Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-03-08

and others noticed fire on the steam
ef This appeared To DC coming from
the forecastle Knowing the danger,
Captain Dunn OF the cutter, ordered
every window open So the expected
explosion would not break the glass.
lie then steamed toward the burn
ing vessel but when within three
quarters of a mile, the ship exploded.
The Guthrie got "a severe shaking,
trembling like a reed in a storm.
Following the explosion We saw
a huge inky cloud which assembled
fully two hundred feet and almost
covered the harbor. When this clear
ed away we saw only wreckage.
Joseph i. Martin. superintendent of
construction al Sparrow's Point. who,
when the explosion occurred, was
standing on the United States collier
Jason. is authority for the statement
that two white men and two negroes
were killed aboard the collier Be
sides the sixty or seventy lahorers.
who are known 90 have been on the
Jason, there w,s'e some steyedores,
the exact number. Mr.. Martin does not
know
e. j. Anstey. captain OF the Alum
Chine was in this city on business
when his ship was blown up. lie could
assign nd cause fdr the disaster The
general theory of the cause Is that
there was fire in the ships coal bunk
ers which spread 90 the dynamite in
the hold. Most of the Alum Chimes
crew were from Cardiff
William T. van Dyke. of Baltimore,
captain Of the wrecked tug Atlantic.
lest his life in heroieally rushing TO
the aid OF the imperilled British sea-
men 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 lum Chine warned members
of her crew. the stevedores engaged
in loading her and the crew of the
Atlantic alongside, that fire was rag
ing in the coal bunkers. there was in
stant realization that flames would
reach the 800 tons of dynamite stored
in the Alum Chimes hold and the
barge roped beside 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 moment before
had brought two tremen aboard the
ill-fated ship All Of the other mem
bers Of the crew and stevedores who
could reach the deck leaped for the
decks OF the Atlantic The tug and
launch cutting hawsers, were sped
away from the scene Of the impending
catastrophe.
The Atlantic had proceeded a few
hundred feet when two frantic figures
were seen elamhering from the Alum
Chimes hold They were sailors WHO
had been left behind Reaching the
sides Of the vessel they shouted pite-
Gus appeals for rescue. Captain Van
Dyke. despite the knowledge he must
have had that hail Of death soon
would he pouring over the harbor,
Needed the call Of the imperilled sail
ors. The engines were stopped. the
Atlantic wheeled and rushed again to
the fire doomed vessels side. She
reached It in safety. The two sailors
jumped aboard. Again the Atlantio
wheeled
Too late. Captain van Dyke stand
ing in the pilot house gave hurried or
ders wtich sent the tug toward safety.
The Atlantic's nose had scarcely been
pointed toward open water when with
roar like the eruption Of a volcano,
Chine exploded. The eoncussion hurl-
ed all before II. A dense pail of
smoke enveloped the waters and when
II cleared away the ship and barge
had disappeared and the Atlantic, a
dismantled hulk, helpless on the sur
face Of the bay had become human
shambles Death in dreadful form
had descended from the sky. The
Alum Chine had been torn into shreds
and boxes Of dynamite, mingled with
the flying fragments of steel ana
timber filled the air These fell on
the packed decks of the Atlantic the
dynamite exploding as it fell, ana
sweeping them like q rain Of shrapnel
from field guns.
Mems heads and limbs were torn
from their bodies. Blood was every
where. Ships and launches nearby.
watched dissemb bled bodies lunge ana
tumble about the Atlantic's decks
Captain van Dyke gave his lie Tor
his gallantry. His body, with an arm
severed was among those taken out
of the water by the rescuers and one
of the first Identified With him dled
IOsenh r. Hood, a stevedoreY Whohl
his ship first had rescued, ana Ropeft
Diggs. a member of his crew, who had
stood beside him when the explosion
occurred. Those who escaped death
in the explosion brought vivid but dis
connected accounts Of the explosion
when they reached this city win th'
dead and wounded.
Captain J. r. Thompson, captain OF
the new collier Jason. which tomor-
row was to have taken her trial trip,
had narrow escape when lying
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