Ship On Fire.

During the Piako's voyage from Plymouth to Lyttelton in 1878, the ship narrowly escaped being burned at sea. In addition to a valuable cargo of 1,050 tons she was bringing out 288 immigrants. At 10.45 a.m. on November 11th—exactly a month after leaving port—the ship having made a good run, and then being in lat. 7 deg south, long. 32 west (about 180 miles from Pernambuco) the chief officer, Mr. Holbeeke, rushed into the skipper's cabin, where Captain Boyd was entering up his log book, and reported that smoke was issuing from the lower fore-hatch. Within six minutes of the alarm flames were seen about 20 feet abaft the foremost tier of cargo, and Mr. Hazelwood, the second mate quickly had a hose playing on the spot.

Within two minutes, however, the dense smoke drove the men on deck, and the captain immediately had the hatches clapped on, and wet blankets were spread over everything. Captain Boyd and a party of volunteers then tried to get below by way of the married people's quarters, but they were driven back almost stifled by the acrid fumes.

Seeing the peril of the ship, Captain Boyd headed for Pernambuco, and ordered all the boats out. Some storespage 271 were put in, but the men were soon driven from the after storeroom, so rapidly had the fire spread, and in a very short while the coamings of the hatches were so hot that they could not be touched.