Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-28

new 1otks Aus SOs-XOo 0eoomoo1p
ImpsrAtor. tina lArgssG vssssl aaeat
was swept w flrs early tedAy - shs
lay ~ hsr desk In Aehoksn with Her
crew aud 1.As2 stssrass passsugero
aboard.
Second O6iOsr Cebrscht. who. ~ tie
crew into the hold t. night thAa aanea,
was cut or from HIS insn and sut.
focAted. His body was found an hovr
afterwards untouched BY nrs and vAs
brought ashore. 4 seaman. Identify
brought shore. a seaman. one Of the
Was taken out appertntly dead.
A fleet Of tlre fighting craft, aug.
mented by apparatus on shore. suE-
rounded the ship and poured tons OF
water into her hold. When the are.
was checked At 8 o'clock. the great vss.
sci had listed fifteen degrees.
Panic Among Passengers.
The small army In the stsefagN
aroused from their sleep by the crack
ling OF flames. rushed panic strioken
for the pier. Most OF them spent the
remainder Of the night huddlsd in S:s-
comfort at the shore end Of the pier.
None OF the steerage passengers had
been inspected by the customs or
health authorities. Because Of thiA
armed guards surrounded them. Inn
migration authorities rushed them 90
Ellis Island this afternoon.
Fire Starts In Stsseass.
Tho great ship was dark with al on
board asleep save the officers on watch.
when smoke was discovered simultan-s
eously by . seaman on dock watch and
q petty officer on the bridge. Almost
at the Same moment the cracking o3
flames was heard In tho steerags quar-
ters.
A quiet alarm was sounded. CoA.l
mot1ore Ronsser. -ohlee
. Of the vessel. was among the Afst %
respond. The crew Of 1.1So men WerO
in their places within . minute. The
complex IRE lighting apparatus was
set in motion. Every compartment
was ordered closed except those 1rom
which 1t was necessary for steerago
passengers to get ashore.
The stampede OF steerage pasoengefO
checked for = moment thetnEht against
the Hames. Tho ships officers and
hundreds Of tho crew lined up IN two
columns and guided in safety the ter.
ror stricken men and women TO the
pier.
With tho ship clear the entire force
turned ats hand to extinguishing the
flames.
Fir0 Department Sumsnsnod.
For three quarters Of an hour they
fought tho fire with tho ship's own ap.
paratus. Then despairing Of success
the Hoboken f,re department. was mott.
fed and a general alarm WAS sounded.
In the first skirmish with the flames
Second Officer Herman Gobrecht and
Seaman Otto Stumpf. caught in the
whitening breath Of a beloh Of flames,
wore cut OF from the door by which
they had entered. Their companions
were driven back to open air. Altho
they stormed the flames again and
again the wall OF smoke kept them from
rescuing Gobrecht and Stumpf. When
the fire was checked their bodies were
found.
Dining Saloon Wrecked.
Gobrccht and Stumpf like the rest
were equipped with smoke masks, hose
The wisp OF smoke curling into the
discovered. had by this time rose 60 4
cloud Thru this cloud tho Hoboken
fireman rushed. Tho dining saloon Of
the second cabin suffered the greatest
damage from smoke. The Handsome
appointments Of the salon were .
wreck when the smoke cleared away.
A tug stcaming slowly down the river
reused the water front. Fire boats. .
feet OF tugs and another battery OF
fire engines from Hoboken appeared
A number Of boats stood ready to tux
the vessel out to ocean. Preparations
were made to cut the liners mooringA
when the fire boats began pumping
water into her hold.
Fifty Streams Poured on Flamss.
With nifty streams playing hundreds
OF tons OF water on the fire every min
ute. the flames lost, and tho vessel be-
gan to list. At 8 o'clock there were
only two streams on the blaze and it
was practically extinguished
Seaman Stumpf thought 20 be dead
when no WAS found. was revived at q
hospital. He n seriously injured.
Officials OF the line estimated that
the damage to the vessel itself would
not be great Nearly 2.0e0.oo0 gallons
OF water was poured on the fife. The
company announced that the ship
would sail Saturday ~ scheduled and
that the damage would be repaired a.
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