about four o'clock in the morning
But their difficulties were not surmounted -- the fire now had communicated to the main-deck , and burst out of the port-holes amidships -- and the raft which had been forming alongside was obliged to be drifted astern , where it was more exposed to the swell . This retarded their labour , and , in the meantime , the fire was making rapid progress ; the mainmast , which had long been burning , fell over the side with the lurching of the vessel , and the flames out of the main-deck ports soon showed their points above the bulwarks , while volumes of smoke were poured in upon the upper deck , almost suffocating the numbers which were crowded there ; for all communication with the fore-part of the ship had been , for some time , cut off by the flames , and everyone had retreated aft . The women and children were now carried on to the poop ; not only to remove them farther from the suffocating smoke , but that they might be lowered down to the raft from the stern . It was about four o'clock in the morning when all was ready , and by the exertions of Philip and the seamen , notwithstanding the swell , the women and children were safely placed on the raft , where it was considered that they would be less in the way , as the men could relieve each other in pulling when they were tired . After the women and children had been lowered down , the troops were next ordered to descend by the ladders ; some few were lost in the attempt , falling under the boat 's bottom and not reappearing ; but two-thirds of the men were safely put in the berths they were ordered to take by Krantz , who had gone down to superintend this important arrangement . Such had been the vigilance of Philip , who had requested Captain Barentz to stand over the spirit-room hatch , with pistols , until the smoke on the main-deck rendered the precaution unnecessary , that not a single person was intoxicated , and to this might be ascribed the order and regularity which had prevailed during this trying scene . But before one-third of the soldiers had descended by the stern ladder , the fire burst out of the stern windows with a violence that nothing could withstand ; spouts of vivid flame extended several feet from the vessel , roaring with the force of a blow-pipe ; at the same time , the flames burst through all the after-ports of the main-deck , and those remaining on board found themselves encircled with fire , and suffocated with smoke and heat .