Evening journal., 1913-03-08
DYNAMITE DEATH
LIST NOW AT 80
Continued From FIRST Page.

tion, saw smoke from the Alum Chine
IN time TO snap at the instant of the
explosion and bring in pictures of the
column Of debris at exact moment the
steamer went into the air
The disaster, Which was one OF the
most terrible in the history Of this
section of the country, caused a dam
age which is estimated at $150,00O.
New Collier Jason RlddIed BY Debris.
The handsome collier Jason, which
had but recently been completed by
the Maryland Steel Company and
which was to have been turned over to
the United States government in a
few days, was riddled by Huge frag-
ments Of steel and iron catapulted
from the steamer Alum Chine, bring
Ing death to several members of the
crew Of the collier and working terri
BILE havoc TO the ship itself
The Jason is valued at $1,000. 900,
but # Is not thought that the loss to
her will amount TO more than $4,000
Work Of restoration will take some
months, however necessitating a long
delay before the vessel is turned over
TO the government Secrtary Of the
Navy JOsephus Daniel has notified
the company that the builders must be
responsible for the loss. The com
pany sent a letter to the secretary, re-
GREETING the loss of life The head
Of the navy promises to make a full in
yestigation.
Steamer Rent Into Thousand Pieces.
The Alum Chine was itself rent into
a thousand pieces by her death-dealing
cargo The ship leaped into the air
Then there came crash and fare
fragments Of iron, steel woodwork
and cases that had contained the ex-
plosive were hurled hundreds of feet
into the air and the ship-or what was
left of her-~sank beneath the waters
The Atlantic Transport tug Allan
tic, the crew Of which heroically at
tempted TO save the men on the
steamer and the steyedores who were
at work ON the barge beside t. was
caught IN the path Of destruction and
burned 10 the waters edge. her cap
tain, William Van Dyck. and her mate.
Henry NJ. Diggs, paying for their brav-
cry with their death. The loss of the
Alum Chine is placed at $4,000 and
that Of her cargo at $1,000 The Allan
tic was valued at $4,000 A carfloat
which was near the steamer, turned
turtle and disappeared from view. Its
loss is placed at 81 600
Quarantine Hospital Suffers Heavily.
The Quarantine Hospital at Wag-
ner's Point suffered heavily from the
shock and the explosion. Every win
Il flt oh
doors were torn from their fastenings.
Patients al the hospital were hurt by
falling glass,
Those who were witnesses of the
scene, describe the explosion simply
as a roar and a flash that mounted
seemingly hundreds of feet in the sky
The fragments of steel and iron fell
like meteors into the harbor. bringing
death and injury and terror to all who
were within range
Many of the men who were on the
Alum Chine and on the barge from
which the vessel was being loaded
We're caught face to face with the
selection of instant death through the
flames or explosion or a fight for life
in the swirling waters.
Tried to Save the last on Board.
The heroism of Captain Vandyke
and Mate Diggs. Of the Atlantic.
stands out as gripping picture of
men who we're willing to risk their
lives TO save others-though they
were fully cognizant OF the danger
they were facing in their attempts at
rescue.
The tug, which was near the Alum
Chine when the fire broke out, had al
ready saved number of men of the
crew and was putting off. when two
others on board the steamer sent out
cry for help The Atlantic put back,
placed the men on board and was
backing away when caught in the ex-
plosion and sent recoiling away, a
verltable pyre. The act Of heroism ON
the part Of the two men probably cost
the lives of others on board the tug,
who had been taken from the Alum
Chine a few minutes before.
James r. Goodhues, his brother Je-
rome and several companions who
were In a launch near the scene of the
explosion. saved nearly 80 members
of the crew of the Alum Chine and
the stevedores on the barge.
Tugs DO Valiant Service.
The tugs Britannia. the Curtis Bay
aud the Mary p Riehl and the re-
venue cutter Guthrie all did yeoman
service. These vessels we're in the
neighborhood of the ill-fated steamer
and Immediately put on full steam to
her assistance. The Guthrie went to
the Quarantine Hospital for a ply
sician to attend the injured and dying
ON board the Collier Jason, and then
hurried to shore to send for ambul-
ances and physicians. Collector OF
the Port William +. Stone hastened
to do all in his power to render as
sistance and sent the cutter back 70
cruise about the spot where the acci-
dent occurred for the purpose OF pick
/ ing up bodies Of the dead
Cause Not Fixed.
Just how the accident happened
may never be known. .It is thought
/ however. that fire. the origin of
which was due to spontaneous COM
bustion, started in the coal in the for
ward bunkers of the ship. The flames
spread TO the dynamite stored in cases
between decks, the cases resting on
the coal which served as a cushion
I for the explosives.
No Wrecknge Found Afterward.
In evidence OF the terrible character
of the explosives there was not q
particle of wreckage TO be found
about the place where the Alum
Chine. the Atlantic and the barge
went down save a few oars thought tC
( be from the Alum Chine and a few
blackened boards from the burned
tug
As soon as the crews Of the tugs