The Washington herald., 1910-04-08
THOUSAND In PANIC
ON BURNING LINER
Baby Killed and Score Hurt
in English Channel.
SEVERAL FALL INTO THE SEA
All Rescued After Captain and Crew
OF EmiErant ship, Bound for
America, Signal Two Other Ves-
sells 20 Aid, Which Transfer Pas
sengers in Fight to Save Lives.

London April with nearly a thou.
sand people on board the steamer Cairn-
roma. from London for Portland. Me
caught FIRE in the English Channel this
morning.
There was panic among the passen-
| gers, who were chiefly Russian emil
! grants, ard escape fran a great tragedy
was only due to the officers and crew
keeping their heads and foreibIy holding
the terrified passengers under control. A
child was killed and several persons were
injured by explosions.
The Cairnroua was of Beachvhead AZ
$50 a. m, when one OF her boilers burst.
Her bunkers caught fire. Several women.
SOME nursing children, were sitting on q
| hatch on deck when a violent explosion
/ blew off the hatch, hurling the women
and children in all directions. Some.
were badly hurt. A child was killed
outright by falling on the iron deck.
Sections of the shattered hatch struck
several of the passengers. causing
wounds. Nine Of the crew below were
also injured by the explosion.
Panic Becomes Rife.
Panic Immediately seized the passen~
gers, men and women running frenzIedly
about the deck, gesticulating and scream
ing. The officers vainly tried TO calm
them. A thick black smoke poured out of
the hold. The officers signaled for help.
and the signals were seen by the steam
er Kanawha, from London for Halifax.
and the Swedish steamer Upland. These
two vessels bore down on the Cairnrona.
whose captain transferred his passengers
10 them.
1t was then the crew were compelled 10
do their utmost TO prevent the passen-
gers from trampling upon and throwing
one another into the sea. Wild fights
ragged for several minutes around the
davits as the Cairnrona's boats were be-
ing lowered. Men fought women to Sc
cure places. While the women shrieked
Historically and several of them tainted
The officers took prompt steps. and
forcing their way with part OF the crew
among the struggling maniacs, fened sew
eral men with their fists and threw 9TH
ers across the deck. thus clearing d space
for the women and children.
Several Fall Overheard.
After that everything went smoothly.
except that some of the emigrants in
their haste to leave the steamer fell into
the sea. from which they were rescued
with difficulty The Cairnrona's, Kanaw-
has. and Upland's boats promptly trans
ferred all the emigrants to the Kanawha
and Upland. The crew stayed by the
Cairnrona and finally got the fire under
control.
The refugees were landed at Dover this
evening. There were about $50 steerage
and a number of cattlemen
returning to America The British At
lantic fleet happened to be at Dover.
Prince Louis of Battenberg, its com
mander. was giving a dinner on the
flagship when the refugees arrived. He
broke up the company and, with his wife.
officers, surgeons. and sailors went to
the pier to help. Numbers of the ref
ugees We're exhausted by hunger and
cold, especially the 4o0 on the Upland
whose resources were meager. Ali had
TO stay on deck in a keen north wind. |
Hot rations We're served from the feet |
and from the hotels The injured were
taken to the hospital.