The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-26


On ahs PlsF-snie BADLY Smoked ~
bal WIN ne Able e aaIl On Time TO-dAy
A ArO In thu cotton slowed In lower
hold No. Of the North German Lloyd
steamship Rsins Friedrich Wilhelm. lying
at hsF pisr In Hoboksn. gave the Offioers
and crsw Of the vessel and the entire
hFs department Of HobOken lively
fight last night. The blazs was Conhned
70 The compartment In which Il started
and although the ship was badly smoked
up and suffered considerably from the
thousands Of gallons Of water which were
poured in. Herman Winter. the passenger
agent Of ths line. said after the tire that
abe would sail on schedule time to-day.
she has booked fOr.passagO Os1 cabin and
coo stes1ge passengers.
The l0ngshoremsn were still busy hoist
ing In cotton 10 No. 5 hold under the
supervision Of Second Onlcsr Bensch
when the frs was discovered at To
O'Clock. The first puHs Of smoke were
followed by burst Of fame which came
almost before Second Ohacsr BensOh
could order the cali 20 FIRE quarters.
Capt. Prehn and his officers had the
crew at work fighting the blaSs with
several Of the ships hose lines at once.
but the fro Was beyond control and
an especially vicious squirt Of fame drove
stohh0 faces Of the crew.
BY this time Chief Dunn had arrived
Al the bead Of the HObOken fro depart
mGnt--live engines. one chemical and
three hook and ladder companies. The
fromen stretched In long lines Of hose
from outside tho dock shed and began
pouring water into No hold. The
smoke became 30 heavy that Il was
thought best 20 try 20 get the hatch cover
on the hold and fight the blaze from NO.6
The flames he'd been smOthered enough
TO make this possible. but when the crew
and flreman opened the bulkhsad door
Of No 9. which opens into the second
cabin. they were met by an Outruah Of
smoke that dropped many Of thu fremen
In their tracks.
Seeing several Of his men fall Chief
Dunn, giant 10 size and strength. pushed
bic way into the hold and pulled out Frank
Duifsy and Carl Lsoefler Of Engine S.
He was dragging Dennis Levy out When
the smoke got him and he dropped with
the others. He was rescued by the crew
Of the ship, who were now taking an active
hand in the fight
The buIkhead vas shut in a hurry a.
soon a. the men were out and the siremen
went back to take up the fight In No. S
hold. pouring IN water from above after
the batch was again lifted, N apite Of
The change Of base tireInen and sailors
were dropping every minute from the
effects Of che fumes Of the burning cotton.
Capt. PREM was among those who went
down and those who kept their feet were
put hard 10 Il Ia carry out those who
were overcome and 90 keep on fighting the
fire AZ the same time.
Ambulances were called from w. Mary's
Hospital and police wagons we're hurried
10 the dock 10 help carry 10 the hospital
those who did not respond 10 treatment
on the dock. A corner Of the dock itself
was turned into a temporary hospital.
and six ships doctors from the various
ships of the line and Of other lines nov In
port worked over the unconscious men.
Fifteen Of the firemen we're taken 10 50.
Marys and Il was said late last night that
al of them would recover. Chief Dunn
was revived on the dock They tried 70
keep him % the ship for a time. but he
broke away from the doctors and went
back 10 lead bic men.
In spite % all the water being poured
ia by the HObOken flremen. who we're now
reinforced by the D.. l.. a W hreboat
Washington and the fireboat Willett
which had been sent over from New York,
the fire continued 10 eat its way into the
cotton bales. There wers 80 bales In
hold No. s. and more In hold No. g. and
m order both 10 take away the fuel and
save AZ much Of the cotton as possible
he lOnguhOremSn and crew we're set 20
work hosting out all the bales which
Il was possible 20 get a hook on. The
screeching OF the derrioks a. the men
tOiled az hosting out the cotton ADDED 30
the general confusion. but IL was so0n
seen that the smoke was growing lighter,
and the men worked with renewed fOroe
in the clearer air.
BIT IL wasn't until they turned steam
into the hold that tho fight was won. and
the stream Of men carrying disabled msn
to the dsCk stopped making la way down
the gangWay. Al 10 O'Clock it was an
nOUnccd that the FIRE was under control.
but Il was thought best 10 keep the hAtChos
Of holds 8 and 9 battsned down for a
time while the steam completed tho job.
To thOss who boarded thu Prinz Fried
rich Wilhelm during and after the fire Il
didn't appear probable that tho ship
could be cleaned up in time 10 sail at 10
to-day. bat Mr.. Winter was positive that
she would Az any rate the German
sailors and stewards will have a hno
Job Of houssclsaning. Dock Superin-
isndent FriedFicks. after looking at the
smoke and water stained saloons. said
that Il would take a week 10 get things
shipshaps.
No estimate Of the damage done could
BE- obtained last night. Mr.. Winter aAid
that he vas quite sure that there would
Be none outside hat done N the cotton
IN No. hold. An Investigation showed
that the Ere WAs caused BY q short CIR
Cuitsd slaCtgis wire.
Tho PrinE Friedrich Wilhaln - the
second in sine and one Of the newest %
the North German Lloyd. She was put
= .a-.u.t-~f.u 6a uerwa aanN $50 = ..sn,-