The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19
BIG STEAMBOAT
AFIRE IN RIVER
Oil Blaze Puts Massachu-
sets, With 300 Aboard,
in Peril.
FIREBOATS RUSH TO AID
Flames Stamped Out After
Hard Fight-Vessel Goes
On to Boston.
FIRE APPARATUS AMPLE
Capt. Colbert Tells "Sun" by
Wireless That Hose Was
Long Enough.

OhSS 1hVuShs
The Massachusetts OF the Metropolitan
Steamship Limo plying between this port
and Boston. caught IRE yesterday after
noon Just after swinging clear OF her pier
at Murray street with clouds Of black
smoke from oil pouring out of ventilators
on the hurricane deck the trim vessel.
commanded by Capt II. l.. Colbert.
skirted the island and steamed as far as
Beekman street and the East River
before she accepted the assistance OF fire
fighters
More than 300 passengers crowded the
upper decks. anxiously watching the
smoke. fleet OF thirty or more tugs
lowered astern ready to give aid.
wireless message was sent to Capt
VI. l.. Colbert of the Massachusetts, telling
him that THE Sun had been Informed
that the hose did not reach the Are: that
he had not stopped his ship until the
two freboats reached him and asking
him whether he had cargo OF cotton
aboard. The following message from him
was received at midnight via the wireless
station at sasaponac:
"Ycur information absolutely false.
We stopped or freboat station in East
River until FIRE was extinguished. Have
full. complete Are apparatus, kept perfect
by daily inspection. Have no cotton or in
fiammable cargo. Capt. Hill. L. s. Navy,
Is u passenger and was witness to all that
happened and will answer questions.
Captain ". L. COLBERT"
Capt Colbert passed the freboat New
Yorker AT the Battery. but he later ac-
cepted its aid and that OF the Seth Low
Then, with three lines OF hose that ran
down into the hold OF the ship. Lieut.,
Charles J. Head. acting captain OF the
New Yorker; Lieut.. George Farr. acting
captain OF tho Seth Low. and about
the hottest blaze they ever tackled. They
blistered their hands as they went down
the last two OF the six ladders they
traversed to get TO the blaze in the
fire room.
ships Hose Too short, He says.
They alone were successful. according
TO Lieut. Heed's description, in getting
hose to the Are, for the lines on the steam
ship were not long enough to reach the
flames.
II would not have given cents for
that ship n we had not got to her" said
Lieut. Heed as he told how the two Are
boats had chased tho burning vessel and
fnvcad M ba n,
The blaze was confined to the fire room.
Though the ship has steel hull. there
were plenty of wooden stanchions aad
other woodwork fairly well soaked with
oil--the vessel Is an oil burner---that
quickly caught Are.
After the fire had been extnguished and
the fears of a few OF the passengers who
had become hysterlcal had been allayed
the steamship continued on her trip to
Boston, where she Is due al s o'clock this
morning.
The ship has accommodations for 500
passengers She is sister ship Of the
Bunker Hill, i25 feet long and 46 feet
beam She Is equipped with wireless SER
vice and is regarded AS thoroughly
modern passenger steamship.
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