The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-13
GREAT DANGERS OF
Travel ON OCEAN
Fire is the Chief Calamity to
Be Feared in Mid
ocean.
TESTS COURAGE OF ALL
Thrilling Experiences Related Of Sot,s
of Those Who Have Gone
Down to tho Sea
.-l in Ships.
TESTS COURAGE OF ALL
From the New York Post.

Cook fire at sea, and was scuttled on
the coast OF Japan several months ago.
For almost a month they fought the
flames on the wooden vessel, and at
times she was kept afioat only BY he
most heroic work" That is all of the
story as 1t is given to the world.
And yet, of all the dangers which
beset the sailorman while he is doing
business in great waters, none holds
terror for him ave this possibility OF
fire In midocean, perhaps far from
any Of the ocean highways and beyond
all possibility of assistance. But the
record set forth in one or two lines
such as those quoted above grows
steadily larger as the years go by.
Also, if the world does not learn all
the particulars, 1T learns more Of them
from time to time.
The spring of 1897 was a bad season
for transatlantic travel. On March 3 of
that year the Rialto, of the Wilson
line, which had left Newcastle on Feb
raary 81 for New York, with a general
arg including a quantity of chem
icals. found herself only about 500
miles from the Irish coast, with heavy
passed. AS night settled down the
blow became a hurricane. Tremen-
dous seas smashed the lifeboats to
splinters and tore away portions of
the su~perstructure. Daylight came.
showing only one small boat left and
no sign of moderating weather. AT the
height of the storm al explosion was
heard, and smoke began to pour out
OF one of the matches.
James Coleman. the chief officer of
the vessel, rushed to the spot, accom-
panied by the third engineer. The two
dragged a hose betwee them and lost
no time in pouring Il stream of water
into the rising flames. Leaning over
as far as possible, the engineer pecred
down to see where the force of water
might be directed to the best advan-
tage. AS he did SO, feeling out with
the stream from the nozzle which he
held in his hand, a second explosion,
four times as powerful as the first,
shook the ship from stem to stern,
and threw her on her beam ends. From
the opening poured clouds of smoke of
peculiar density. heavily impregnated
with the odor of chemicals. When it
cleared, the chief officer was found
lying OF the deck unconscious and ser
fously injured. The engineer was not
found, but there We're evidences that
he had been blown to pieces, and that
the heavy seas had mercifully removed
nearly all traces of his terrible death.
Fire in Mid-ocean.
1t was a bad moment, but Captain
Rfpperth was equal to the emergency.
Before panic could result, he was
among his men. himself leading in the
work of battening down all hatchways,
despite the big waves which threat
SIiS W SSllQ MIN over llG size. TO
him came the ships carpenter, who re-
ported that the forward plates had
been loosened by the force of the eX-
plosion, and that the ship was rapidly
making water in the hold.
Fortunately the Rialto was on the
main road of travel across the Atlantic.
Her head was turned once more in the
direction of Queenstown and with sig
nails of distress displayed, she started
TO limp back, part of the crew ut the
pumps, the remainder fighting the
flames. Several hours later, at 8 O'Clock
In the evening, the C~arthaginian of the
Allan-State line hove in sight and an
swered the signals. She rounded to as
near he burning ship as the fearful
gale would permit, answering further
signals that she would remain near by
until morning.
All night long the battle continued,
men pouring water in, men pumping
water out. When morning broke the
sea was still running too high for the
boats to be lowered, and for the whole
OF another day and night the struggle
was continued. While the Carthaginian
lay by and promised succor at the first
possible moment.
Then, when all aboard were SO ex-
haGsted that they We're ready for death,
second officer determined to make use
of the one small BOAT remaining, and
show those on the Carthaginian that
the rescue. which must be made soon.
II ~ tlll, WAS DOSSlDle. lie called for
volunteers; and several sailors helped
him TO lower the cockleshell over the
side and to row her to the other vessel.
His story was told and immediately
mel set out in boats from the Allan
liner. After three trips the entire crew
of fire fighters was rescued, and the
CaTthaginian resumed her voyage west
ward, leaving the Rialto still burning,
now in several places at once.
Bark Struck by Lightning.
One OF he most remarkable stories of
the sea. which has yet to be told in
fitting manner is the story of the bark
Carrie T. Long. of Philadelphia. The
Long was one of a fleet of oil carrying
vessels plying generally between Phila-
delphia and Cuban ports. On May 6,
1895, she left Philadelphia with 147, 1872
gallons of crude petroleum for Havana
port was received, and a sister ship,
the Havana which followed close be-
hind her, was also posted as overdue.
e came news which explained the
delay.
Captain Rice OF the Havana renort-
ed that he had been signaled when
passing Gun Cay island, a small coral
dot among the Bahamas, and that put
ting in, he had there found several
members of the crew of the Carrie e.
Long, whom he had taken aboard. They
Informed him that four or five days
before, during a storm at sea, the bark
had been struck by lightning. which
killed Captain Henry Rolf, the first
mate and two Gamer and set the ship
afire. The remaining hands had made
their scape to the tiny island in the
ships boats.
In each of the cases given above,
the ships were either near land or di-
rectly in the path of others which
could be expected to come up with
them n render assistance. Not so
fortunate was the British ship Wynn
stab from Calcutta, bound for Phila-
delphia with 11,755 bales of jute in
the hold. Early in the summer of 1895
she found herself between ST. Helena
and Ascension island with fire burn
ing furiously among the bales of jute
on the starboard side. The only way
by which the flames could be reached
was to cut holes through the deck and
the flooring of the cabin.
When, after forty-eight hours of bat
tle with the suffocating smoke, the fire