On Saturday intelligence of the loss by fire of the ship Georgia, of Newcastle, an Indiaman, Captain Mitchell, bound to London, was received by the underwriters at Lloyd’s, attended with a deplorable sacrifice of human life. This ship was between 800 and 900 tons burden, and was valued at 7000£, being splendidly fitted up for the accommodation of passengers. She had a rich cargo on board, consisting of jewellery, merchandise, and other valuable property, which perished with the vessel; a loss in total of nearly 20,000£.
The unfortunate event occurred on the morning of the 1st of last month, while on her passage to England from Calcutta, which place she left in the early part of February. From the accounts brought over by the ship Thomas Sparks, from China, which arrived off Dartmouth on Friday morning, it appears, that early on the morning mentioned, the “watch” on deck, when the vessel was in latitude 30 south and longitude 36 cast, off Madagascar, discovered a strong smell of burning about the ship; he aroused the commander, Captain Mitchell, and the rest of the ship’s crew, and a strict search was determined upon.
On the boats being removed, and the main hatches taken off, the burning was found to proceed from the cargo, when orders were given to remove a portion of it, so as to get at the fire. The crew, however, had not proceeded far before a volume of smoke burst upon them, and shortly afterwards it became so intense, accompanied with excessive heat, that they were forced to desist. Captain Mitchell then had the hatches replaced, and blocked up every aperture in the ship, in the hope of stifling the fire. But this proved unavailing, for, in about two hours, the flames broke through the cabin windows, and likewise from the hatchway over the forecastle, to the terror and dismay of all on board.
Captain Mitchell, perceiving that the destruction of the vessel was inevitable, directed the crew to prepare themselves to leave the ship, which they immediately set about doing by lowering the boats (two in number) over the vessel’s side. It was a most trying moment, for the sea was extremely rough, with a heavy gale of wind; and, with the knowledge of their being between 800 and 900 miles from land, every soul expected to meet with a watery grave. At about 8 o’clock the chief mate, with nine of the crew, left the burning vessel in the jolly-boat, and were directly followed by Captain Mitchell, and the rest of the ship’s crew, four in number, in the small boat.
In the course of a quarter of an hour afterwards the work of devastation had reached the masts, and she appeared embodied in one mass of flames, forming a terrible though magnificent appearance. At this critical period a vessel was observed at a distance, bearing towards the ill-fated ship, and the chief mate turned to make known the joyful intelligence to Captain Mitchell and the rest of the crew, when he was horror-struck on finding that the boat had foundered, and none of them were to be seen. They rowed about in hopes of picking them up, but unfortunately none of the poor fellows ever rose after.
The ship Thomas Sparks, which proved to be the vessel they saw bearing down to their assistance, came up alongside soon afterwards, and took the chief-officer and the rest of the Georgia‘s crew on board, and they remained within a short distance of the burning ship until she went down, which event took place at a late hour in the afternoon.
The Georgia and cargo are reported to be insured for 20,000£.
The Illustrated London News, London England, Week Ending May 28, 1842