done maliciously — has not as yet been clearly ascertained, but the truth will probably be elicited^during the official investigation, and pending this it may be as well to refrain from giving currency to the various conjectures hazarded. The first surmise of danger seems to have been made simultaneously by Captain Stewart and Thomas Fyford, the quarter-master on watch. Captain Stewart had turned out at midnight for a minute or two, and was jubt going to lie down again when be thought he felt the smell of somethingburning, and coming on deck immediately, he met the quarter-master, who had also perceived a strong smell of fire as he was going to call the man who was to relieve I him, and was hastening aft to give the information. The hatches had been fastened down as usual, with double tarpaulins over them, but on making quick and eager search for any appearance of combustion, smoke was observed to issue from the fore^- hatchway, and from the chain lockers, just* abreast of the foremast. jSTok a minute waß lost in raising the alarm ; rockets were let off, all hands were turned out, and the pier in a very short time was a scene of great excitement. Assistance from the A'arious vessels moored at the pier and from the railway company's eraployes was speedily rendered. The Van Yean from two separate hydrants was turned on into the forehold, and the engines of the ships Sarah Grice and Star of Peace were also kept in full play. The fire seemed to be confined at first "exclusively to the lower forehold, but on opening the afterhatch to see how far it had extended a dense body of smoke issued out, and it was with much difficulty that the hatch was again closed. Hole 3 were pierced in the deck, and continuous streams of water were poured into the burning hold, but in spite of these the fire continued to gain fast, and the position of the vessel began to be one of imminent peril. The exertions made to stay the further spread of the fire were arduous and incessant. Captain Mitchell, of the Star of Peace, Captain Ferguson, of the Sarah Grice, Mr Parham, chief officer of the Suffolk, and the chief officer of the steamship Melbourne, with the crews of the vessels at the piers, did their utmost to subdue the conflagration. All hands

worked with a will and cheerily ; but the efforts put forth were powerless, and it soon became painfully evident that no resource was left but to tow the ship into deep water, and scuttle her : by this time too, fiom the' immense body of water thrown into her, "she was 'beginning to show a strong list. Fortunately, the stcanitug Sophia was available, and between two and three hours after the discovery of the fire the vessel was hauled off from the pier, and whilo this was being done her chain and anchor slipped, the chain striking the chief officer of the Mediator on the head, and inflicting a desperate wound. That no steps should have been taken to scuttle her in deep water sooner, may probably have arisen from the great hopes at first entertained that the fire might have been kept under, and confined exclusively to the lower' hold. On being towed into deep water a kedge was let go astern, with a view to prevent her from swinging to the wind, and to keep the fire forward as much as possible, btit she dragged) and went ashore on the St. Kilda bank in about fourteen ieot of water. The desperate situation of the burning ship precluded all hope of saving her, and the attention was directed to remove what was movable and could be got at. ,By this time the harbor boat, in charge of Mi- Campbell, and having on board Mr Elder, of the M.irineyard, and several carpenters, put off to the ship, the deck of which was partially enveloped in flames. The two lifeboats, the longboat, and the dingy were secured, but the whaleboat on being put over was sina hed by the fall of the crossjack j'ard. The binnacles, compasses, and the patent steering apparatus were also taken of, and the guns on deck buoyed and then thrown overboard. The standing rigging of the ship was of wire, and it was not without difficulty tha.t tho lanyards were loosened. This, however, was done^ and the masts, with the bowsprit and all the connecting gear, fell overboard on the port side, about seven o'clock a.m. The attempts which li-" 1 been made to scuttle her aft, when si'o drove on the bank, were of little avail, not buing far enough below the water-line, and the vessel lightening considerably .is the fire progressed. Captain Stewart remained on board directing operations until compelled to retire by the fierceness of the conflagration, and when the masts went by the board, and everything hud been done that could be done or suggested, the Result was abandoned to her fate. The flames, which had now obtained entire mastery, broke out at every point, and the interior of the ship froift stem to stern was one mass of livid fire. Slowly, but surely, during the whole of yesterday and until an early hour this (Friday) morning the fire continued its destructive work; and the Result* which entered this port a brief month ago a stately vessel, is now a charred and blackened hulk. She was of American build, of ,1500 tons register; and besidts her captain, four officers, and three midshipmen, carried a complement of forty-five hands. She is stated to have been acquired by the late Air Green, of Blackwall, as the issue of a successful wager. There had been great competition in the China and London tea trade by the clipper ships. The Result, then called the Challenge, was built in America, especially to race the English clippers in that service, and a challenge was thrown out to race her from a Chinese port to London against any English ship, the owner of the vessel which won the match to receive the beaten vessel as a prize. Mr Green accepted the challenge, with a new vessel named the Challenger (if we remember rightly), won the race by some days, and gave to the ship 'he thus won tbe name she afterwards bore} tho .Result.' Half of MiMr Green's interest in her was disposed of to Messrs Phillips, Shaw, and Lowther, owners of the Holmesdale, Reigate, and other vessels, and it is not known authoritatively whether she was insured on this voyage or not. Captain Stewart aiid Mr Felgate, his chief officer, with Mr Newcome and Mr Dickson, second and third officers, acquitted themselves admirably during the trying scene. We must add that valuable aid was rendered by Captain Cruikshank, of the ship General Lee, and his crew.