Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-08-29
GREATEST STEAMER
 SWEPT BY FIRE Steamship Imperator Sus- tains Damage and Two
 Men Suffocated.
SUPPLIES DESTROYED
1,131 Steerage Passengers and 1,1sO Men of Crew Threatened By
 Flames.

New York, Aug 2S.-Flames swept the steamship ImpcratOr early today as it lay at it's Hoboken dock with it's crew and 1,131 steerage passengers aboard. Before the fire was subdued tons of water had been poured into the vessels hold and it had listed Is degrees.
 Second Officer Perished.
 Second Officer Gobrecht perished when he led volunteers into the hold to fight the flames. Smoke cut off his retreat and he was suffocated.
 When the army in the steerage heard the cracking of the flames they rush ed to the pier, where they were sur rounded by armed guards, because they had not been inspected by immi- grafton authorities. Later they were taken to Ellis Island.
 All Aboard Were Asleep.
 The great ship was dark, with all aboard asleep save the watch officers. when smoke. ascending fr0..-stt.e pro- vision room. was discovered.
 A quiet alarm was sounded. Com modore RuCsser, commanderin-chie of the vessel, was among the first to respond. The crew of 1,180 men were in their places within minute. The complex fire-fighting apparatus of the vessel was set In motion. Every com partment was ordered closed except those which it was necessary to leave open for the steerage passengers to get ashore.
 Steerage Passengers Stampeded.
 When the steerage passengers stampeded toward the deck, ships of- ficers and scores of the crew lined up along the route to safety. guiding the terror-stricken men and women to the pier, then with the ship clear, the en- tire force turned it's hand to exiting uishing the flames.
 fought fire with only the Jmperators apparatus, then 6 general alarm was sounded.
 Fire Fighters Cut Off.
 In the first sharp skirmish with the flames Second Officer Herman Co., brecht and Seaman Otto Stumpf, caught in the whitening breath of belch of flame, were cut off from the door by which they had entered. Their companions were driven back to open air. Although they stormed the flames again and agaln, the wall of smoke kept them from rescuing Gobrecht and Stumpf. When the fire was check ed their bodies were founc.
 The wisp of smoke curling into the second cabin when the flames were first discovered had by this time grown to a cloud. Through this cloud the Hoboken fremen rushed. dragging their hose. The dining saloon of the second cabin suffered the great dam- age from smoke and the firemen's passage. The handsome apartments of the saloon were wreck when the smoke cleared away.
 Despite the work of additional fire men, the flames gained headway. A tug, steaming down the river, reused the water front with it's siren. Fire boats from New York. fleet of tugs and another battery of fire engines from Hoboken rushed to the pier. A dozen tugs stood by to tow the ship out to midstream as the flames threatened momentarily at their height to- destroy 1t. preparations were made to cut the liners mooring when the fireboats began pumping water into the hold
 With fifty streams playing hun dreds of tons of water on the fire ev- cry minute, the flames were practi- cally subdued and the lmperator be- gan to list At 8 o'clock there were only two streams on the blaze and 1t was practically extinguished.
 Stumpf. thought to have been dead, was revived at 3 hospital. It was estimated the damage to the vessel would not be great, but Qnan- titles of supplies were destroyed. t was announced that the Imperator would sail Saturday.