Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-28

| bridge. Almost at the same moment
| the cracking of flames was heard in
the steerage quarters.
A quiet alarm was sounded. Com
modore Reeser, commander in chief
| of the vessel, was among the first to
respond. The crew of 1,1S0 men were
in their places within minute. The
complex fire-fighting apparatus of
the vessel was set in motion. Every
compartment was ordered closed ex-
cept those which 1t was necessary to
leave open for the steerage pas
sengers to get ashore.
steerage Passengers stampede.
The stampede Of steerage pas
sengers toward the deck checked for
q moment, the fight against the
flames. Ships officers and hundreds
of the crew, lined up in two columns
along the route to safety, guided the
terror-stricken men and women to
the pier. With the ship clear, the en-
tire force turned it's hand to ex-
tinguishing the flames.
FOR tfree-quarters of an hour they
fought the fire with only the I'M
perator's own apparatus. Then, de-
spairing of success the Hoboken fire
department was notified and gem
eral alarm was SOunueu.
In the first sharp skirmish with the
flames Second Off1cer Herman Go
brecht and Seaman Otto Strunts,
caught in the whitening breath of a
belch of flame, were cut off from the
door by which they had entered.
Their companions were driven back
to open air Although they etormed
the flames again and again, the wall
of smoke kept them from rescuing
Gobrecht and Strunts. When the fire
was checked their bodies were found
and taken ashore.
Gobrecht and Strunts, like the rest
of the fire-fighting force were
equipped with smoke masks. hose and
ropes which served as guide lines.
Get Help from Hoboken.-
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 flremen rushed,
dragging their hose. The dining
saloon of the second cabin suffered
the greatest damage from smoke and
the firemen's passage. The hand
some appointments of the saloon were
wreck when the smoke cleared
away.
Despite the achievements of the
firemen the flames gained Roadway. A
tug, steaming slowly down the river,
reused the water front with its siren.
Fire boats from New York, fleet OF
tugs and another battery of fire en-
gines from Hoboken rushed to the
pier. A heavy cloud of smoke swung
iazilv over the vessel and settled
down on the water
dozen tugs, floating nearby, were
held in readiness to tow the ship out
to midstream as the flames threat
ened momentarily, at their height, to
destroy her. Preparations were made
to cut the liners moorings when the
fireboats began pumping water into
the hold.
With fifty streams playing hum
dreds of tons of water on the fire
every minute the flames lost heart
and the vessel began to list. At
O'Clock there were only two streams
on the blaze and 1t was practically
extinguished.
The second cabin presented a dis
NAL appearance when the smoke lift
ed. Its walls and gilded fittings were
smudged and dark, it's costly rugs
and carpets sodden, its furniture
scarred, sblackened and broken.
The damage to the second cabin,
according to hasty estimate. was
greater than that to the provision
room and hold, although only pains
taking examination could reveal the
extent to which the vessel had suf-
fered 1t was said that the Imper-
ator's sailing tomorrow might have
to be postponed. She arrived here
yesterday.
One thousand longshoremen. en-
ployed by the Hamburg-American
line, the Imperator's owners. went
on strike forty Eight hours before the
vessels arrival. Their places were
filled by men from Brooklyn docks
and the strikers were told that they
would not be taken back. Officers
of the line said, however. that they
believed the strike was in no way
connected with the fire. Somebody's
carelessness, they thought, had been
responsible.
The Imperator has suffered several
rnishaps, more or less serious, since
her launching May 20, 1912. Her
maiden trip was postponed from
month to month. first because she ran
aground while on her way to Ham
burg, and then because of trouble
with her turbines. A benzine explo-
sion occurred on board the vessel
April "a which caused the death of
two men and serious injury to six
othVio. fhCpOIlS may I1dfn-
burg said the Imperator had been
gravely damaged by vandals
The Imperator is the largest ship
ever built. and 1T was claimed that
she is nearer fireproof than any other
ship afloat. She was launched at
Hamburg. May %. 1912. the German
kaiser christening her. Cable ac-
counts of the ceremony called atten-
ton to the fact that Emperor Will
lam made no speech. which was a
disappointment to the spectators. 1t
was reported. however, that an adj
dress was omitted because the Titanic
disaster was fresh In his mind
The giantess passed the break
water at Cherbourg, France, on her
maiden trip across the Atlantic at
9.45 p. m. on June H. She passed
| the Ambrose Channel light at 10:4S
o'clock on June IS and anchored at
Quarantine at 1889 o'clock.
All that night she lay in the Mar
rows, her lights like a city on a hill
side. and in the morning steamed
river. greeted by screaming sirens
of all steam craft In the waters She
carried on that first trip 3.450 passen-
gers, $50 first cabin, 400 second cabin,
1000 third class and 200 Storage.
| New York was greatly excited over
the presence of the immense vessel
at her pier in Hoboken and on the
days visitors were admitted there
was a great crush of men and women
eager to go aboard the wonderful
mistress of the seas.
| While she lay at the Hamburg
| American piers, preparing for her
return trip to Europe. there was a
rumor that the firemen, stokers
| trimmers. stewards and others in her
army of employees might go on a