Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-10
FACED PERIL C0OLLy
Capt. GIeaves Praises Men of
the North Dakota.
TESTING OIL AS A FUEL
Defect in Feeding Possibly Cause Of
the Explosion.
BRAVE EFFORTS AT RESCUE
Even Injured in the Fireroom Did
All They Could to Save I'm
periled Comrades.
TESTING OIL AS A FUEL
BRAVE EFFORTS AT RESCUE

NORFOLK. Va. September 10.-Seated
in his Office on the North Dakota, while
the board appointed to Investigate the
accident was celebrating at n round
table not ten feet away. Capt Gleaves
paid the highest possible tribute to the
men and Officers Of his ship. who went tn
the rescue OF their wounded comrades
and who aided I'm averting the biggest
disaster the navy might have ever known.
Capt. GIeaves remarked that the ship
he commands cost between $11.O0O,0U
and s12. OCOODD. and there are about 300
officers and men on the vessel. and 1t
was fully understood as soon as the fire
was reported that all these lives were at
stake He said he never saw officers and
men spring so instantly TO obedience as
they did after Thursdays accident.
Oil New as Fuel.
No expression OF opinion could Re OBJ
tanned from Capt. Gleaves as TO the
value of the oil-burning machinery In use
on the North Dakota. He declared 1t
would be improper for him to comment
on the system OF oil-burnng machinery
installed But he asked Lieut. Com
mander Orrin Gould Murfin. senior en-
gineer of1cer OF the North Dakota, to
explain what he knew of the accident,
and this Is what Commander Murfin said (.
"Oil fuel is new TO all OF us. ! did
not want the oil-burning machinery
used on this trip. until could give 1t
my personal attention. l had two of
the chief machinists on the station
with me, Warrant Officer Andrews and
McDonough. The three of us We're
looking out for the test. and we had
tried the oiI-burning machinery twice
before. once when we were at anchor
and once when we were under speed
at sea.
when we tried this machinery at
sea the Temperature in the fireroom
was so hot that we could not stay
there. That was the first time we
had ever had the oil-burning machinery
going.
Only One Boiler Going.
Thursday. when we tried it. we had
only one boiler going and l intended
to test for experimental and instruc-
ton purposes. We wanted to show
the men how to use it.
1--WE got everything all ready. took
every precaution possible. and thought
started and the pressure put on, and
personally went to watch the oil spray
out Of the burners. l regulated two
OF the sprayers with my own hands
and just as i was getting the thirt
started there was mass OF hame ano
the tragedy occurred.
Two or three things might have caused
this accident. The gauge glass on the
oil tank was found broken. Whether this
glass had been broken before or whether
1t was broken by the internal heat during
the fire we will never know. If this glass
was broken before the fire there is a
reason for what caused the accident. be-
cause the break would have allowed tho
oil to escape into the fireroonl. where il
found heat enough to catch fire.
Another possible cause was a leak in
the Oil line. They have not been willing
on this ship to let me go into the fire.
room since the accident. because of the
damage to my head. / am told. however,
fused, SO 1 do not know that there is
any way to tell whether there were any
breaks in the pipe line or not.
Air Valve Found Closed.
LAS third possible cause of the acct
dent, 1t occurs to me that the oil-settling
tank has an air cock on top for releasing
air when filling the tanks. If that valve
or air cock should have been open, that,
of course. would have allowed the oil to
escape I am told, however, that this
valve was found closed.
These comments have been what /
have testified to before the investigating
board"
Commander Murfin shares with several
other men the honor Of being q hero of
the accident. When the fire was reported
to him he did his best to get into the
boiler room where the fire was. Within
few feet of him at the time was War
rant Officer and Chief Machinist T. c.
McDonough. Commander Murfin escaped
with singed hair and face, but McDon-
ough is more seriously injured and lies
with the other injured men on the Solace
II has been decided to keep all the injured
men on the Solace.
In addition to Mr.. Murfin. Midshipman
G. X. Stoddard is the second of two COM
missioned officers injured. He inhaled
considerable gas. but while still suffering
severely he will recover.
Made Attempt at Rescue.
Patrick Reid. chief water tender. after
Commander Murfin and Midshipman
Stoddard found themselves unable to get
into the burning boiler room. made an
attempt on his own part to rescue who
ever might be i'm the room. He succeed
ed only i'm bringing out the bodies of the
three men who were drowned, caught as
they were. like rats I'm a trap, and who
died, although they did not know IL at
the time, to save their comrades and the
ship.
Three men-James Sprout. fireman;
Max Grybowski. fireman. and Jerry Shan
non. water tender-were on top of the
boiler whose machinery caught fire and
struggled through the flame and flooding
water to safety. They show little effect
of their terrible experience
A telegram from Fort Monroe has been
received by relatives here from E. W.
Andrews, machinist on the North Dako-
ia. who formerly lived in Washington,
denying that he was seriously injured.
Am feeling fine," says the telegram.