120 
THE BRIG ON FIRE. 
still surprised me, I was disposed to attribute it to the 
recent kindling. But at this moment, while passing 
on my return near the door of the bulkhead, which 
leads to the carpenter’s room, the gas began to affect 
me. My lantern went out as if quenched by water; 
and, as I ran by the bulkhead door, I saw the deck 
near it a mass of glowing fire for some three feet in 
diameter. I could not tell how much farther it ex¬ 
tended; for I became quite insensible at the foot of the 
ladder, and would have sunk had not Mr. Brooks seen 
my condition and hauled me out. 
“When I came to myself, which happily was very 
soon, I confided my fearful secret to the four men 
around me, Brooks, Ohlsen, Blake, and Stevenson. 
It was all-important to avoid confusion: we shut the 
doors of the galley, so as to confine the rest of the crew 
and officers aft; and then passed up water from the 
fire-hole alongside. It was done very noiselessly. Ohl¬ 
sen and myself v r ent down to the burning deck; 
Brooks handed us in the buckets; and in less than 
ten minutes we were in safety. It was interesting to 
observe the effect of steam upon the noxious gas. 
Both Ohlsen and myself were greatly oppressed until 
the first bucket was poured on; but as I did this, 
directly over the burning coal, raising clouds of steam, 
we at once experienced relief: the fine aqueous par¬ 
ticles seemed to absorb the carbonic acid instantly. 
We found the fire had originated in the remains of a 
barrel of charcoal, which had been left in the car¬ 
penter’s room, ten feet from the stoves, and with a 
