Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-08

streets fearing the villages were about
to be destroyed In several instances
persons were thrown to the street.
Capt. Van Dyke a Hero.
William E. Van Dyke of Baltimore,
captain of the wrecked tug Atlantic.
lost his life in heroically rushing to the
aid Of the imperiled British seamen 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 loading
her and the crew of the Atlantic along
side. that fire was raging in the coal
bunkers, there was instant realization
that flames soon would reach the 500
tons of dynamite stored in the Alum
Chimes hold and the barge roped be-
side her.
instantly there was a rush to the
ships side. Fourteen members of the
crew and four Of the stevedoreS leaped
over the rail and .tumbled pell NELL into
the launch Jerome that had a moment
before brought two fremen aboard the
Inflated ship. All Of the other members
Of the crew and stevedOres who could
reach the deck leaped for the decks of
the Atlantic. The tug and launch. cut
ting hawsers, were sped away from the
scene of the impending catastrophe, the
Jerome picking up speed first and rush.
ing to safety.
Piteous Calls for Aid.
The Atlantic had proceeded few hum
dred feet when two frantic figures were
seen clamoring from the Alum Chine
hold. They were sailors who had been
left behind. Reaching the sides Of the
oh III
rescue.
edge he must have had that hall OF
death would soon be pouring over the
harbor, needed the call of the i'm
periled sailors The engines were
,, stopped. the Atlantic wheeled. and
! rushed again to the fre-doomed ves-
sells side. She reached 1t In safety.
The two sailors jumped aboard.
Again the Atlantic wheeled, Capt.
Van Dyke, standing in the pilot house.
gave hurrer orders which again sent
late.
Like Roar of Volcano.
| The Atlantic's nose had scarcely been
| turned toward open water, when, with
D roar like the eruption of a volcano
the death-laden vitals of the Alum
Chine exploded. The conclusion hurled
all before it. A dense pail OF smoke
enveloped the waters, and when 4,
cleared away the ship and barge had
disappeared. and the Atlantic, dis
mantied hulk, helpless on the surface
of the bay, had become a human
shambles
Death in dreadful fashion had de-
scended from the sky. The Alum Chine
had been torn into shreds, and boxes
of dynamite mingled with the flying
i fragments Of steel and timber filled the
air These fell on the packed decks oil
the Atlantic. the dynamite exploding
as II fell and sweeping them as q
charge of shrapnei levels charging
| troops. 4
Heads and Limbs Torn OF. =
Mems heads and limbs were torn from
their bodies. Blood was eysrywhere
From ships and launches nearby wers
| seen dismembered bodies flung across
/ and tumbled about the Atlantic q. decks
Capt. Van Dyke gave his Hfe for hfl
/ severed. was among those recovered b,
i the rescuers, and was one of the firs
Identified when brought to this city
/ With him died Joseph T. Hood, steve.
dore, whom his ship first had rescued
Il and Robert Diggs. q member OF hi,
! crew, who had stood beside him wher
n the explosion occurred.
/ Those who escaped death In the ex
plosion brought vivid but disconnected
accounts of the explosion when the.
reached this city with the dead ant
Capt. ]. r. Thompson. captain OF tn,
new collier Jason, which tomorrow wa
tn have taken her trial trip, had a mar
row escape, when hurled boxes OF dyna
mite crashed onto the Jason's decks am