Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-07-08
HUNDREDS IN PERIL
REPETITION OF SLOCUM DIS
ASTER AVERTED BY
HEROiSM.
CAPTAIN DOCKS STEAME Err
Officers Calm Passengers While En-
gines of Antiquated Excursion
Craft Speed Her to Dock Fifteen
Minutes After Fire was Discovered.

The excursion steamer Grand Re-
public, sister ship to the Gen. Slo-
cum, caught fire Wednesday after
noon on it's way up from Rockaway
Beach to the Battery, carrying more
than 100 passengers. For time
New York thrilled with dread, re-
Numbering the 1,031 lost on the
| steamer Slocum in 1904. Bulletins
flashed through the city with amaz-
ing speed, telling how the Grand
Republic was heading for shore
wreathed in a pail of smoke That
many lives would be lost seemed GER
tain.
But in happy contrast to the story
of the Slocum, everything today
went we'll. Capt. Edward Carman
did not lose his head. He proved
himself true sailOrman, stuck to
his wheel and brought the antique
| three-decker into the Crescent Ath-
let1c clubs dock safe and sound, eX-
cept for little scOrching.
Every man jack of the crew kept
his senses and did his work, whether
1t was manning the fire lines or
calming the passengers (mostly
women and children, and they all
came through what was a dangerous
situation with flying colors.
The Grand Republic, which is one
| of the marine old-timers of the port,
having been built in 1878, makes
two trips day to Rockaway Beach
and return. 1t is 800 feet long, a
side wheeler, and can carry 300
passengers. This morning it took
1900 down to the sea shore resort,
and then heading for the Battery
again, picked up these 100 or so.
At 1:50 O'Clock there was a puff
of smoke from the galley, which is
on the starboard side of the boat,
we'll toward the stern. Capt. Car
man was notified of the blaze and
Immediately sounded the alarm bell
and got the entire crew on the job
Captain Carman waited until he
saw the lines form along the decks,
then he quietly took the wheel away
from Pilot John Anderson, swept the
bay with his keen eyes and picked
out the Athletic clubs dock as the
most likely landing place. He rang
down to the engineer for all possible
speed. By that time Sam Howard
the engineer, had heard what was
the matter. He spread the word to
his assistants and his stokers and
they all turned in and accelerated
the slow old craft to her top notch.
Soon a cloud of black smoke burst
from below decks and assembled to
where the passengers were sitting.
Some rose from their chairs, but the
minor officers of the boat were ready
and walked about saying: .
Please don't get alarmed. There's
a little fire way down below in the
kitchen. 1t don't amount to any
thing, but we are going to make
shore anyhow" ... -,.., ii.
In three minutes the smoke be-
came SO dense that it wrapped the
entire stern of the Grand Republic
and made her look to people ashore
as though she were doomed =.
AS the boat headed in shore the
excursion steamer Cygnus, of the
Coney Island line, made for her side
and stood alongside all the way in.
The Perseus, another Coney Island
boat, followed a short way behind.
Then five minutes before the burn
ing vessel got in small fleet came
alongside. Every one of them had
boats ready to go overheard and
strong swimmers stripped to plunge
to the rescue.
Still smoking hard, but with the
fire under control of the crew. the
Grand Republic came alongside the
landing about fifteen or eighteen
minutes after the first alarm was
sounded. The gang plank was run
out and the passengers were put
ashore quickly.