Between 8 and 9 o'clock on Sunday night the unwelcome and happily unusual sound of the fireballs, anmonnced the outbreak of fire, and the intimation, perhaps from its rarity, seemed to cause an immediate and general excitement in the Settlements, In few minutes the engines were hurrying to the Old Dock, the locality indicated by the alarums, where it was found that from some tnascurtained cause, fire had broken out in the after main-hold of the barque George Washington, which had about 3,000 piculs of cotton on board for Nagasaki. Phe barque had recently come out of the dock, and was lying at the pontoon connecting with it on the Shanghai side, The in-Yariuble reply to enquiries as to what the cargo. con cotton and Kerosene—two substances which, separa-rely, or compounded as they were likely to be, are very difficult of treatment when once in a state of combustion, Apprehension was considerably relieved, however, by a statement that the quantity of kerosene on board was very small, and it ultimately turned out that about a dozen hampers of sulphuric acid, being taken as deck cargo, had been mistaken for the ore dreaded substance. The police were first on the spot with extincteurs, but it was at once apparent that they could not cope with the emergency. Ina very short time, however, the new Hongkew steam fire-engine was run down to the waters edge, by the little lane which leads past the Old Dock entrance the Victoria steam-engine followed and ranged alongside the other, and both were soon pumping streams of water into the hold of the barque, the hose being carried across a rather awkward gulf of water, yachts and pontoon, The manual engine prepared to play from the Old Dock end of she pontoon, and Messrs, Russell. & Co.'s floating engine approached the vessel from the river on the outer side, while the Deluge, after having to wait a while, got into play frum a position to the right of the Victoria. from the pontoon no other evidence of fire was discernible than clouds of smoke and steam, which, however, rose with a volume and persistency that showed the mischief was deep-seated. The firemen, police and crew of the vessel worked actively. The pontoon bridge connection being removed, the ship and pontoon were brought nearer the bank, but though eight streams of water were ultimately being poured into the hold from the various engines, it was found advisable to prepare.for scuttle the vessel, With two hose from each of the three steam fire engines. and one each from the floating engine and manu body of.water continued to be thrown into the burning vessel, but without any appreciable effect, for the clouds of steam and smoke combined still rose in douse masses, enveloping, the entire after part of the barque from the mainmast, She soon began to shew signs of sinking, though.tio doubt owing to the closely-packed ature of the cargo, the inpouring water met with an amount of resistance that forbade any hope of her going down for some hours at least, At eleven o'clock, soundings on both sides showed that, nearest the shore, were 22 feet six of water, and on the jo of the ship 32 feet.'9 inches, a depth which, could her immersion have been accomplished, would have covered her some inches above her rail, But this was at nearly high' tide, and was not likely she would sink before the ebb set in, there was some fear expressed that, as the ship was drawing about 16 feet of water, with a considerable freeboard, the scuttling would ultimately prove only s partial remedy. It was therefore resolved to keep the engines at work until the result was seen, At half past eleven the ship had gone down some couple or more feet, but the volumes of eke from both themainand afterhatches ity, and that nothing but total version could save her from destruction.
should be mentioned that on the alarm being given, boats' crews from the U.S.
Saco and Ashuelot were quickly barque; and rendered eBicient service until the engines arrived and bevan to play. About midnight, rumour got about that the mainmast had been so far burnt through as to be in danger of falling. The rumour had at least one good effect, for it was the means of clearing the shore close to the vessel of many spectators, leaving 1 the efforts of those who had working of the engines. The barque went down shortly after 1 a.m., there being about two feet of water over her deck at low tide. Messrs, Farnham Ca. have undertaken to raise her, and have already commenced operations wi that object. A note has been forwarded to us, addressed to R. Mackenzie, Esq., the chief engineer of the S. F. D., in which Messrs. Morris Lewis & Ca.,' the agents for the George Washington, tender their thanks for, the exertions of the Department at the fire.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.