New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-09
Merchants and Miners Ontario,
with Thirty-tWO Passengers
Aboard, 8eaChed at
M0ntauk Point.
WIRELESS BRINGS HELP
Captain's S Presence of Mind and
Courage of Grew Prevent
Panic - Storm Raging
When Blazing Craft
Is Run Ashore.

ablaze on the shoals Of MOntauk Point
at an early hour yesterday.
She is q vessel Of 3,OS2 tons. owned Ivy
the Merchants and Miners Line, and
had ON board thirty-two passengers
hound from Baltimore and Newport
News for Boston. According to late re-
ports received from the Ditch Plain
ufesaving station, which is three miles
west Of where the Ontario lies, smoke
was pouring ont Of her hold despite the
persistent efforts Of the crew TO smother
the fire. The steamship was only about
three hundred feet offshore and the
crew will be taken off by the lfesavers
when hope of saving the vessel is aban-
doned y persistent gale from the
northwest has been the chief obstacle
OF the fire fighters.
Wireless telegraph again played its
potent part i'm bringing help to dis
abled steamship. Calls of distress wers
sent out as soon as the fire was discOv-
cred. and Y the time the situation
looked serious for the Ontario's passen-
gers the tugs Tasco and Harriet from
New London. were alongside ready 70
take OFF all on board.
Most Of Passengers Composed.
Apart from the general uneasiness felt
by passengers on ii vessel that has COT
ton cargo smoulderng in her hold, there
was no panic Ten Italians who were
in the steerage compartment and spoke
no English became excited and tried 10
climb the foremost. but the composure
OF the Americans on board soon Calmed
them.
All travellers or the Ontario. with the
exception Of Miss Nellie Sheehan and
Miss Catherine +. Schwartz, who went
10 Washington. were taken to Boston
last night erom New London, where the
tugs landed them in the afternoon.
Thomas Barber and q. r. Merry,
agents of the line in Boston, went to
New London with W. T. James, the
purser, and Mrs. Mary Gallagher the
stewardess. accompanied the following
passengers to Boston:
ADAMS. Andrew Of Portland. Ne
BILLIONS. MI and Mrs Charles H. OF Wins
BOND Mr and Mrs. j. r. OF BOSTON
RoND. Mrs. w. J.. wife Of the on,aFlos cap
BoWDEN Fred A.. OF Troy. Ne.
CAHILL Nj End Mrs. A. T.. Of North "e'-
CANNON. i. O., Of NorfoIk.
GAAEEI&Ilr. Mrs arS'' n. j. j.. Of Fiosdeid Me
&E44E Is'@s Vr and Mrs oil rbariss o F.. Of Mad
PERRIN. Miss Mal,' Of Madhurv- \. IL :,
SANRORN Mr.. and Mrs n W of Dover, y H.
WEEK. zHt Na,han O.. Of i:ast Lax vile. \. II.
WINDLEY. r T.. Of Wilmington. y 9.
Although the fire was first discovered
at / 40 a. m. yesterday it is believed by
some Of the passengers that it had its
origin somewhere in the Chesapeake on
SATURDAY.. as the Ontario was heading
south from altimore for Newport
News.
No trace Of smoke was observed on
the run up the coast. About 1:3O
o'clock yesterday morning one Of the
sailors thought ne smolled smoke and
went forward to investigate. lie soon
saw that the ship was on fire and he
ran at once to the bridge and informed
R. c. Harding, the chief officer. He
was ordered to tell the master, and in
stantly Captain W. G. Bond was on the
bridge The skipper. who had had one
experience with fire, was not alarmed.
He knew his bearings and felt confident
that he could run upon the beach at Is
knots If the fire got beyond control.
Wireless Man Sticks to Post
Herbert Ingalls,, the wireless operator.
had just turned in for the night. but the
scurrying about on deck aroused him, |
and presently he was confronted by the
chief officer, who told him to send out
q call for help and 10 do IL as quickly
as he could.
Ingalls, rushed to his key and sent out
the code call IS o S" BY degrees the
heat from the burning forward hold
made itself felt in the wireless room
and he knew that his work must be
done quickly.
Judging from the intense heat. the
operator said, he did not know what
minute his room would break out in a
bIaze and put his instrument out of
commission. T~tting on his raincoat -
protect him from the heat. he sent out
MS calls. Meanwhile he got a report
from Captain Bond giving the Ontario's
exact position and he sent that out too.
TO make sure that the land stationq
would know exactly where he was In.
gals sent out the following message:
Flre aboard Ontario, Merchants and Min.
Sfs Line Between Montauk Point aud
SddSSachuSettS coast. Beyond control Nov,
heddlhB Tor M0ntauk Point Notify ovrrv
body. 'iS every
In a very short time the call for holm
had reached many points. Even the
navy yard at Norfolk got it.
Tugs from the Scott Wrcckin9 Cam
pany, at New London, the nearest town
were the first assisting craft IN arrive
A stormy SC. added to the ships perjl.
and the presence Of the tugs brought 4
feeling Of security TO the handful of mas
sengers, who had already been assured
by Captain Bond that there was nothing
10 fear. The revenue cutters Acushnet.
from Boston and the Mohawk. from
New YORK. were on their way TO the on
tario within half hour after ingalls,
sent out his first message. Later the
derelict destroyer Seneca was heading
from New York for Montauk Point.
IL was no easy matter TO direct the
Continued on second page, nfih column.