New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1912-01-03
DEADLY OIL TANKS
Ships That Are a Constant Men,
ace to All on Board,
DEATH Turks IN The CARGO.

DEATH Turks IN THE CARGO,
Besides the Constant Danger Of the Oil
! Heating and Exploding and Instantly
| Destroying tho Vessel There 10 Also
| the Peril Of Turning"
The most dangerous sort of ship
a6oat is that particular kind Of vessel
known as the oil tank. and there isn't
a sail0rman who will sign on for a
voyage. in one If he can get 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 to all on board-namely. that
the oil may heat and explode, which
means the instant destruction of the
ship. or that 1t 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 tuning" 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
ocean have occurred on board these
death traps.
A few years ago Russian oil tank,
the Omar, which sailed from Baum
bound for Rcmhav with 10000 gallons
Of oil on board. was sighted in the Pa
cific 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 FIVE men lying on the
deck. three Of whom were dead. The
other two were in q 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 a 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 tho crew Of
the German tramp penetrated With
great dimculty and danger to them
selves. for the oil was stil tuning. six
OF the oil tanks crew were found
dead In their hunks. where they had
been su6ocated BY the fumes in their
sleep. Three Of the crew had succeed
ID In reaching the deck. bot had died
subsequently.
The two survivors wefe the only two
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-
Renee a few years ago in mid-Atlan.
tic. During a heavy gale. in which
The Helios suffered very rough han
Hing in the mountainous seas. her oil
tanks, containing 10000 gallons of
crude oil. burst and flowed into the
ounkers. threatening to penetrate in
lew minutes into the f1reroom.
The crew flung themselves at the
pumps like madmen. The oil soon be-
.an to fume. and no man could keep
It the pumps for more than a few
without becoming overpower
ID. The captain of the Helios order
ID all the crew on deck. and four in
ties to work at the pumps.
The fight they made for their lives
vas one of the most desperate that -,
las ever been waged on the ocean, ..
Directly the tank had burst the fire. ,
nen had been ordered out of the fire.
Dom. There was no time to quench
be fires, for the firemen would GER
ainly have been suffocated by the
umes of the oil had they remained
Glow to do so. :,
For eleven hours the officers and
rev of the Helios worked like de- :
ions at the pumps. making the most .
efforts to keep the oil from =
eaching the fire room. By the end of :
hat time eight Of the crew lay uncon- -
:ious on the deck, overcome partly by :.
khaustion and partly by the fumes. =
It was now only possible to work two
( the pumps, and it became certain
lat. unless help arrived in another
our. the ship. with every living soul 4,
q board. would perish. It should be u
lentioned that every meboat on the
[elios had been damaged during the 9
:orm. :,
Half an hour passed. and by then Il
aly the captain and the mate were 8