The San Francisco call., 1908-09-19
The Injured
SPECIAL prspArcH 10 THE CALL


VALLEJO. Sept. 1S.-Fire fiaring sud-
denly from the waters OF the bay at
Mare island trapped so men like rats.
members of the submarine fotilla crew.
on a floating workshop of the seawall
shortly after noon today. The flames
came from the gasoline floating on the
surface of berth %, the refuse emptied
from the tanks OF the submarine Gram
pus and Pike. A cigarette stump is
supposed to have started the fire. A
naval board of inquiry probably Will
determine the exact cause
The Grampus and the Pike were
moored off the shop. which was on a
float at the foot of the seawall. To
the north OF the float. 80 feet away. lay
the steamship Arethusa. tender for the
Atlantic fleet in its voyage TO the Pa
eifc- To the south, with its stern
against the float. lay the naval tug For
tune The tug Leslie. in charge OF
First Glass Quartermaster Meers. lay
at the Mare island wharf
On the float the crews of the two
submarines. numbering 30 men. were at
lunch The officers were on the For
tune and ashore. The crew had spent
the morning in overhauling the bat
teries OF the submarines and in pump
ing the gasoline from their tanks The
gasoline went into nine large tanks on
the float. 500 gallons Of il. Its sedi
ment had been emptied into the bay and
f1oated on the surface. 1t surrounded
the float and the submarines
WATER BECOMES SEA OF FIRE
1t was just after lunch Some one is
supposed TO have lighted a cigarette.
There was a pun of fame. At once the
water around the floating workshop
was a sea of fire. 1t beloved and
roared and Tapped eagerly at the sur
rounding woodwork.
The men on the float were hemmed In
by this billow of flame. II had risen
and had become a devouring tornado
AS they comprehended it. it caught the
gasoline in the tanks and these again
exploded.
The men leaped into the flaming wa
ter They leaped. and in leaping they
dived deep and swan beneath the blaz-
ing surface As they came TO air they
struck out for the tugs.
May could not swim Bystanders who
had run to the place found him drifting
toward the tug Fortune. He had
plunged beneath the fire and had come
to the surface on its edge. He lifted
his burned face toward the sky. and
SdHk- lie came u view again. f1lS
eyes showed the agony he was suffer
ing He sank again almost alongside
the boat
Lieutenant Dodd OF the Fortune was
on the seawall- He saw May He
leaped 20 feet from the walk into a
boat, struck 1t by a miracle Alone he
rowed into the sea OF flames. The fire
sin ged his hair and burned his face.
but he fought valiantly for May. who
had sunk for the last time.
MEN LEAP FOR SAFETY
OF the others on the float the bum
boat boy. who had been selling fruit
to the crew, was seen to leap over
board; then his hat was seen floating
on the water The laborer was not
seen from the beginning OF the fire.
So suddenly did the catastrophe over
whelm that there were no details. One
minute these men, were eating lunch
on the float A few feet away were
the two submarines with three or four
sailors IN their open hatchways: then
came the wave of flames The men on
the submarines began closing the
matches. Those on the float leaped into
the water A sentry turned in an alarm.
The guard ran from the gate and the
fire department OF the navy yard re-
sponded.
The tenders Fortune and UnadiIle
were mass Of flames aft The Leslie
was some distance from the fire. The
to quarters and fought the fire. For
save their ships The Arethusa was