The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-08
Steamer Ontario Is Driven
Ashore by Her Captain
With a Fierce Fire Raging in
Her Hold.
PASSENGERS ARE TAKEN OFF
Crew Remains on Board to
Battle With Flames.
News Comes Ashore That Fight
Has Been Won.

Ditch Plain Life Saving Station. L
l.. April S.-The steamer Ontario.
1000 tons burden. Baltimore to Bos-
ton. with Is passengers and a crew Of
40, was run on the rocks or Montauk
Point by her captain early today when
fire was discovered in her hold.
The passengers were transferred In
lifeboats to the tug Tasco, from New
London, Conn. which rushed to the
scene In response to the Ontario's S.
O. S. wireless signals and. after six
hours work, the fire was brought un-
der control
The vessel is hard aground, with a
light sea running and but little wind,
and there is little danger, apparently,
Of her going to pieces.
Life savers hovered near the vessel
In their boats all morning, ready TO
take off the crew, but Captain Bond.
when the fire was under control said
there would be no need for their SER
vices.
A breeches buoy was shot to the
vessel from the shore when she first
went on the rocks at o'clock this
morning. but the captain. after trans
1errlng the passengers to tug, cent
word by life savers that his crew
would remain aboard.
Long before daylight they had chop
ped dozen holes through the pilot
mouse and water was pumped by the
vessels own engines into the hold. BY
O'Clock Captain Bond sent word
ashore that the fire had been checked.
Fire Started During the Night
The fire started during the night and
became so threatening that shortly be-
fore o'clock this morning Captain
Bond ordered the wireless operator to
send 8 o: S. distress signals. An hour
later he turned back upon his course
and drove the vessel full speed ahead
tor the reefs off Montauk Point.
Through the early morning hours
the wireless sputtere along the entire
North Atlantic coast with news of the
vesseIs danger. Ten minutes later the
men at this station saw the ship on
the rocks, hurried off with a breeches
buoy apparatus and later dragged their
surf boat on its truck three miles over
the beach to the burning steamer.
The life savers, reinforced by a crew
from the Hlther Plain station, two
miles away. transferred the passengers
in small boats to a tug and stood or
in readiness to take the crew ashore II
need be.
Although the flames could not he
seen. great cloud Of steam and smoke
arose from the burning ship and
spread haze .Cns the water front
for miles. Captain Bond told the life
savers that the fire was confined en-
running and there was little wind The
hull of The vessel was badly blistered
on the outside.
The Ontario is a vessel of 1887
tons net. She is 290 feet long, of
steel, and was built in 1904. She left
Baltimore Saturday.
The revenue cutters Mohawk and
Seneca licked up the wireless call at
New York and the cutter Acushnet. at
Boston, hurried to the scene Thev
were able to give but little assistance.
however.
At $40 o'clock Captain Bond sent
word ashore that the fire was under
control and the vessel was then hard
aground and apparently in no danger
of breaking. The tuz Tasco. with fhe
Ontario's passengers aboard. was then
still alongside. It was reported that
the passengers would be landed at
New London, Conn.
A wrecking tug is on the way here
from New York.