New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-01
OIL TANKER RIDES
A SEA OF FLAMES
Crew Takes TO Boats as
Fire Spreads Vanish
Vessel Saved.

The tale Of All oil tanker laden with
henLine, which rode through a sea or
fire and made Tho Azores by dead reck-
oninE, was told yesterday by Captain
DeSrer, master Of the Holland-Amer-
lea freighter Zaandyk. He got the story
second hand at Horta. bat he thought
IT was true and even more thrilling
than the account related to him.
lie heard also that one Of the tank
cr's lifeboats. containing tine chief Of
fcer and seven men, had been blown
away and was never seen again.
Any man who would take 6 cargo Of
benzine from the west coast of South
America to London in the winter, and
Luck through the worst weather Of The
year, he thought was capable Of fight
ing his way through a sea Of fire.
When the Zeandyk came in ycster-
day from Rotterdam Captain Decker
was asked II he had seen any mines in
the North Sea. No. he hadn't seen any
MINES, and he had not been molested
by any craft of the warring nations.
Fire on Denzine Tanker.
Yes, he was late. but that was the
weather. Fighting westerly gales and
heed seas tnat kept his bow awash and
his propellers clear too often to be
comfortable ate up his coal before ne
was hallway across, and ne had TO run
into the Azores.
1t was pretty dirty weather but he
a IL min hat l.. i. II
benzlne cargo, ike the other fellow.
and what happened 10 the other fellow
was perhaps worth telling
The other fellow was Captain Bupre.
the mighty master of the Norwegian
tanker La habra, who had tried con
illusions with the benzine cargo from
the west coast. He had had a fire on
hoard that cleaned up his charts. sex
tants. cOmpaSses and chrouOmeters and
ict-it go at that.
Captain Decker thought it was like
the prank of a mean SCilorman who
would catch a shark, chop of his tail
and then turn him adrift to die or be
dcvou-ed alive by its mates
81 didn't get over TO see the tanker"
said Captain Dekker, but she was max
ing repairs when we put into Horta.
Her experience was known all over the
Azores"
According to what he had learned
about her. La Habra left Talara Bav
on January 10, passed through the
Panama Canal and steamed east from
Colon on January l9 Gales from the
southwest and northwest did not bother
her much, but when she got within
about 400 miles southeast OF the Azores
the wind shifted 10 northeast, and she
got a pounding which almost foundcred
her.
Several times she nearly went over
on her beam ends. and the treacherous
fluid cargo was badly shaken. The en-
CINE and frcroom crews feared that
at any minute tank compartment
might break and drive Il food OF ben
zine into the fires. II was sure death
for all of them if this happened, and
they hadn't much faith in the security
of any tank in weather such az they
were then running through.
While this uortheaster was doing
its worst a terrific explosion occurred
aft Of the house. Captain Dekker did
not know the date, but it was thought
TO be February /. 1t Is not known
whether the men below stuck 20 their
posts. but those on deck sought safety
some budding together on the bow
and others at the stern.
Captain ENhorts His Men.
Now Captain Bugge had carried oil
before. He knew his ship and wa
ready TO save his men.
There isn't any use Of you fellows.
getting away up aft aud forrid there
Continued on page Z, column
IMPORTED Ia CAROLINA cherutos'