Chapter XI: Part I: The Emigrant Ships (5)

The _Lightning_ was burnt on 31st October, 1869, whilst alongside the pier at Geelong loading wool, and she already had 4000 bales of wool on board when the fire was discovered at 1.30 in the morning in her fore hold. From the first the ship seemed to be doomed, and it was feared that the wharf might catch fire. She had an anchor out ahead, and an attempt was made to heave her clear of the pier, but the flames soon drove the crew from the windlass; however, on the mooring lines being cast off, she drifted clear, and swung to her anchor, the whole fore part of the ship being now in flames. The foremast, which was an iron one, melted in its step owing to the heat and soon went over the side. An attempt was made to scuttle her by the desperate means of bombarding her from two 32-pounders, and to a modern gunner the result was astounding to say the least of it, for at only 300 yards range most of the rounds missed the _Lightning_ altogether, whilst the few that hit her did more harm than good by giving the wind access to the fire and thereby increasing its fury. After burning all day, the famous old ship sank at sundown.

_From a photograph belonging to F. G. Layton._]

The cause of the fire on the _Lightning_ was agreed to be spontaneous combustion. A very different reason was given for the burning of the second _Sovereign of the Seas_. This ship had just arrived in Sydney with emigrants in 1861 and was discharging at Campbell’s Wharf when the fire broke out, and at the coroner’s investigation the jury found “that the ship _Sovereign_ _of the Seas_ was wilfully, maliciously and feloniously set on fire on the 10th September, and that there was sufficient evidence to commit one of the ship’s sailors, then in custody of the water police, on the charge.” The Sydney fire brigade fought the flames for a whole day without avail; then half a dozen ship’s carpenters attempted to scuttle her, but all in vain, and she was left to her fate.

The _Ocean Chief_, which was burnt at the Bluff, New Zealand, was also said to have been set on fire by her crew.

The first _Empress of the Seas_ was burnt at Queenscliff on the 19th December, 1861, three months after the _Sovereign of the Seas_ had been set on fire at Sydney.

“Blue Jacket’s” Figure-head.

The first _Blue Jacket_ left Lyttelton, N.Z., homeward bound, and was abandoned on fire off the Falkland Isles on 9th March, 1869. Nearly two years later, on 8th December, 1871, to be exact, _Blue Jacket’s_ figure-head was found washed up on the shore of Rottnest Island, off Fremantle, Western Australia. Part of it was charred by fire, but there was no mistaking the identity of the figure-head, which was described as “a man from the waist up, in old sailor’s costume, a blue jacket with yellow buttons, the jacket open in the front, no waistcoat, loose shirt, and large knotted handkerchief round the neck; with a broad belt and large square buckle and cutlass hilt at the side. On either side of the figure-head was a scroll, saying:—‘Keep a sharp lookout!’”

The Loss of the “Fiery Star.”

On 1st April, 1865, the _Fiery Star_ left Moreton Bay for London. On the 19th one of the men reported a strong smell of smoke in the foc’s’le—this soon burst forth in volumes and a fire was located in the lower hold. The captain, named Yule, immediately had all hatchways battened down and ventilation pipes blocked up. The ship was running free, 400 miles from Chatham Island. A few days before a heavy sea had made matchwood of two of the boats, so the westerlies were evidently blowing strong.

On the 20th a steam pump was rigged down the fore hatchway, and wetted sails were fastened over all scuttles and vents in the deck. But the fire continued to gain, and at 6 p.m. it burst through the port bow and waterways. The four remaining boats were at once provisioned and got over the side. Seeing that there was not room for everybody in the boats, Mr. Sargeant the chief officer, 4 A.B.’s and 13 apprentices agreed to stand by the ship—the remainder of the passengers and crew, to the number of 78, leaving in the boats under the captain.

As soon as the boats had left, Mr. Sargeant renewed every effort to subdue the fire, and at the same time altered his course to get into the track of other ships. Then for 21 days he and his gallant band fought the flames and the numerous gales of those regions. Finally on 11th May, when the foremast was almost burnt through and tottering, a ship called the _Dauntless_ hove in sight and took the mate and his worn-out crew off the doomed _Fiery Star_.

For their gallantry in remaining behind, Mr. Sargeant and his men were presented with £160 by the people of Auckland, New Zealand, and right well they deserved it, for in all the glorious history of our Mercantile Marine fewer brave acts have ever been recorded.

Some Famous Coal Hulks.

Many an old Black Baller ended her days as a coal hulk. Even the winter North Atlantic could not down the _Red Jacket_ and _Donald Mackay_, and eventually _Red Jacket_ went to Cape Verde and _Donald Mackay_ to Madeira as coal hulks. How many of the Union-Castle passengers knew, when they cast their eyes pityingly or perhaps disdainfully on the grimy looking hulk floating a cable’s length or so away from their spotless liner, that they were looking upon a crack passenger ship of their grandfather’s day.

_Light Brigade_ was a coal hulk at Gibraltar for many years, having as a companion the famous _Three Brothers_.

The _Golden South_, after lying in Kerosene Bay, Port Jackson, for about twenty years with her holds full of coal, was burnt through sparks from the old reformatory ship _Vernon_ falling upon her decks. The burning of the two ships lit up the hills for miles round, and many an old time Sydney-sider will remember the spectacle.

Loss of the “Young Australia.”

The _Young Australia_, after ten years’ successful trading between England and Brisbane, was wrecked on the north point of Moreton Island on 31st May, 1872, when homeward bound, just four and a half hours after leaving her anchorage off the pilot station. Whilst the ship was in the act of going about, the wind fell calm and the heavy easterly swell and southerly current set the ship towards the rocks. The anchor was let go too late, and the heavy swell hove the ship broadside on to the rocks. With some difficulty the passengers were got ashore; and before night, owing to the way in which the heavy swell was grinding the ship on the rocks, it was deemed advisable for the crew to abandon her.

By the 6th June the wreck had broken in half and was full of water, and on the 7th it was sold by auction in Brisbane, and after some brisk bidding was knocked down to a Mr. Martin for the sum of £7100.

The _Champion of the Seas_ foundered off the Horn when homeward bound in 1877.

The _White Star_ was wrecked in 1883.

_Southern Empire_ fell a victim to the North Atlantic in 1874.

_Royal Dane_ was wrecked on the coast of Chile when homeward bound with guano in 1877.

The _Morning Star_ foundered on a passage from Samarang to U.K. in 1879.

The _Shalimar_ was bought by the Swiss and the _Morning Light_ by the Germans, who renamed her _J. M. Wendt_.

The _Queen of the Colonies_ was wrecked off Ushant in 1874, when bound from Java to Falmouth.

The _Legion of Honour_ went ashore on the Tripoli coast in 1876, after changing her flag.

The Fate of “Marco Polo.”

The _Marco Polo_ in her old age was owned by Wilson & Blain, of South Shields; then the Norwegians bought her. After years in the Quebec timber trade, she was piled up on Cape Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, in August, 1883, and on the 6th her cargo of pitch-pine and the famous old ship herself were sold by auction and only fetched £600.

And so we come to the end of a short but wonderful period in the “History of Sail.”—_Sic transit gloria mundi._

Footnote.

[A] Her first voyage was the one to Mobile.