Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-10
SAILORS FOUGHT FIRE
Atlantic Liner GuiIia Has a
Terrifying Trip.
CARGO ABLAZE ALL DAY
Hundreds of Steerage Passengers
Were Panic-Stricken.
CREW DROPPED AT THE PUMPS
Contest With the Flames Lasted
Nine Hours-Much Of Her Cargo
Was Thrown Overheard.
CREW DROPPED AT THE PUMPS

Special Dispatch TO The Stsr.
NEW YORK Octo, 10-A fire at
sea in the midst OF a raging storm was
reported by the steamship Guilia of the
Austro-American line which Trrived at
this port this morning. Fire broke out
about daylight on Thursday last while the
vessel was in latitude 1903, longitude
Al 10, and was not extInguished Until 3
o clock on the afternoon of the same day.
Though there was q panic among the
passengers, no one was injured, but for
the time the flames gained such headway
that the ships boats were prepared to be
lowered at any moment, and 1t was
found necessary to throw part of the
cargo overheard.
The GGilia left Trieste on September IA
last with twenty y-seyen passengers in the
cabin and 1876 in the steerage. After pass
ing Gibraltar on September Is she ran
into stormy weather and heavy seas, and
at dawn Thursday Capt. Cherubim was
hurriedly informed that fire had broken
out in the hold.
the southwest at the time and the men
worked with difficulty. Water was turned
in the hold, but the flames Were stub
born and conditions Were aggravated by
the hysterical condition of the women and
children on board.
A fre-hghting force was obtained and
the officers did everything in their power
TO calm the passengers. Volumes :
water were poured into the hold, and
parts of the blazing cargo were thrown
into the sea Through 1t all the storm
ragged. adding ID the terror of panic
stricken passengers.
Passengers in Panic.
With near.y 1000 souls aboard the YES
sell tossing in the storm. smoke pouring
from the hold and blazing bundles OF
merchandise being cast overheard, togeth-
er with the shrieking of the southwest
wind, the terror Of those on board was
indescriba BILE.
Mothers with their babies attempted to
chamber into the lifeboats, but were push
ed back by the crew. Cabin lassflgers
were more easily restrained. but the
throng in the steera2e, many OF them su-
perstitlous and coming to d strange land
knelt in prayer and begged to be allowed
TO enter the lifeboats.
L or over nine nOurS the fre det1ed the
efforts of the crew, who worked in re-
lays till they dropped at the pumps. Men
passengers who did not lose their heads
Joined in the work. aiding the exhausted
sailors in check,ng the flames.
Captain Kept His Head.
Water was poured down every hatch
leading to the seat Of the fire, and bIaz-
ing articles IL the hold were ripped open
with axes, drencned with water or taken
bodily Oh deck and passed kissing into
the water
When the fire first became known to
the captain he made every attempt 10
calm the passengers before panic seized
them. but with no land in sight and IRE
In tn" hold the situation was not con-
duciye to anything but terror, as many
passengers were already nervous from the
storm.
The Guilia left Triests September IA,
calling at Patras and Alneria After
passing Gibraltar September % the
steamer encountered stormy weather
with heavy seas. At daylight on the
morning OF October 3, while 100 miles
west OF the Azores Islands, one of the
crew discovered fire in the cargo at the
bottom of No. 2 hold. The wind was
blowing violently from the soUti west and
the Gui!a was laboring heavily Capt
Cherubini ordered part of the cargo brok-
en- out, and water was turned into the
hold, but the fire stuhbornly resisted the
efforts of the crew.