The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-11

ian FRANTIC PtSSENGERS FIGHT
FOR THE GVLEt'y BOATS

the crew Fight thr FIaBes In the
Hold and the snip rights . nj ess
Gale 81 WAS . Twelve Hour Job to Put
Ont the pire-Then the v int Dropped.
The Austrian steamship Giulia came into
port yesterday with 7s3 passengers. nearly
all in the steersgc. n cargo Of grapes and
figs q crew Of eighty men and an experience
which Capt. Cherubin says he never wants
over again. The Giulia was on fire eight
days out from Gibraltar and from $50
O'Clock in the morning until after S in the
afternoon the crew were fighting the flames.
he ship was fighting q gale and high head
seas and the passengers were fighting for the
boats.
The Giulia left Trieste on September II.
Early on October 3 First officer Joanni
Ribanch was on the bridge and the wind
was blowing a whole gale from the south
west. Seas often broke on board. but the
Giulia 10 30 arranged that the water rum
on and does little damage.
Rbarich saw q thin cloud Of smoke COM
ing out Of = ventilator forward and traced
IL to No. 2 forward hold. He sent word
to Capt. Cherubin and CALLED all hands.
The hatch covers Of No. 2 hold arc tween
decks and around these covers about $40
passengers were sleeping. When the sailors
got the hatch covers on thick smoke belched
a then tongues OF fame.
At that there was q wild scramble Of pas
sengers from their berths. Some had
partly dressed. others were in their night
clothes. Women caught ur their children
to what they thought would be the safest
places. The scare soon got aft and o
tho 100 odd passengers were on deck. Some
prayed. Others rushed TO the boats and in
a twinkling had ripped OF the canvas covers
and crowded into the craft. There we're
twelve boats and al soon as these were
crowded those who could not get in fought
for the life RATS.
The crew had little time to give to the
passengers. The officers tried 20 assure
them hat there was 10 danger. but Don
concluded that while the passengers we're
on deck lighting each other they were u
OF the way OF the men fighting the flames.
and 90 left them there with Just suficient
guard to keep them from attempting to
launch the boats. The main deck matches
into the hold In volume. When the flames
were somewhat subdued sailors entered
he hold and fought them. At times the
fro threatened TO drive them out. but they
sturdily held their posts. IL took twelve
hours to conquer the flames and then there
and the weasel was rolling badly in the
high seas. Tackle Vas rugged on the fore
mast and barrel after barrel OF cargo was
hoistsd and dumped overheard. In all
800 barrels were turned loose on the At
lantic.
All this time the passengers had hung
on to their places in the boats as IL they
were tickets to Paradise. The passengers
were we and cold. Few had anything
TO eat. Some few had joined with the
sailors in fighting the flames.
All night Capt. Cherubin kept a watch
in the hold In case the fire should start
again. and next day the water was pumped
out. The storm hen abatcd.
Tho vessel Is not much damaged. The
fire seemed TO have confined itself TO the
cargo. and how 1t started IL a mystery to
all. The Giulia 10 owned by the Unione
Navigation Company Of Trieste.