Through the dark Edward groped his way to the bridge but everything he touched burned his hands and he could feel the heat from the iron deck burning through the soles of his shoes.
‘Thank God, I thought, the cloud seems to be thinning a little and the air is just about becoming breathable again so I was able to call out, feebly at first and then louder. Despite the pain I knew I had to concentrate on getting the ship away and this could only be done by taking control of the situation so I began shouting orders hoping someone would hear. Eventually a man answered my call and I sent him to see who was still alive.
‘In the dim light I caught sight of someone lying on the deck and not realising how dreadfully injured he was I told him to go and see if the anchor chain held fast. He replied that he could not move as he was so badly burned. It was Chief Watters, my first engineer. He was terribly injured, poor soul.
‘The Roddam was then caught up in a new current and we drifted back into the blackness which hung over most of the roadstead.
‘A handful of survivors, who like me were gravely burnt, heard my call and found their way towards me. It was a mighty relief to hear the familiar voice of bosun Hans Jansen and with him I counted another five relatively uninjured men.
‘When the blast came bosun Jansen had just left Mr Laws on the forecastle head and was on the forward well deck. He had dived for cover into the forward accommodation followed by two of the seamen who were now with him.
‘A few other survivors had also been lucky enough to find shelter quickly and for them their escapes were close-run things. In many cases the difference between life and death could be measured in a matter of a few feet when Pelée’s tornado blasted across the ship.
‘Whatever anguish I felt for the dead and dying, and some were good friends, I had to think of the living and mustered the few survivors who seemed able to move and ordered the bosun and two other men forward to slip the cable with instructions to be prepared to cut the chain if necessary. I then sent two men to the wheelhouse while the remaining man was given the task of going on deck and throwing overboard everything moveable that was on fire.’
‘Going to the bridge I blew down the engine room tube and shouted as loudly as I was able, considering my burnt throat, asking if anyone was there. It was with great relief I heard my second engineer, Mr Pyle reply, reporting that Schleswick was also present as were firemen Andersen and Gulp. Three firemen were dead or too badly burnt to help but a few men sheltering in the forecastle had escaped with light injuries.
‘In order to save the ship and its survivors the few who were still capable of working it were forced to ignore their more severely injured shipmates, almost all of whom were suffering from the most horrific burns, and set to work to save the ship.
‘The tarpaulins, deck-houses, woodwork of the cabins and bridge, boats, rigging and everything inflammable on deck were constantly igniting and attention had to be given to fighting these fires first and throughout this work every breath taken by those doing it was agony, giving them the feeling of being suffocated.
‘I asked Pyle to confirm that the boiler still had full steam up. Having just arrived at the quarantine area we still had a full head of steam and on the second engineer’s confirmation I rang the engine telegraph for ‘full astern’, using my elbows to push the lever since my hands were too painful to touch anything, and the heroes below turned on the steam.
‘The ship shuddered as her propeller sluggishly churned into action and foaming white water began swirling round her transom as the pistons built to full power.
‘On the forecastle head bosun Jansen’s party released the capstan allowing the cable to clank out until a link jammed in the hawse pipe and the chain jerked tight. A sharp crack followed by the splash indicated the chain had broken and the end had dropped into the sea. We were free.
‘Peering through the black fog I could just see Jansen’s animated signal that the anchor was gone and felt a rush of excitement but knew we were far from being out of danger.
‘The torrent of burning cinders continued setting alight scorched ropes and tarpaulins and even in the shelter of the bridge I could feel the heat burning through the thick soles of my boots. 
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