Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-15
LINER IN PORT
WITH REFUGEES
CONTINUED from First Passo

CONTINUED from First PnBc.)
I went up to take an observation and
fix our position.
1.-THE smoke made it difficult, but I
managed to do it after half an hours
work AS / came down the wireless
operator shouted that the Carmania
had been sighted.
1.-THE flames beneath the deck
seemed to be under control, but the
fire in the forecastle was burning
fast. The second officer and several
sailors went forward to fight 1t
there l met the captain in the
smoke and he complained about his
eyes They had been badly burned
and he was half blinded.
Fail to Find Boats.
'T ordered the stewards to bring
food to the passengers and 1t was
done. Then the Grosser Kurfuerst
got in wireless communication with
us. She asked If we needed her
help and Captain Inch, thinking he
had the flames beaten, wirelessed
back that he did not need any more
help.
1.-The Carmania was nearby Her
captain asked what he could do and
Captain nch requested him to scout
around for the boats that had put
off. She went about ten miles east
looking for them and returned with
out finding them.
None of us had thought about the
eighty or ninety steerage passengers
in No. l compartment. We hadn't
had time to do so. we were so busy
fighting tn fire.
II don't know how many of them
were in their places when the first
explosion occurred, as some of them
ha4 in or I-tO IF ha
vessel However. it was near break
fast time and l fear that most of
them were there. They were cut off
by the flames. We can only imagine
what happened to them, as mont of
us was able to get into that compart-
ment again.
when 1t seemed that the flames
had died down somewhat the cap
tain tried to go into the sailors fore
castle. > He found the bodies of four
sailors burned to death in the hall
way. They had been trapped by the
fire.
"The Seydl:tz came up then and
lowered a boat. I saw it pull off from
the ship, come half way to us and
then turn around and go back. |
didn't blame them. No boat could
live in such a sea- The captain of
the Seydlitz told us by wireless that
he would have to wait before lower
ing any more boats, as the swell
was too heavy The Carmania's cap
tain told us the same thing. The
Carmania, so far as I know, did not
lower a boat during the entire time
she was near us.
ships Could Not Help.
Some time during the morning the
saloon and the first-class quarters
Lya r.
windows and put the fire out there.
One after another the eleven ships
that stood round us during the fight
came in sight and offered help. But
nobody could help US in that gale.
We had to fight our own battle.
"At 2:30 in the afternoon fierce
fire broke out in No. compartment.
We tried to crop through the iron
deck to get at it, but couldn't.
Finally the hatchways fell in, and
then we poked hose and steam pipes
through them and poured water on
the fire. Captain Inch was desper-
ate He turned to me and he said:
1 don't think she'll last long now.
Captain Could Not See.
He was grooming when he told me
this. His eyes were almost out.
They We're so badly burned that he
couldn't read the wireless messages |
and I read them to him. He didn't |
want to eat. 1 had to force him to |
do so.
"All he wanted to save the pas
sengers. He had lost hope of saving
the ship.
when the fire broke out in No. 2, |
the smoke rolled in black clouds into |
the bunkers. The engineers shut the |
doors. The stokers couldn't !
work in the smoke and the coal sup |
ply was cut off by the flames. So |
the engine fires died down. We used |
our last ounce of steam to keep the |
wireless plant going.
when the steam was all gone we |
kept the wireless going by hand |
generator. The engine room was left |
in darkness shortly after 2:30 o'clock. |
There was no steam to keep the
pumps going and the flames rose
higher 1t became darker and hot |
ter At o'clock that night great ;
flames were shooting out of the
saloon, lighting the dark water. The
passengers were crowding the rails
aft. It looked as if the end had
come. The Grosser Kurfuerst low
cred a boat then the Kroonland low.