The Fiery End of the War Hawk
A visiting ship caught fire at Port Discovery, forcing the crew to scuttle the vessel to save her.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A late arrival from Port Discovery states that the ship War Hawk, which arrived at that port yesterday afternoon, was found last night to be on fire. Every effort was made to subdue the flames, but as they continued to gain headway, the ship was scuttled and sank. She is now lying with her stern completely under water and her bow nearly submerged. Very little trouble will be experienced, it is thought, in raising the vessel, and she is probably not much damaged. She was partially loaded with hay, and the fire, it is supposed, originated among this.
“Every effort was made to subdue the flames, but as they continued to gain headway the ship was scuttled and sank.”
Port Discovery remains a significant, though quiet, maritime location near the Olympic Peninsula. Fires on ships carrying hay were a common industrial hazard of the 19th century, a stark contrast to modern automated fire-suppression systems on today's massive cargo vessels.
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