New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-08

two hundred feet and almost covered
the harbor When this cleared away
there was naught in sight. Where the
steamer had been loading. vessel, scow
and cars had disappeared. We hurried
TO the scene, but saw only wreckage.
Joseph P. Martin, superintendent OF
construction at Sparrows Point, VINO
when the explosion occurred, was
standing on the United States collier
Jason. is authority for the statement
that two white men and two negroes
were killed aboard the collier. he
does not know their names. They were
struck by flying pieces of iron and tim
Der. he says.
More Stevedores May Be Dead.
Besides the sixty or seventy )aborers
who are known TO have been on the
Jason, there were some stevedores, the
exact number Mr.. Martin does not
know. Some of them may have been
killed
Il was standing on the upper deck OF
the JASON" said Mr.. Martin. The boat
which exploded was at Fort Carroll,
two miles away | could see it.
Suddenly II seemed TO turn into
ball of fire, like magic. and TO leap
out OF the water. An instant later
there was the sound Of a terrific ex-
plosion. The air was filled with flying
pieces of iron and timber. which rained
down on the deck on the Jason, and the
water came in on us like a tidal
wave
r. J. Anstey, captain of the Alum
Chine, was in this city on business
when his ship was blown up. He
could assign no cause for the disaster
but did not credit the story related by
surviving negro stevedores that the eX-
piosion was caused when a workman
stabbed a hook into one of the dyn-
amite cases. The general theory of
the cause is that there was fire in the
ships coal bunkers, which spread to
the dynamite in the hold.
British Consul Fraser tonight de-
scribed the Alum Chine as 269 feet
long, with a forty-foot beam and OF
1857 tons gross burden. She was built
ut Cardiff Wales, in 1905. Most OF
her crew were from Cardiff. She left
New York on February &c, arriving
here March l. The steamer expected
to sail to-day for Colon. with load
OF dynamite to be used, it was under
stood. for government work on the
Panama Canal
For a radius of scores of miles the
shock of the explosion was felt. Re-
ports came early from many cities and
towns where windows were shattered
and 1t was at first rumored that dis
astrous earthquake had done much
damage at Baltimore. Reports also
came from neighboring states and it
was said that the entire state of Della
ware had felt the shock
Captains Heroism Costs Lives.
William, Il. Van Dyke, Of Baltimore,
captain of the wrecked tug Atlantic,
lost his life i'm horoically rushing TO
the aid of the imperilled British sea-
men in the doomed Alum Chine. and
his vain effort carried with him to
death many members Of HIS crew.
When curling smoke from the bow OF
the Alum Chine warned members Of
her crew, the stevedores engaged in
l. 81 he. A Z
lantic alongside that fire was raging
in the coal bunkers. there was instant
realization that flames soon would
reach the three hundred tons of dyna-
mite stored in the Alum Chimes hold
and the barge roped beside her.
Immediately there was rush to
tho ships side. Fourteen members Of
the crew and four of the stevedores
leaped over the rail and tumbled pel
nell into the launch jerome, which d
moment before had brought two fire.
men aboard the Inflated ship. All the
other members Of the crew and steve
dores who could reach the deck leaped
for the decks Of the Atlantic. The tug
and launch, cutting hawsers, were sped
away from the scene of the impend-
ing catastrophe, the Jerome picking up
speed first and rushing to safety.
The Atlantic had proceeded a few
hundred feet when two frantic figures
were seen clamber!ng from the Alum
Chimes hold They were sailors who
had been left behind Reaching the
side OF the vessel. they shouted piteous
appeals for rescue.
Captain Van Dyke. despite the knowl-
edge he must have had that hail Of
death would soon be pouring over the
harbor, needed the call of the imperilled
sailors. The engines were stopped and
the Atlantic wheeled and rushed again
10 tile fire-doomed vessels side. She
reached II in safety. The two sailors
jumped aboard.
Again the Atlantic wheeled. Captain
Van Dyke. standing in the pilot house.
gave hurried orders which once more
sent the tug toward safety. But 1t was
too late. The Atlantic's nose had
scarcely been turned toward open wa
ter when. with roar like the erup-
tjpn of n volcano. the death laden
yftais OF the Alum Chine exploded. The
concussion hurled all before II. A
dense pail of smoke envcloped the