The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-21
PASSENGERS AID
CREW TO FIGHT
FIRE IN VESSEL
Twenty-one Tourists Spend
Sleepless Night on Steam
ship Berkshire
BURNING STEAMER
ROLLING IN GALE
Wireless Calls Brings Help
But After Twenty-four
Hours Battle 1t Is
Declined

-f2RE OIAfAf N<A-s wv 'N>N
fro smouidering In her holc. the Mer-
chant and Miners steamer. Berk-
shire, from Philadelphia for savan
nah. Is tonight rolling In a raging
northeast gale in Lookout cove, near
ssarc Lookout, her twenty-one pas
sengers aiding the crew and the life
savers In. an attempt to subdue the
flames. The boat has been on firs
for nearly twenty-four hours. but Ii
believed TO be under control. Tn
less II should become more serious
the passengers will probably remain
on board ali night. or until the sea
subsidies sufficiently to permit them
to be transferred to one of the sew
erai vessels that have reached the
scene OF the FIRE.
Again the wireless denspnstfated
its efficiency. the steamship Apache.
of the Clyde line. being at the side
Of the burning berkshire one hour
kytsst ii arA picked np the ALARMING
have so far been confined to the for
uard freight hold. With the as
sistance of life savers. who reached
the boat under the greatest Difficult
ties. some OF the freight was removed
from this compartm and the
flames are being Fought w4th the
ships equipment
Spc0d slcepaess Night.
There are twenty one passengers
On tire H4rkshire. most Of them tour
lists. hDunA from eAtgAdAlpnia 10 ga
vannah. From the time tho IRE was
DISCOVERED in the hold OF the ship a.
IL o'clock last night. until late this
afternoon. no efae Of, the BeFhshiFt
dared go 10 sleep. The crew Of the
berkshire tried for many hours last
night to aubiue the flames. but the'i
efforts met with little success. TIL
matches were battened down BECAUSE
II was feared that the flames would
he famed by the high ws,hes sweep
ing the coast, and soon get beypnc
eoufr0i
Wireless appeals were sent out anf
ssveral ships heard them The Clyde
line steamer. Apache. was the first tic
respond and within one hour fran
The time she heard the first appeal.
was alongside the Berkshire. She
reached the steamer at o'clock tnn
morning. and has been standing ts
ever since.
The revenue cutter. Seminole
which WAS $50 miles from Cape Look
out. WAS informed by wireIeas of the
Berkshtre's condition. bat being 81
4 Tar away, she did no, reach. the vessel
until tonight.
n Cuasaant Comm unicatiou.
ThA Rerisaaire. all during the night
ard today. hA3 been in constant com.
mnnisAf1Dn with other ships. and Of
flciatx u the Merchants and Miners
transportation company in .Raiti-
more and Norfolk, notifying them Of
her condition.
che received many offers OF as
distance from ships that heard he:
calls but with several craft already
standing by. she declined the proffer-
ed aid Of others.
Tho steamers Merrfnlac and Fred.
es4ck. OF the Merchants and Miners
Httc, answered the Berkshire's calls
Tor assistance today. and it In prob
able that an EFFORT will be made TO
transfer the passengers TO one of
these vessels tonight, the sea per
milling.
Flames Under Control.
The latest message from the Berk-
shire stated that the IRE was still cvn-
hned 10 The forward hold. which Ii
i.N ~ us laht Sne names were
prac.cails Under control but that
inc sn.p Was badly damaged
Messre reports received In tl.s city
teu ~ night OF terror spent b. pas
sengers On tho burning ship. With
sinoke pouring from the closed
natcnes Of the ship. and her; decks hot
from the arc. the .passe9Esss were on
the .vsrgA 3f panic. D<sptte thu AZ
sut1nces o. ofiicers that the ship
would reach port safely, the passen-
1e1 refused 70 M connfofted. and
many 0l them vented 30 b. taken on
peard the Apache Waen she .oo-.ad
pp out Of the IarkneeA
= =. AJnrhe SeandH nv.
81 MAKE matters wot1e. the cap
taIn 9. ne berkshirs sent out wire