The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-08
Scores Are Injured, Some of
Them Fatally, and Property
Loss 100000
CAPTAIN RUNS TUG
INTO DEATHS JAWS
Speeding to Safety. He Hears
Call for Help, Turns His
Vessel and Goes to
His Doom

BALTIMORE, March s.-~FiTty"IouF
known dead. others probably. whose
bodies are buried In the ICY waters OF
the harhor. and scores of injured,
over many OF whom death hovers,
represent the human toll Of one ex-
ploston OF 800 tons OF dynamite in
the hold Of the British steamship
Alum Chine. off Fort Howard this
morning, The money loss probably
will total $4,000
BY a curious Irony Of fate, IL was
the instinct of mercy and brave men y
gallant responses to the appeal of
TWO Of their fellows IN imminent and
deadly danger that sweiied the death
list, and the list Of terribly injured TO
their CHASTITY proportions.
smoke Warns Crew.
Curling smoke from the bow Of the
Alum Chine warned the members of
her crew. the stevedores engaged IN
loading her. and the crew OF the tag
Atlantic. lying alongside, that death
was In the air. In the hold of the
steamship and aboard a barge roped
to her side were more than 400 tons
Of dynamite Every man who saw
the thin spirals Of smoke knew In an
instant The coal bunkers of the Alum
Chine were on fire. and that within
few minutes the. heat and flames
would reach the dynamite
There was rush to the SHIPS side.
Fourteen members Of the crew and
four of the stevedores tumhled aboard
the little launch Jerome that just be-
fore had carried out two or three
rev frenen. Most Of the other sea-
men ana the stevedores leapsVi for
the decks Of the Atlantic. Hurriediy
hawsers were severed ard tug and
launch sped away from the doomed
ship.
Turns Back On Appeal.
The Atlantic was but a few hun
dred feet away. but rapidly reaching
"a place Of safety. when two figures
were seen clambering from the hold
Of the Alum Chine. They were two
sailors who had been left behind
They reached the sides Of the vessel
and hanging to the ropes sent up
piteous appeals for help.
The appeals found response De-
spite the danger that menaced him.
and his vessel and the knowledge that
within few minutes "a hail of death
would be falling around. Captain VIII
liam F.. yandyke. Of the Atlantic,
heard and needed the call. Standing
in the pilot house of the Atlantic he
gave the orders that turned the tugs
nose again toward the doomed steam
ship. speeded to the rescue and took
the two seamen aboard.
Death In An Instant
Then again the Atlantic sought
safety, but sought it too late, With
"a roar the dynamite exploded. For
81 moment n dpNEe patt nj smoke COW
cred the waters, When il cleared
away ship and barge had disappeared
and the Atlantic. "a dismaptled hulk.
hapless on the surface of the bay. had
become human shambles,
Death in dreadful form had de-
scended from the sky. The Alum
Chine had been torn into shreds, and
boxes of dynamite mingled with the
flying fragments of steel and timber
filled the air These fell on the pack
ed decks OF the Atlantic the dynamite
exploding as it fell and sweeping those
on board as a charge of shrapnel
levels charging troops
Mems heads and limbs were torn
from their bodies, There were groans
and cries of pain mingled with the
death rattle Of the dying sailors and
Stevedores. Blood was everywhere.
From ships and launches nearby
watchers saw dismembered bodies
flung across and tumhled about the
Atlantic's decks
Captain Gives life.
Captain Vandyke gave his life for
his gailantry. His body, with one
arm severed. was among those re-
covered by the parties of rescuers.
How the fire started in the coal
hunkers of the Alum Chine is so far
nnsoIved Some have ascribed 1t to
spontaneous combustion, while one or
the rescued declares he saw fellow
stevedore stick bale hook into box
of dynamite.
The chief losers are the owners of
the Alum Chine, which cost in the
neighborhood of 1915, 600,
Upon the Maryland and Steel COM
pany evolves the next greatest loss
While thorough survey may result in
a tx, W.
struction a superficial examination of
the collier Jason, which the company
had lust completed for the United
States government indicates dam
age of Si00. 600.
The cargo of the Alum Chine was
valued at 100000.
Hospital Patients Hurt.
A half mile from the scene of the
disaster IL the Quarantine hospital.
There are about twelve patients there.
and not one of these escaped injury
The hospital was battered and scarcely
pane of glass left in the building.
Mrs Richardson. wife of the Quaran-
tine physician was severely injured nS
the debris, and her daughter was also
hurt All along the shore are evil
dences of the terrific force of the ex-
plosion, the damage being enormous.
About a. quarter of a mile from the
scene OF the explosion lay the United
States collier Jason, recently COM
pleted and ready for her trial trip
Immediately after the explosion she
resembled battered practice ship,
-Four men were killed outright and
twenty seven injured by the iron hall
The sides OF the vessel were bat
tered and in places were huge holes
as clean as made by shot.
Turns Somersauits.
Captain j. r. Thompson. employed
by the Maryland Steel company. in
charge of the special crew of the big
collier, had a very narrow escape HIM
\ self being tossed into the air fully six