The sun., 1901-05-26
PERILS OF TANK SHIPS.
MANY ADVENTURES OF TEssEIS 7H4T
CARRY OIL ~ ByIK.
They Are Among the stanchsst Of Ocean Craft
Some That Pass Through Fire and wreck
--wanderings Of the Msvcrtck-The Dan
ger Of Observation-Disclosures the OIL

The hrst Of the great iron tank ships
launched by the Standard Oil Company
was aptly named The Maverick for II was
destined 10 wanderings az great ms those OF
an unclaimed Texas steer After knocking
around the Seven Seas II was burned with
Its cargo OF oil in the harbor Of Halifax
and sunk then 1shed out werdly twisted
and warped by heat and water, rebuilt and
recommIssioned When the war with Spain
was declared. II accompanied Snmpson's
feet all through the war as water supply
ship for both sailors and troops In transit
| When the war wns over II was promptly
returned 10 coast oil trade, where II Ia now
| doing business as usual Its career may be
| taken as typical for there IL no other vessel
sfo1t that encounters so many adventures
and misadventures as the tank ship. and mono
other would survive half OF them
Tank ships. widely scattered over tho
oceans have done great service 70 shipping
In the wa q towing disabled vessels TO port
and rescuing crews from wrecks They nre
the stanchest ships Of tho seas because
| o! their division into wnter-tight compart-
ments, which are always kept closed. Sew
| ernl compartments may be damaged by
| collision or Otherwise and tho steamship
| will stll keep afo1t and stearn ~ po-t
4 Inc thnk snip DEACON lIipnN on'S run on hn
iceberg and tore out a considerable part Of
her bottom. but continued on her voyage
20 port Several Of these ships have been
ashore. but by pumping out compartments
were able TO draw away and proceed The
tank ship Fn rgie ran on rock OF the Lizard.
doing much damage. but got on by emptying
some compartments. arriving in Bremen
two days late
| Ru will in thpo, ,oh mi pprila
Of water. the tank ship falls victim 10 fire,
notwithstanding the greatest precautions Of
corer-dams, or double bulkheads. which nre
filled with water. and despite constant watch
fulness on board The case Of the Maverick
NJ Halifax Ia characteristic
Al time when oil wa. being rumped into
the chip and scmo one had carelessly left
open the door leading between decks, pipe
burst Before the pump could be stopped
the oil was forced through the open door
into the fre room An additional cargo
of case oil, unusual in vessels Of this class.
hampered promp. use Of FIRE apparatus.
The Maverick az sunk in the harbor as q
Inst resort We rotnl bin for the episode
was sl5O,cOO
The tank shp Neehawken was once Tro-
ceeding down the Delaware River, when she
ran on a rock. injurng her corer-dnm and
permitting her cargo 10 run into her fire
room Mhen the fire was over there wa. no
Weehnwkpn left. only old iron The
tank ship Attila went ashore NJ Nodre Renner.
Denmark The oil reaching the fire room;
soon furnished grand blaze After she had
been burning ten DAYS hole was blown IN
her with dynamite. cnusing her boiler room
TO oil with water
4 salvage shin then approach and began
flooding her burning holds, when tremen-
dous EXPLOSION took place involving the
whole nf'erpart Of the vessel and wounding
many OF the salvorS the remainder escapin 2
inriomslv I, was only subdued by explodins 9
more dynamite and flooding the entire vessel
with water The ship was then tshtened'
pumped out, towed 10 Copenhagen ana re-
paired She i still in service.
tap. ship Mps'r MPs6rcn sst .' New Tsv
age. ra" laden With I,55oooo gallons Of oil and a
crew Of thrty-two men. She was never
heard Of again II was the memorable Jann-
aTy wh'n on ,hSTe stssmshps were o. She NAV
have shared their fate or she NAV have blown
~. as MANY believe
case oil burned at the foot Of Wall street
afTording n splendid spectacle for hnancicrs
on the beach at Fire Island NAV still he seen
the wreck Of The tank Gluckauf, now hall
buried in sand She wa, driven ashore there
and the best efforts of her crew could nor
bring her on from the shifting bottom
after the cargo has been discharged, when
gas generates In the empty tanks Any KIND
Of open famc results in m explosion EleCtriC
hand lamps are now generally used II Is
the gases generated hy the OIL. not me OH
itself. which explode ,,,., -
far AFT Then nm attempt was made 70 pace
the en- ginps amd-hipS with tanks az BOT enut'
causing much comment ana apprehension
on the part Of the mag,ne cnr,s,n rTner" team
iet. 10 blow the gnses from the oil out oi me
shaft alley The several vessels constructed
in this manner were soon condemned, and
builders returned 20 the former method OF
placing the engines art and 'he tanks forward
Of them ,,.,... T..
keeping the tank ships tight, Ms the OIL catS
the rivets Al present 'he underwriters have
nothing 70 do with the oil craft, the owners m
I suripp thcir own veSscI~
tank shin NAV hc described a. steel
marine Goliath, divided into steel walled, AIR,
tight, oil-tight compartment: located forward
| Of tho motor section and living rooms " "a
londed and unloaded hv pumping 'he oil
dirrc, 10 and fro between tho wharf reservoirs
and the compartments ot me shpS Ga,n noa
compartment holds on the HNerag" +lc"
gallons Of oil. and each tank ship has from
twelve 20 twenty compartments NJ OF me
! compartmcnfs are The engine and boiler rooms
which the oil can reach ONLY in case Of eX-
'raordnarv wrecks Az Of the motor power
. are the living rooms
4 spirit Of automatiSm prevails on the
tank ship, 40 regulating the now OF OIL nat
tho compartments ore filed without wasting
a drop Tho tank shp is loaded 10 N" sh".l.
from keel 10 amidshps deck, except that,
| far forward is a dry compartment fo~ o'h"r
! freght
I found W tho ruSCnrorn class, carving $500 =
| OoO gallons Of oil in bulk The twenty oil
/ compartments are Conuertnd hN COM
rlctH sy''"m ot pipes Win me pm2p rooms
/ ling no cargo, with competitions ~ lll N
son valves About ak hours 's s''t1Cien'
| - ais.harFn 'ho cargo lho lC-inoh main,
with independent valves tested for an ol
1 pre.sl'' os 800 pounds 20 M lnhr' men.