The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-23
Steamer MomuS, With Fire
in Hold, Gets Aid of
Sister Ship.
SING ALL NIGHT.
TO KEEP COURAGE
Passengers Behave Bravely After
Original Excitement Is
Ouieted-

CHARLESTON. s. c.. July Z5--The
snap and flash Of the wireless sending
! out the "S- O. 5" cau-the nigh sea CRY
| f0r heIp-tOday resulted In the saving Of
/ scores OF lives after flames broke out
( OF the 5,G1o-ton coast liner MomUs,
I owned by she Southern Pacific Com
pany, OF the Florida coast
News Of the disaster was received here
( in wireless dispatches
The COUus. a sister ship oeI0uEiuz 20
/ The same line. ansW cred the call. stand
f in2 by while the passengers were trans
/ ferred.
The adViCes sent out while the vessel
{ was ahIaze IN twelve farhcus Of water,
said that there was minimum OF con-
fusion among the passengers and nat
nearly all. especially the women acted
with heroisn- from the time the flames
were discovered until they were safe
aboard the relief ship.
There were sixty passengers on board
and a crew Of I25 men.
The NouUs plies. like he Comus. be
tween New York and New Orleans. She
made her irst trip IN Novenh r. 1906;
OF steel. 40 feet long she was built in
PhilsdelDhia by Wuiauh Cramp and
Scrs- Her beam is So feet and her
depth 80 feet
She LETT New York last wednesday
with a large passenger list and a GOOD
cargo OF freight she was due in New
Orleans late tomorrow OF early Monday.
Fire Well Advanced.
The FIRE was well advanced when dis
covered yesterday afternoon. For a
time efforts were made TO keep the sit
uatiOn from the knowledge OF the uas-
seDEers, but eventually this became EL
possible, as the blaze gained headwav.
In the meantime the wireless had been
splttinS out flashes necessarily When
IL was seen that the passengers would
Inevitably have TO know the situation
the answer Of the Comus was picked
up She was bound up the coast from
New Orleans
Capt John Boyd. Of the MouuS. -
dered all hands TO fight the fire. IL was
impossible TO penetrate the fauir- hold.
so the matches were battered dow and
the pumps kept seins incessantIy, focd-
luE the compartment
The vessel was compelled to sIaclze7
speed and then lay TO The life hoats
were got I'm readiness TO take the pas-
senEers ashore II was proposed 20 land
them on the sandy but rreacherOus
beach, If necessary
Sing All Night.
4 few Of the passengers went TO the
aid Of the officers, cooperating in
maintaining cheerfuIness. All through
the night anxious groups Of passeng gers
huddIeC on deck. but some were IN
duced 10 20 20 bed
The saloon was turneI over 10 those
who preferred 10 stay awake and two
score passengers sang al night while
one Of their number played the piano
When the CouUs came up at las, end
her master, Captain EIaxson. s5ss-zls5
that he was ready TO take aboard all
passengers. the condition Of those on
the Nomus vas as good as couId be
expected Some Of the more nervous.
however. were in a state bordering on
collapse
The small boats Of both ships were
put 10 the task Of transferring the men
women. and children from the Momus-
Today the blaze was got under control
Fear OF ITS hdTl1g I'D should air be al
lowed TO enter the compartment pre-
vented fCe opening Of the matches for
The time being however
Until the hold could be searched afIer
( the process Of sDoIherIng should be
abandoned no definite estimate Of the
damage could be made, according to the
officers
Rude investigations however led 70
the statement -Eat the EuI OF the YES
sci was not dana ged, and that she
probably could make port without diff
Guilty under her own steam