The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1912-04-27
DEADLY OIL TANKS
Ships That Are a Constant Men.
ace to All on Board.
DEATH Turks IN THE CARGO.
Besides the Constant Danger Of the Oil
Heating and Exploding and instantly
Destroying the Vessel There is Also
the Peril of "Fuming."


Destroying the Vessel There 10 Also
the Peril of "Fuming"
The most dangerous sort of ship /
saoat Is that particular kind of vessel
known as the oil tank. and there isn't
Il sailornnn who will sign on for
voyage in one II he can get u job on
board any other class of vessel.
/ The oil tank is vessel whose cargo
/ consists of oil. which Is carried In
great tanks. Two dangers are ever
present 10 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 eau remain below
deck for more than ten minutes with
out becoming overcome by the oil
fumes. which are n hundred times
more deadly to human life than coal
gas.
The most terrible tragedies OF the
ocean have occurred on board these
death traps.
A few years ago a Russian oil tank.
the Omar, which sailed from Batum
bound for Bombay with 10000 gallons
Of oil on board, was sighted in the Pa
cific by German tramp steamer nam
ID .k1, Natt no sas
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 ths-/captain Of the German
tramp sent boat to the silent ship
When the boats crew reached her
decks they saw Ave men lying on the
deck. three OF whom were dead. The
other two were in Il 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 TUNED on
board the oil tank. probably at night
and TINT the two men in state OF
collapse were probably the only sur.
vivors of the disaster. This subse-
quently turned out to he 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 Tuning. siS
of the oil tanks crew were found
dead in their hunks. where they hat
been suifocated by the fumes in thell
sleep. Three Of the crew had succeed
ed in reaching the deck. but had diet
subsequently.
The two survivors were the only TIVE
on deck when the fumes burst from
the tanks and In their efforts to saw
the others had very nearly perishe'
themselves
The crew Of Norwegian oil tanl
named the Iielios had terrible expe
rience Il few years ago in lnid-Atlan
tic During Il heavy gale. in whicl
the Helios suffered very rough han
ding in the mountainous seas, her oil
tanks, containing 60.oOO gallons o
crude oil. burst and flowed into tn
bunkers threatening to penetrate in
few minutes into the 6reroom.
The crew flung themselves at tn
pumps like madmen. The oil soon be
gan to fume. and no man could kee
at the pumps for more than fey
Minutes without becoming overpowel
ed The captain OF the Helios order
ed al the crew on deck. and four
their turn went below every five mil
utes to work at the pumps.
The fight they made for their live
was one of the most desperate thf
has ever been wagcd on the oceal
Directly the tank had burst the fir
lneu had been ordered out OF the ir
roou There was no time TO quenc
the fires, for the hremen would &c
tainly have been suffocated by IL
fumes Of the oil had they RENAME
below to do so.
For eleven hours the officers al
crew of the Helios worked like d
mons at the pumps. making the mo
desperate efforts tn keep the oil fro
reaching the fire room. BY the end
scious on the deck. overcome partly
exhaustion and partly by the fumes.
1t was now only possible to work Y
of The pumps. and it became certa
that. unless help arrived in anoth
hour. the ship, with every living Sc
on board, would perish. II should
meut ioned that every lifeboat on
Heios had been damaged during t
storm
Half an hour passed. and by tn
only the captain and the mate we
working at the pumps. The destr'
ton of the vessel was now only ID
ter of minutes. II was at this critic
juDcture that the oil tank was sight
by the Majestic OF the White Star IL
aud twenty minutes later the crew
the doomed ship were safely on bos
the liner