Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-03-26

and nearly fifty sailors and firemen
Unfortunately the explosion Of the
stokehold had killed the chief engineer
and one of his Juniors, while six stok-
ers were dead and several injured.
1t was discovered that before he died
the chief had shut off steam and thas
prevented the accident from assuming
far more serious proportions. The sec
ond engineer, a Newcastle man named
| Walker, who rushed to the engine
room at the first Indication Of mis-
hap. found his chief lying in collapse
on the lever platform. Walker prompt
| Iy opened certain levers, which allowed
| the steam to escape freely; then he
carried his comrade out of the spume
| to the deck. 1t was too late Partial
suffocation had placed too great a.
strain on diseased heart. By the
| time DR.. Christobal was summoned a.
brave man was dead.
Courtenay, who had left instructions
| that he was to be called when the
| Eyangeiistas light was sighted, was
! sound asleep. In the elevated quar-
| tiers assigned to the captain the noise
| of the explosion differed little from the
thunderous blows of the sea. but the
stopping of the engines awoke him in
stantly. He felt the ship lurch away
| from her course and saw the quick
swerye of the compass Indicator over
| bis head. AS he ran down the gang
way leading from the bridge he heard
| the officer of the watch saw.
Something given way in the engine
room, sir"
Several minutes elapsed before be or
Walker, aided by willing volunteers
could penetrate the depths Of the
stokehoId. The place was charnel
house. sitting pit, filed with the
charred contents of the furnaces. which
gave off the most noisome fumes ow-
ing to the rapid condensation of steam
and water escaping from the damaged
| pipes. But the gale raging without
served one good purpose in driving
! plenty of air down the ventilating
| cowls. Gradually the choking atmos-
phere cleared. Courtenay was the first
/ to reach the IoWermost rung of the
iron ladder, whence he looked with
the eyes Of despair on scene Of death
! and ruin.
The electric light was uninjured II
| revealed the bodies of several men,
/ either dead or insensible, lying amid
the scattered COAL Shovels, sticking
rods and pieces of iron plate had been
| hurled about in wild confusion. The
/ door of one furnace was blown clean
out of its bolts, furnace bars ard fire
/ bricks strewed the iron deck, while
each time the ship rolled the heavy
! clank of loose metal somewhere in the
engine room proved that the damage
was not confined solely to the stoke
hold.
! If Courtenay could have dropped
| quietly into the sea through the stout
| hull OF the Kansas he would have well
coined the certain result of that bitter
moment But he was the captain. and
men would look to him for salvation.
Well. he would do all that was possible
and, at any rate, die at his post. So,
choking back his misery, he organized
| the work of rescue. Sings were form
ed Of ropes, and those men in whom
any signs of life were visible were the
/ first to be lifted to the upper deck
The stokchold was quickly emptied Of
its inanimate occupants. Living and
| dead alike were carried to the I'M
tenanted second class salon forward.
Then Courtenay left Walker to solve
| the puzzle of the accident and report
on its extent, while he climbed back
to the bridge, there TO tackle the far
more pressing problem of the measures
/ to be adopted if he would save his
ship.
It was typical of the man that his
! first act was to wipe the CRIME of the
stokehold off his face and hands.
Then he drew a chart from the locker
in which he had placed it two hours
earlier Mr.. Boyle. who had been at
tending the signals both by siren and
rocket, Joined him. Courtenay pointed
to pin mark In the sheet.
eve were there at O'clock" be
said. and his voice was so steady that
he seemed now to be free from the
least touch of anxiety. .sThe course
was south-40-east. and against this
wind and sea. together with strong
current to the nor'east. we would make
eight knots under easy steam. There
! fore by s O'Clock, when the furnaces
blew out. we were here"
He jabbed in pin little farther
down the chart. Mr.. Boyle grunted
agreement.
/ "HuhI' he said.
Courtenay glanced at a chronometer.
at is now a quarter to o. he went
on, "and / reckon that since the ship
swung round we have been carried at
least six knots to the nor'east."
"Huhr' growled Mr. Boyle again. but
he bent trifie nearer the chart To
his sailors eyes the situation was quite
simple. Unless by Gods providence
some miracle happened the Kansas