Here is a vivid description of the burning of a steamer at sea, taken from a report written from Ancon, Canal Zone, by C. L. MacGregor, master of "The Firwood," to the owners, the Pacific-American Fisheries of Bellingham, Washington. The vessel was a burning derelict ten minutes after she caught fire off Punta Atica, Peru. The owners held a Fireman’s Fund policy for $315,000, the excess of their net retained line being reinsured generally in the United States and England. A cable told the owners of the loss on December 20. The documents from Captain MacGregor were transmitted to our Seattle office January 20. General Agent Taylor advised the Head Office, which wired him instructions the same day to pay the loss.

"I was in my room just after breakfast, 8:10 a.m. of the 18th, when the mate ran in and said there was a fire down below. He had been standing alongside the smokestack and saw a brightening up and flash, followed immediately by dense smoke.

"I stopped the ship and tried to get water, but the engineer on watch, Owens, was not able to get near the pumps. The whole engine room became on fire as from gas or fumes from the escaping oil, and Roland in attempting to shut off the oil pump was badly burned. He picked up Owens, who was overcome by smoke, and carried him out towards the shaft escape. They all escaped through the stern exit.

"In less than two minutes the windows in the after end of my room broke from the heat and it was getting pretty warm and close to the bridge. We started to get all four boats over, but the flames were coming out from the engine room alleyway, the galley and the dining-room doors, and reaching up over the upper deck near the men’s feet at the davits on the starboard side. The port side was better, but at 8:17 the boats were in the water and flames were coming out of all port doors. Launched just in time.

"Steward tried to get some food but all he could reach was nine loaves of bread, a pan of cold meat and a raw ham.

"Everyone tried to get clothes, but all the midship house was a roaring furnace: no one living there saved anything except what they had on, and being in a hot climate they naturally did not have much on. The sailors, firemen and oilers found the forecastle too full of smoke to get much. There is not two full sacks among the crowd.

"Sparks was asleep when he heard the whistle or fire alarm. He jumped up and shouted as loud as he could asking for our position. The fire was roaring very loud, and all was burning between his door and the bridge. I gave it to him and he got it off all right, but could not wait for an answer.

"Well, then I got sextant, compass and chronometer, and when I left it was over the port end of the bridge and a drop to the next deck. Half the crew was forward near the rigging, and the other half away aft of the after house, where we got into the boats, leaving her at 8:20, nine or ten minutes after the alarm sounded.

"We went off about a mile and waited till 11 a.m. I suggested I go back and try to get in the purser’s office to get the money – that part of the ship was not on fire – but everyone seemed to think an oil tank might explode and throw burning oil on us.

"At 11 we started for shore, about thirty or thirty-five miles distant. We not having much food (nine loaves for twenty-eight men) or water, I thought best to go and look for a settlement. We rowed till 7 p.m. and then sailed all night, about two miles per hour, at 5 a.m. rowing again till 10:40, when we saw smoke. We started toward it and at noon were aboard of the best looking ship I ever saw. She certainly looked good to us. She is eighteen years old, owned by the Holland-American Line of Rotterdam, and her name is ‘The Gourdyke’ Captain Van Durkin, who, with the assistance of his officers and crew, did everything it was possible for anyone to do."

[Fireman’s Fund Archives: 4-1-3-4-31, 0406]