Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-07
BIG SHIP, P,,AF IRE,
IN TOW OF LINER
Steamer La Touraine Being
Rushed to Nearest English
Port by the Rotterdam.
MANY ANSWER DISTRESS CALL
Captain of Conveying Vessel Pre-,
pared to Transfer Passengers
if Necessary.

Especial Gable to Tn" Times Dispa ten.
LONDON. March With fire in
her hold burning nerccly, the French
Line steamer La Tourainn was picked
up soon after midnight by the Hol-
and-Amcrlcan liner Rotterdam. and
is being towcd to IN" nearest English
port An English warship will be at
her side before daylight. and will con
vov the TWO liners TO safety
When the FIRST call for help was
flashed across the seas that the French
liner was anrc, 700 miles west of tho
French port of Brcst. four steamers
picked up tho message. and then began
race for her side which has not
been cqualed since the news was
flashed through the air that the Titanic
sinking. The rescue feet included
.ho Rotterdam. Swanmorc, Cornishman
and Arabic
The Arabic-2oo miles away-was
nearest to the burning vessel Her
captain pushed the ship to her fullest
speed In an effort to cover the distanc.
IN record time. 1t would have required
Hftecn hours for the slow White star
liner TO have reached the distressed
ship, but the Rotterdam. from New
York on February -. had also picked
up tho message. and. although almost
AN equal distance from La Touralne as
the Arabic. she was able by her greater
speed TO reach the burning steamer
first.
NOTIFIED THAT ASSISTANCE
WILL. NOT III: REQUItED
With the arrival Of the Rotterdam
the other liners were notified that
their assistance would not be required.
and they continued on their way.
Meantime. the distress signal also
had been picked up ny a British cruiser
on duty In the Atlantic. and she raced
toward the liner. The cruiser whose
Identity is yet unknown. will proceed
TO the scene. although tn" captain Of
the Rotterdam has given assurance
that he is capable OF handling the sit
mation. and is prepared TO render every
assistance. Including the transfer of
passengers, II necessary"
In view of the mcager information
that Is obtalnable as TO the character
of'the fire. this latter sentence Is CON
sidercd OF special Significance.
When the Rotterdam reached La
Touraine the crew OF the burning ship
was Gghtlng the frc with all tho ap-
paratus available. The bulkhcad doors
had been automatically closed. and
every effort WAS being made 10 keep
the flames confined TO the compart-
ments which IL had originated. Great
clouds OF smoke hung over the liner
rs the Rotterdam came in sight. and
tho passengers were lined up along
the rail
The greatest excitement prevailed
aboard, because II was generally
known that tic cargo OF the French
liner included large quantities OF gun
cotton. cartridges and other ammuni-
t!on. shipped from New York for tn.
allies. 1t is believed here that the
crew succeeded in Keeping the t!ancs
from this ammunition. far no
serious explosions have been reported
NEWS HEARD EARLY
on SATURDAY MORNING
The hrst news that the liner was
afire was received here AT 1920 ycstcr-
day morning by Lloyd's. The message
came from the wireless station at
Nalcntia, County Kerry, on the south
west coast OF Ireland. The station had
picked UP one OF the first messages
that came from the mpcrilcd ship.
Her owners, tho Companic Generate
Transatlantinuc. issued the following
statement:
La Touraine. New York tn Havre,
was due at Havrc Tomorrow. Conse-
qucntly. she cannot be in great danger,
owing 10 her ncarncss To the coast
There Is plenty OF assistance en- route
The White Star liner Arabic and other
vessels arc rushing TO her assistance.
The only news we have received Is from
the Nalentia wireless station"
The company's statement that the
liner is near the shore conflicts with
he location of the ship as given by
Iloyd's, which is at latitude IS. oG north.
longitude ei.li west, or about 700 miles
from the coast
When LA Tourainc sailed from New
York she had a passenger list of
ciGh'y-scven persons. thirty nine first
cahin and forty eight Storage Five
American physicians and ten American
nurses arc aboard bound for the
passenger list also were n number Of
persons wcll-known on both sides of
the Atlantic. Paul Faguct, general
agent OF the line in New York. is
aboard
In her holds were 45o4 cases of
cartridges, In addition to large
quantity OF Eunpowdcr: 139 automobile
guns, and other war munitions
40 INFORMATION As
TO FIRES ORIGIN
M information is obtainablc as to
the origin of the fire. although many
reports are In circulation. Among tho
rumors Ia one that bomb. with a time
clock attached. was placed aboard the
ship before she left New York This
report Is not believed, however,, for
had such an attempt been made 1t is
altogether likely that the clock would
have hcen timed to cause tho explosion
while the ship was In midocean.
The French liner La Tourainc left
New York February 25 for IIavre The
position given in the message is an
proX'mately 1900 miles west from her
port Of destination.
Among the passengers are five doc
tors and ninc nurses on their way to