Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-09-09
FIRE ON WARSH|P K|LLS3
Eight Others Injured In Acci-
dent On North Dakota
THE FEED PIPE LEAKED
Ship Was Making A Test OF SuppIeme n.
tsry FneI--Extent OF Damage To
Vessel Not Known


Vessel Not Known
The North Dakota, one of the larg.
est and most powerful battleships OF
the navy, had fire in her fuel oil
system yesterday while in Hampton
Roads. Three coal passers of the
fireroom crew were killed and eight
other enlisted men were injured.
The accident occurred during a test
of the fuel oil apparatus under boiler
No. /, which is used to supplement
the coal supply. The exact cause of
the fire has not been ascertained.
Engineer officers of the Department,
however, believe that there was a
leak in the pipes and that the oil was
ignited by sparks from the furnace.
The victims of the accident were
removed to the hospital ship Solace.
The extent of the damage to the ves-
sci has not been ascertained The
dead are:
Joseph w. Schmidt, coal passer. en-
listed in New York October 25,
1909. Next of kin. mother, Anna
Schmidt, 104S Decatur street, Brook
lyn, N. Y.
Robert Gilmore, coal passer, en-
listed at Newport. r. l., January 10,
1910. Next of kin, mother, Nellie
Gilmore, Seyms street, Hartford,
Conn.
Joseph Streit, coal passer, enlisted
at Grand Rapids, Mich. in June, 1907
Next of kin, father, Peter Streit, 80
Bremen street, Newark, N. ].
Subsequently stated he had sister,
Amelia L. Letsche, IL Cook street.
Ansonia, Conn.
The following were injured: Chief
Machinist E. w. Andrews, of New
York; Machinist T. G. McDonough, of
New York; Charles C. Roberts, ma
chinist's mate, first class, of Boston !;
Sebastian ]. Wittwer, fireman, Sec
ond class, of Philadelphia; James A.
Brady, fireman, first class, of New
York; Leo F. Pioroek, fireman, second
class, of Chicago; John G. Morrison,
fireman. first class, of Boston; Fred
p. Kinney. fireman, first class, of
TOWNSVILLE, Cal.
The accident was reported to the
Navy Departmnt ate yesterday after
knoon by Rear Admiral Seaton Schroe-
der, commander in chief of the Allan
tic battleship fleet. His despatch
was as follows:
"U. S. S. Connecticut,
Fort Monroe, Va. Sept. 8.
Secretary Navy, Washington, d. C.
while North Dakota under way
approaching Hampton Roads fuel oil
caught fire No. 3 fireroom, apparently
near settling tank. Oil fuel, being
used for test at time and only on
boiler /.
''Three dead: j. w. Schmidt,
Joseph Streit, X. Gilmore, all coal
passers. Next of kin have been noti-
fled.
injured: Machinist J. ii. Nc.
Donough, Chief Machinist's Mate F..
w. Andrews, Machinist's Mate C. c..
Roberts, Firemen S. ]. Wittwer, J..
A. Brady, F. p. Kinney, j. G. Morri-
son, l.. +. Piorock.
"All injured will recover. Dead
and injured transferred to Solace.
No estimate possible yet regarding
injury to boiler. Ship anchored be-
low Thimble Shoals. Will probably
come to Roads tomorrow. Have or
| dered board of investigation.
SCHROEDER.
The accident to the oil fuel system
of the North Dakota is the first of the
kind that has occurred in the navy
since oil as an auxiliary fuel was in
troduced few years ago.
Under the system in use in the navy
the oil is conducted through pipes to
settling tank, which is located in
the fire room. This tank is for the
purpose of allowing the water to be
separated from the oil.
From the settling tank the oil is
forced through pumps and sprayed on
the live fire under the boiler. The
oil fuel enables ship to get up steam
faster than by the use of coal alone
and also effects an economy in the
coal consumption.
From the brief report of the acci-
dent telegraphed by Rear Admiral
Schroeder, engineering officers of the
Navy Department believe that the
accident must have been due to leak
| in the oil pipes in the fireroom. The
exact cause of the fire will not be
known, however, until the investigat'
ing board completes its work.
The North Dakota has been in com
mission only about six months. She
is commanded by Capt. Albert
Gleaves, former naval aide to the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
I 10 - hnf Ia
ship only few weeks ago. The NORTH
Dakota was built at the yards of the
Fore River Shipbuilding Company al
Quincy. Mass. Her displacement j:
20, 900 tons. She carries a main bat
terry of ten 12-inch guns.
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