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FOliEIGN INTELLIGENCE. ,It

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

Jîuntinn pp ointment+

. ! SWANSEA".

CARMARTHEN.

PEMBROKE DOCK.

BRIDGEND.

i n MERT&YB.

LLANELLY.

COWBRIDGE.

SHIP ON FIRE IN CARDIFF DOCKS.

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SHIP ON FIRE IN CARDIFF DOCKS. An alarming fire broke out on Saturday night in the ship Peruvian Congress, of St. John's, New Brunswick. She had recently entered the port, and lay in the west side of the east dock, opposite No. 10 tip, discharging ballast. Between six and seven o'clock, Captain Stockton, master and part owner, left the ship for the night, and it was then safe, three of the crew remain- ing on board. Two hours later a fire was discovered in the after hold, where it is supposed to have originated among some matting. An unaccountable delay of more than an hour took place before information was given to the fire brigade, and during this time, although every possible effort was made to quench the rising flames, they continued to ascend, and seized upon the woodwork under the cabin. At 10.25 the Cardiff Fire Brigade was summoned, and in ten minutes Mr. Superintendent Freeman with a staff of police, and the steam fire engine and manual engine, in charge of Mr. Evans, and the members of the Fire Brigade were on the spot. The dock manual engine, and the floating steam fire engine, were already there, and by the direction of Capt. Johnson, the dock master, who, with Captain Pengelly, was present, the vessel had been hauled away from the dock wall. In a very short time five hoses were fixed, and a con- stant and abundant supply of water was being poured into the ship, the three lengths of hose worked by the Cardiff steam-engine discharging at the rate of 250 gallons per minute, and the combined discharges of the other engines nearly equalling that in amount. The gallant efforts of those on board to subdue the fire were for a time frustrated by the impossibility of discovering where the fire was, no flames being visible, although smoke rolled up the hatchways very thickly. As the only means of saving her then apparent, it was determined to scuttle the vessel, and three holes were cut in her port side; but her capacious hold filled very slowly, and some hours passed before the effects of scuttling showed themselves, except in a list to the quay wall, which at one time was so threatening that the engines were removed clear of the ship, in the fear that she would come over on her side. Ultimately, after several hears-about three o'clock yesterday morning-the exertions of the brigade to keep the flames from extending, had been successful, and the fire was confined to a small space abaft the mizen mast. Then the deck was pierced, and water directed upon the burning woodwork, and the firemen were lowered with a rope in relays into the hold, where they were enabled to beat the destroyer back from plank to plank, and would no doubt then have overcome the remaining fire had not the blinding, suf- focating smoke made it dangerous for them to remain below more tfcan a few minutes at a time. The water rising in the hold as the vessel gradually went down, drove the fire into the upper beams, and the exertions of the firemen and their many willing assistants at last, and about six a.m., so limited its extent that it became easily extinguished. The vessel had by that time grounded and had righted herself. The steam fire-engine continued to play into those crevices where the lingering fire still smouldered until nine o'clock yesterday morning, when it was clearly and safely extinguished, and all the dan- ger was over. Although there were never any flames visible above deck, the ship was at one time in danger of destruction, and it is undoubtedly due to the vigorous and courageous acts of the band of untiring workmen, the firemen, police, and volunteer assistants, that the flames were confined to so small a space, and did, comparatively speaking, so little injury. The ship, the largest in the dock, a fine vessel, of splendid lines now rests on an even keel on the bed of the dock, but luckily the water does not reach her deck, so that the greatest evil attendant upon scuttling has been avoided. The rigging, a good deal of the stores, and a stock of oil and petroleum, was saved, some of the latter being carried cut at great personal risk by Engineer Evans and othej members of the FireBrigade. We understand that the sbip was insured only to part of her value. She was consigned to Messrs. Worms, of this port, and her broker is Mr. Willans,

dARDIFF BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

LLANDAFF HIGHWAY BOARD.

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