The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1912-02-09
DEADLY OIL TANKS
Ships That Are a Constant Men.
ace to All on Board.
DEATH Turks IN THE CARGO.

SVoH SyuS Au0 VVSoSt SuSI0 70 NAV
the Peril Of "Fumins."
The most dangerous sort Of ship
afloat Is that particular kind of vessel
known as the oil tank, and there isn't
q sailorman who will sign on for a
voyage in one if lie can get job on
board any other class of vessel
The oil tank Is a vessel whose cargo
consists Of oil. which is carried in
great tanks. Two dangers are ever
present to all on board-na1nely. 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 "fun,ing." When the oil
fumes" the working of the ship be-
comes almost impossible. On FUN.
lug" 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 Batum
bound for Bombay 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 battling distance of the disabled
ship. but no reply came from her in
response to his hail.
Then the captain of the German
tramp sent 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 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.
of the oil tanks crew were found
dead in their hunks. 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
subsequently.
The two survivors were the only two
on deck when the fumes burst from
the tanks and in their efforts to save
the others had very nearly perishco
themselves.
The crew Of Norwegian oil tank
named the HeIios had terrible expe-
rience few years ago in mid.Atlan
tic. During n heavy gale, in which
the Helios suffered very rough han.
ding in the mountainous seas. her oil
tanks, containing GO.OOO gallons Of
crude oil. burst and flowed into the
bunkers, threatening to penetrate in a
few minutes into the freroom.
The crew flung themselves at the
pumps like madmen. The oil soon b'-
gan to fume, and no man could keep
at the pumps for more than few
minutes without becoming overpower-
ed. The captain of the Helios order
ed all the crew on deck. and four in
their turn went below every five min
utes to work at the pumps.
The fight they made for their lives
was one Of the most desperate that
has ever been waged on the ocean.
Directly the tank had burst the fire
men had been ordered out of the fire
room. There was no time to quench
the fires. for the firemen would Ger
tainly have been suffocated by the
fumes of the oil had they remained
below to do so.
For eleven hours the officers ana
crew of the Helios worked like de
mOIlS u lAe pumps, AIdNIuS TIE uiost
desperate efforts to keep the oil from
reaching the fire room. BY the end Of
that time eight of the crew lay uncol,
seious on the deck, overcome partly by
exhaustion and partly by the fumes.
1t was now only possible to work two
of the pumps. and it became certain
that, unless help arrived III another
hour, the ship, with every living soul
on board, would perish. 1t should BE-
mentioned that every lifel,ont on the
Helios had been damaged during the
storm.
Half an hour passed. and by then
only the captain and the mate were
working Mt the pumps. The destruc-
ton Of the vessel was now only a mat
ter OF minutes 1t was at this critical
juncture that the oil tank was sighted
by the Majestic OF the White Star line,
and twenty minutes later the crew of
the doomed ship were safely on board