The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-22
OIL SHIP ABLAZE
OFF FIRE ISLAND
Crew Of CrepdmOOr Saved
by a Schooner.
SEAMAN MARKS WAS KILLED
Sailors Desperate Fight to Save Ship
Failed-An Now N
New York.
SEAMAN MARKS WAS KILLED

Nc" oAh-
NEW YORK. July 22-It was the ship
Creedmoor that was burned OFF Fire
Island on Tuesday night She left this
port on Monday afternoon with a cargo
of naphtha, bcnzine and gasolcne for
Liverpool Capt. William Humphreys
and the crew We're all rescued save one
seaman. Portuguese named John
Marks. They We're picked up about
o'clock Wednesday morning by the four
rnasted schooner Joseph 3. Thomas
bound for Bangor. The Thomas found
the men in -he nick of time. for the two
boats IN sIch they had made their
escape from, the CrcedmOOr were on the
verge of sinking
The schooner landed the mon Of the
Creedmoor at Woods Hole. Mass, and
Captain Humphreys brought his sailors
to this city. Sixteen of them. with Moth
ing but the blackened clothes they had
ON, and most of them in their bare feet.
found LODGINGS at the Salvation Army
building in Chatham Square last night
Names of Crew.
In addition to Captain Humphreys and
Adams. these were rescued: W. Z PUr-
chass, Joe Stannel J. F. Winner, Ed
ward Mayo, jose Agosto, Eugene Col
tier. Henry White. Frank J. Outlet
Christy Hughes. Christian Seestrob. Vic
tor Gumald. Frank Yeazic, Edward Ia
Feiter, b Kato and T Olzishige. the last
named a Jap. Few Of the men are able
TO speak English. They We're shiDDed
in London and win go 10 the British
consul this morning 10 get transDorta-
ton home
W. i. Purchass told this story Of the
burning OF the CreCdm0or:
We left New York about O'Clock
Monday afternoon. We had good
weather and a fine run the first day out
Tuesday night. between 6 o'clock and =
o'clock. during the dog watch. there was
a terrific explosion aft The after hatch
went into the air and part Of the poop
deck was torn 10 pieces. a burst OF
flame shot from below.
Fought the Fire.
THE crew under Captain Humphreys
got to work on the jump. We chopped
the deck around the fire TO pieces with
axes, got the water working on the
blaze and threw all the cargo we could
get at overheard. 1t consisted mostly
of barrels Of naphtha and benzine. and
every man of us was afraid for his life
the flames shooting Up all around US
Most of us were burned. too"
PurchaSS showed his hands and arms,
all bhsteTed and blackened, and pointed
TO his hair and eyeIashes, that showed
the touch Of fire.
Along about o'clock" he contin-
ued. we seemed 10 have the fire under
control. Captain Humphreys gave the
men a chance 10 breathe and cool of
We went forward, but we had no more
than got there than there was another
.Ts.arH u.
torn IN the deck farther forward and
some of the men were hurt by being
thrown against the masts and rails.
Ordered TO Lifeboats.
This time there was no use 10 try te
fight the blaze. The captain ordered al
hands 70 the lifebOats. When we got
the only two We had of the davits. III,
flames were on us. They worked for.
ward faster than anything l ever saw
Captain Humphreys called the roI
quickly, and every man answered TO hi.
name except a Portuguese We all Gale,
Marks. Nobody knew what had becOm,
OF him. We supposed that when the
second explosion came with a burst OF
flame that shot thirty feet into the air
he was caught aft somewhere and hurled
into the blazing wreckage.
When we got the boats n the water
we found that they were leaIy. The
water poured III as last as We could DIll
IL out. The captain and everybody save
the men at the oars had 10 bail all the
time. / think IL was about $3.50 when
We left the ship.
I'VE rOwed toward Fire Island for
about six hours, but could not make
much Roadway. Then we saw the lights
OF vessel and the men sent Up a cheer.
We made out big, tOur-masted
schooner in a few minutes working her
way toward us. She got close enough
10 pick up the boats I'm about an hour
after We first saw her lights We were
about all IN.
Chance to Rest
Captain Driscou was the skipper OF
the Joseph +. Thomas He took ms close
IN 70 Woods Hole and "A tug came out
and took as of. We got "a chance "a
rest up bit at Woods Hole, and Cap
tain Humphreys brought US 10 New
York"
Neither Purchass, who was one Of the
few members Of the crew who could
speak English fuentiy. or any of II,
others knew the cause Of the fire. II l-
supposed that spontaneous combustion
among the infiammable cargo caused
the explosion
At the Salvation Army building last
night most of the rescued seamcu Were
able 10 be about and 10 talk about th.ll
exuerience The street near the build
ing was crowded with folk curious 10 see
the men The chatter IN dozen tongue
went on until the sailors from the Greed
moor turned in.
Cook Badly Burned.
Okishige. the little japanese cook Of
the burned ship. was upstairs in bed
suffering from "A terribly burned right
hand and blistered arm The others
seemed 10 take pleasure in telling about
the hardships they went through.
Captain Humphreys and Mate Adams
who were found later. agreed with Pur-
CHASSIS version of the fire. except that
thew thought carclessness on the part
of some of the men must have been tht
cause.
The CreedmOOr's cargo consisted OF
4ISSl2 gallons Of naphtha, BUD gal
Ions Of benzine and 5000 gallons Of gas
Oleue
The CreedmoOr was built NJ Gardner
Creek New Brunswick, in 1854 She was
2l44 feet long sO.2 feet beam and - feel
deep. Her tonnage was I,3S3. The value
OF the cargo was about S5g"yJ She was
owned IN partnership by James hgune
d., OF Nova Scotia, and Captain hum
phreys
PITTSTON PRIEST GETS
NEW THREATENING NOTE