Bismarck daily tribune., 1912-01-04
DEADLY OIL TANKS
Ships That Are a Constant Men.
ace to All on Board.

ace to All on Board.
Besides the Constant Danger Of the Oil
Heating and Exploding and Instantly
Destroying the Vessel There Is Also
the Peril of "Fuming.'
The most dangerous sort Of ship
a6oat is that particular kind of vessel
known as the oil tank, and there isu't
sailorman who will sign on for a
voyage in one if be can get job on
board any other class Of vessel.
The oil tank Is Il vessel whose cargo
consists Ut oil. which ia carried In
great tanks. Two dangers are ever
present to all on board-namely. that
the oil may heat and explode, which
means the instant destruction Of the
ship. or that it may burst from the
tanks. in which case the ship is almost
certain to be destroyed by fire.
There is also the remote danger of
the oil "fuming." When the oil
fumes" the working Of the ship be-
comes almost impossible. On FUN.
ing" oil tank no one can remain below
deck for more than ten minutes with.
out becoming overcome by the oil
fumes. which are hundred times
more deadly to human life than coal
gas.
The most terrible tragedies Of the
,cean have occurred on board these
death traps.
A few years ago Russian oil tank.
the Omar, which sailed from Batum
bound for Bombay with 10000 gallons
Of oil on board. was sighted in the Pa
ciflc by German tramp steamer NAM
ed the Velter Fend The Omar was
flying signals Of distress and when
sighted was apparently completely dis
abled, for she was making no head
way.
The sea was quite calm. and the cap
tain Of the velter Fend approached
within hailing distance Of the disabled
ship. but no reply came from her in
response to his hail.
Then the captain Of the German
tramp sent a boat to the silent ship.
When the boats crew reached her
decks they saw I've men lying on the
deck. three Of whom were dead. The
other two were in a state Of collapse.
but alive.
The mate Of the German tramp. who
was in charge of the boat. at once
guessed that the oil had "fumed' on
board the oil tank. probably at night.
and that the two men In state OF
collapse were probably the only sur
vivors OF the disaster. This subse-
quently turned out to be the case.
Below the decks. which the crew Of
the German tramp penetrated with
great difficulty and danger to them
selves. for the oil was still fuming. six
Of the oil tanks crew were found
dead in their bunks. where they had
been suffocated by the fumes In their
sleep. Three of the crew had succeed
ed in reaching the deck. but had died
u0 I"O SVOiS "CIC IuC OAAy WV
on deck when the fumes burst from
The tanks and in their efforts to save
the others had very nearly perished
The crew of Norwegian oil tank
named the Helios had terrible expe-
rience a few years ago In mid-Atlan'
tic. During heavy gale. in which
The Helios suffered very rough han.
1ling in the mountainous seas, her oil
tanks, containing G0.00O gallons Of
rude oil. burst and flowed into the
threatening to penetrate In a
few minutes into the 6reroom.
The crew dung themselves at the
pumps like madmen. The oil soon be-
gan to fume. and no man could keep
It the pumps for more than few
minutes without becoming overpower-
I'd. The captain Of the Helios order
I'd all the crew on deck. and four in
heir turn went below every Owe min
ties to work at the pumps.
The fight they made for their lives
was one of the most desperate that
186 ever UeSU "dSeU VI k0e VCcaAu'
Directly the tank had burst the 6re.
men had been ordered out Of the 6re-
.oom. There was no dme to Quench
he fires. for the 6remen would GER
;ainly have been suffocated BY the
'umes Of the oil had they remained
,elOw to do 80.
For eleven hours the officers and
rev Of the Helios worked like de-
mons at the pumps. making the most
desperate efforts to keep the oil from
'eaching the f1re room. By the end Of
hat time eight of the crew lay uncon'
'cious on the deck. overcome partly BY |
exhaustion and partly by the fumes.
1t was now only possible to work two
u the pumps. and it became certain |
hat, unless help arrived in another
,our. the ship. With every living soul
~ board. would perish. 1t should be
mentioned that every lifeboat on the
aelios had been damaged during the
torn.