Fire in the funnel

[Doc Vernon]

Ocean Monarch 1964.jpg


FIRE IN THE FUNNEL



"It was Christmas Eve and now well over 50 years ago – and we were heading for Hamilton, Bermuda," remembered Des Kirkpatrick, then purser aboard the Furness-Bermuda Line cruise ship Ocean Monarch. The 440-passenger ship ran into heavy winter weather in the western Atlantic.



"We ran straight into a heavy rain storm," he added. "The rains lashed the side of the ship's funnel and then seeped downward, hitting the electrical wiring. This caused a short circuit. A fire started and then set fire to the soot in the funnel. The fire spread – and flashed downward to the engine room, to the boilers. Suddenly, the ship stopped. A misty smoke spread upward to the passenger areas. The passengers were quickly ordered to the Boat Deck – wearing their lifejackets!"



"We limped into Hamilton – 6 hours late," Des recalled. "We were on an 8-day triangular cruise, to Bermuda as well as Nassau. But one boiler was now out. We were ordered to return to New York. The ship's next cruise was canceled. After discharging the passengers at Pier 95 in Manhattan, we shifted over to the Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Hoboken. I remained aboard and later saw the fire damages – with tubes and piping melted, and hanging down. We had a full week in the shipyard. The crew remained with the ship and one day I went up on deck and saw the Queen Mary departing. It was quite a sight – the majestic Queen Mary in an ice-filled Hudson."




Photo: The yacht-like Ocean Monarch in Bermuda waters in 1964.

[j.sabourn]

Doc, Hamilton Bermuda in 1968 was one of the ports I visited often every 6 weeks during 1968. I have different recollections of each time visited. One that sticks in mind was the second mate and self hired these small powered motor bikes and went around the Island finally finishing back in Hamilton where decided to make a night of it. The next thing I remember is being put on the shake next morning by the British bobby off the gate. Whats the matter I said. He... do you remember where you left your motor bike last night he said, I didn't have a clue, come with me, he took me outside the gate and pointed up a lamppost, there behold was the motorbike, how I got it up there I will never know, but did eventually get it down, after a stiff lecture about setting a bad example to the natives I went back to the ship before the few passengers we had got up. Everything seemed to depend on not letting the passengers see what we got up to at times. Mind I was a lot younger then and would never do the same today, as couldn't climb a lamppost like I used to be able to do. Cant remember where the 2nd. mate left his bike. Cheers JS

[John Arton]

The Empress of Canada suffered a serious soot? fire in her funnel shortly after I left her in the early 70's. It had nothing to do with me!!!!!!!
I came across this whilst searching info. on the incident which had all the passengers at their emergency stations whilst the fire was brought under control. Could find no reference to that fire but for anyone who sailed on the White Empress's may find this interesting. Some of the names in it I sailed with.
WHITE EMPRESSES
rgds
JA

[Captain Kong]

Thanks for the Memories John

I sailed on ....
Emp, of Scotland, Emp, of France , Emp Britain , Emp of England. and with
Captains CLde Haute Bell, Wallgate, J.A.N, Bezant, and Jeavons.
Cheers
Brian

[Jim Brady]

I was in Hamilton at one time I think it was on the Cotopaxi when the Ocean Monarch was also there some lads invited us aboard for a pint in the pig.A guy I sailed with was on the O.M. or Queen Of Bermuda when one of the lads sent a catering boy ashore to get him a bottle if spirits and the lad was killed on one of those bikes that John S mentioned.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Jim Brady]

These two ships the Ocean Monarch and Queen Of Bermuda did cruises out of New York the crew were paid over and above what the basic wage was at the time in the MN. They were away for six months and as they were regularly in the states this is why they were paid the extra bonus,there was a name and a reason for this extra money I can't remember what it was maybe someone on site may remember.
A guy I sailed with did quite a few seasons on one or both of them,they were making very good cash and some of them would club together and get an apartment in Bermuda.
Another thing that happened aboard these ships if a passenger accidently sat in the captains chair somebody would grab a lump of chalk and chalk him/her in,this was to draw a chalk circle around the table with the passenger trapped inside.For anyone who did get "chalked In" the penalty was to buy everybody in the restaurant a drink.Yanks with plenty of dosh would "accidently" get chalked in,they most probably got a certificate for it.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Keith Tindell]

The only thing I remember of those two ships was they frequently on the pool in Dock St, as I recall the crew were frequently skinning out. When looking for a ship I would always have a pint in the Black Horse pub on the way there, Stan the landlord would warn everyone they were in, and most of us would stay clear for a few days, so they did not have a good name. However, I never served on them, but took the option of staying clear for a while. What a life where you could avoid ships !!!. We were spoils in the early sixties, but reality was on its way a few years later, kt

[Jim Brady]

Maybe it was the deck and engine that avoided them Keith but they were definitely good jobs for the catering crowd,guys went back year after year.
Regards.
Jim.b.

[Captain Kong]

An old school mate of mine who lived in our street, worked on those Bermuda boats and copped off with an American Millionaires and Married her and went to live over there, Haven't seen or heard of him since. Lucky??
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Ref my own post about Hamilton, Bermuda....My first two trips on her we had the president of Alcoa and all his family on board, and the second trip the vice president of Alcoa and his new bride, who was about 20 years his junior, incidentally the vice president was from Tyneside originally but you would not notice unless he told you, he spoke with the usual American accent with all its idioms. They both stopped the ship in Hamilton for an extra day to play golf. During one of the parties they usually had there where the boat Deck was all laid out with tables in Bermuda, canvas shields fitted all around the rails to block off inquisitive sightseers. As I was the Chief Officer I was told I had to sit at head of one of these tables and was no getting out of, so finished up with about a table of 8. During the discourse the obvious head of the bunch doing all the talking revealed he was one of the Chapmans clan and lived there, he took me for a Canadian and invited me up to his mansion, later he discovered my background was a Runciman apprentice and the invite was never mentioned again. Don't worry Denis all the catering was done by shore caterers. I could mix with those sort of people but was a lot of bullsh## spoken. This was also 1968 so obviously had one of his private retreats up and running. Cheers JS