Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-10-15


reach us in an hour and that quieted
them.
The Carmania sent us a message
to steer southwest by west to meet
her. but we had to steer before the
wind to keep the flames forward. The
within an hour or two thought we had
! them under control. | went up to take
an observation and fix our position
AS | came down the wireless opera
tor shouted that the Carmania had
been sighted.
The flames beneath the deck seem
ed to be under control but the fire in
the forecastle was gaining fast The
second officer and several sailors
went forward to fight it there. | met
the captain in the smoke. His eyes
had been badly burned and he was
half blinded.
Il ordered the stewards to bring
food to the passengers and it was
done. Then the Grosser Kurfuerst
by wireless asked if we needed her
help and Captain Inch, thinking he
had the flames beneath answered that
he did not need any more help. The
Carmania was nearby. Her captain
asked what he could do and Captain
Inch requested him to scout around
for the boats that had put off. She
circled about ten miles east and re-
turned without finding them.
"None of us had thought about the
eighty or ninety steerage passengers
in No. l compartment. We mad not
had time to do SO, we were so busy
fighting the fire. | don't know how
many of them were in their places
when the first explosion occurred, but
] fear that most of them were there.
They were cut off by the flames. We
can only imagine what happened to
them, as none of us were able to get
into that compartment again.
when it seemed that the flames
had died down somewhat the captain
tried to go into the sailors forecastle.
He found the bodies of four sailors
burned to death in the hallway. They |
had been trapped by the fire.
"The Seydlitz came up then and
lowered a boat. | saw 1t pull Off from
the ship, come half way to us and |
then turn around and go back. | did |
not blame them. No boat could live
in such a sea. The captain of the !
Seydlitz by wireless, said he would |
have to wait as the swell was too
heavy.
"The Carmanias said the same. |
The Carmania SO far as | knew, did J
not lower boat while she was near
us.
when the saloon and the first class
quarters caught fire we broke the for
ward windows and put the fire out
there. One after another the eleven
ships that stood round us came i'll
sight and offered help. But nobody
could help us in that gale. We had
10 fight our own battle.
"At 230 o'clock in the afternoon
fierce fire broke out in No. = com
Dartment We tried to chop through
he iron deck to get at it. but could
lot. Finally, the hatchways fell in
md then we poked hose and steam
pipes through them and poured water
N the fire. Captain Inch was des-
He turned to me and said: 1
lon't think she'll last long now iG
"He was groaning when he told me t
his. His eyes were almost out They t
we're SO badly burned that he could I
ot read and read the wireless mes \
ages to him. | had to force him to s
at. All he wanted was to save the
assengers. He had lost hope of saw a
ng the ship. t
"When the fire broke out in No. 2 c
he smoke rolled in black clouds in r
he bunkers. The engineers shut the
rater tight doors. The stokers could Il
OF work in the smoke and the coal II
upply was cut off by flames. So the Il
ngine fires died down. We used our il
ast ounce of steam to keep the wire p
5ss plant going. When the steam Il
'as all gone, we kept the wireless go
lg by hand generator The ship II
as left in darkness shortly after 2:3O c
clock. T
''There was no steam to keep the
jumps going and the flames rose high IN
:. 1t grew darker and hotter. At 8 c]
clock that night flames were shoot n,
Ig out of the saloon and lighting the w
ark water. The passengers were "
'owding the rails aft. 1t looked as if a
le end had come. The Grosser Kur-
Ierst lowered boat, then the Kroon- 60
nd lowered one They came as near n,
they dared but not near enough for a,
to throw them line. Had they N,
,me nearer they would have been IN
lattered against the ship. Captain
ch tried to shoot a line to one of IN
e boats with a rocket The rocket W,
lot up, leaving the line behind. A %
ark set off all our rockets. Almost th
e same minute there was terrific ~,
:plosion on the bridge. All our am no
unition had gone up. 90
Half dozen passengers jumped {
swim for the boats. Captain Inch =,
rned to me. If you see chance for w.,
ur life,' he said take it and jump ,tI
lie captain ordered all the passen- ~
RS to fasten on the life belts. They
so and became quieter. SUI
"Of the half dozen who jumped all lol
d lines about them and we pulled 'ii'
EN- back to the ship when we saw we
ey could not make the boats. 'ai
when the rockets all went up at th'
ce and the last explosion shook u.s. ne
e captain of the Kroonland, think 10