The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-10

general cargo. The matches were
frightened down and steam turned
on. This was kept at continuous
pressure till midnight Thursday.
when lessened heat and diminished
smoke showed that he had got the
better of the fire.
Thirteen hours after the steam
was shut of from the hold we en-
tered Halifax Harbor," the captain
said, land there has been. no recur-
renee of the fire indications"
Captain Claret says the regulations
CT the service are against command
ers of the company's ships giving out
stories for publication and thus he
accounted for the brevity OF wha. he
had to communicate.
After ALL" he said. There In very
littei l can tell you. he have found
nothing to throw aHyitghE on the
cause of the fire beyond the fact
that there was an explosion and by
the use of steam we were able to sub
due the fire. All we saw of 1t WAS
the smoke and that ceased Thursday
at midnight. But when the fire broke
out / determined the only safe thing
ito do was to make for Halifax as
fas as possible.
When the explosion occurred theIe
was a violent shock and two sailors
standing on the main hatch cover at
the time were thrown to the deck.
After the first excitement the upper
hatch cover was opened and freight
taken out so that the workers could
reach the second hatchway. This was
found to be unchanged. but smoke
was coming out and a steam pipe was
inserted. Ii was not long before the
fire was under control. At o'clock
Captain Ciaret decided to make for
Halifax.
Fire Spreads to Next Hatch.
That night the fire spread to the
next hatch. Steam was kept on stead
lily til midnight when it appeared that
they had overcome the fire. Port
would have been reached earlier, but
the southwesterly gale and thick fog
kept the ship Off Sambo SO that she
was four hours later reaching Halifax
than had been anticipated.
One of the officers who would not
allow his name to be used. said they
were twenty-four hours getting the
fire under control Asked Ii II was
"a bomb that caused the explosion, he
replied: There is no doubt whatever
that bomb did the work. When I
was working around the holds smeit
suffocating fumes.
When we left New York I felt that
we Were in for trouble Most Of the
longshoremen who loaded us were
Germans and Austrians. 1t was a Sum
day that we sailed. As We steamed
down the harbor launch full of
Germans passed by. They shouted:
I"Minnehaha. Down. Down. Down."
and they pointed to the water. You
cannot tell me those fellows did not
know bomb had been placed In
our ship.
One of the crew said: I'VE knew
"wednesday morning something was
wrong. because the captain ordered
the boats to be got ready.
At Ais in the afternoon there was
q great explosion. Everybody rushed
on deck. ran to the side and looked
for the wreckage, for / was sure we
had been torpedoed. Then the smoke
began 10 pour out of one of the
matches.
win Survey ship Today.
The agents of the liner are anxious
to have the Minnehaha brought
alongside one OF the piers and wired
Ito ottawa for permission. The harbor'
master also wired for instructions,
but tonight no reply had been sre-l
ceived.
The port wardens survey will COM
nence tomorrow morning The cause
|of the fire may be learned then and
also the fact established whether
there is any Of it still remaining In the
held d
The possibility OF special danger
from the munftfone on board Will
also be determined.