}
96
was called; on,
m going
on-
the Quarter dich re
ing from the European
found smoke isening from
Constables quarters.
The Constables were at
once on deck aud immediately passed water
down the hatchways by mean
buckets, the only appliances
Q
contingency,
1244 deck.
of 244.
on board for such
20
but the fire spread so rapidly
on on
that in a short time the safety of those. board required that the new should take to
the boat. 18oa 15
the ships of
ships of war in
to from harbour wout to the burning vessel at about 5 o'clock, but it was then too late to save her,
and her starboard bow was ultivuatity blown in by a torpede from the French Man
War's boat, and the vessel was ecuit;
The
of
fire appears to have originated
in the after hold
after hold evider the
wider the European Constables"
quantew, where paint, oil and other stores for the
the use of the ship
of
were stowed. The
Carpenter
Carpenter,
P.C. 39, Ehlers had charge of the
stores and visited the hold alwat daily, but
he did not
go
there on the 25th February.)
It is strou
strange
that the hulk was not.
provided with pumps or actincteurs, although Inspector Cradock states that he applied for two of the fonuer in 1875 . The floating fine
engine
craft of
and as
was not at the bulk as soon as a
that description should have been
ships burn more rapidly than
houses, we recommend that the water
4
in the boiler of that versol should always - be kept at a low temperature so that steam
could be readily promured when a veeeel
is on
fire.
We have no reason
the ship was purposely set on
to suppose that
fire,
but
we
think that combustion must have taken
place amongst the stores, aud that
after
they