The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-09

j
New York, Nov. 9-The French line
steamship Rochambeau, two days out
of New York for Bordeaux, reported
by wireless TO have fire in her coal
bunkers yesterday, was presumably
steaming last night for Halifax, the
nearest port. Her exact position was
not given in the single wireless mes
sage that brought news of her plight
to land at New York, but it was estim
ated that she would make Halifax
some time late last night or early to-
day. Aboard the burning steamer are
approximately $50 persons-421 pas
sengers and crew of 23O4and d
large cargo Of war supplies, includ-
ing 2541 cases of cartridges and 1856
bales OF cotton
The fire which turned the vessel
from her course toward the northern
port of Halifax is deeplin the hold, in
No. reserve coal bunker, which is
located amidships.. The message said
that the vessel was in no danger, and
from its tone, officials in New York of
the French line inferred that the sit
uation was not serious.
Only one wireless message had
been received from the steamer when
the French line Offices closed at the
usual hour last night. This was from
Capt .Tuham and reached the offices
in New York about 2.SO p. m 1t read
as follows: Fire in No. reserve
coal bunkers. Fighting fire and have
turned to Halifax. Hope to put it
out. No danger at all"
The Rochambeau left New York
Saturday afternoon. 1t was estimat.
ed that she had sailed GOO miles when
the wireless message was received
yesterday. This would still keep her
within theocean line travelled lat X
big transatlantic liners and, despite
the silence ever the sea. enforced by
British admiralty censors. there is
reason to believe that at least three
ships are within steaming distance,
available for aid in emergency.
Lifeboats and lferafts sufficient
for 1900 persons-more than twice
the number on board-were on the
Rochambeau when she sailed. accord
ing to the lines officials In addition,
the steamer is equipped with the US
nal fire-fghting apparatus required in
the case of ocean lines.
The big cargo which weighted the
steamer low in the water os she sail.
ed away, consisted chiefly of iron and
Steel machinery, copper and steel
wire, brass rods. empty shells and
guns So far as could be learned
last night, the cartridges were the only
explosives aboard. Chief of the in
fiamable material was the relatively
small amount of cotton
In the absence of information de-
fning the cause of the fire, maritime
circles wondered yesterday if the ac-
cident was another of the long list at
tributed to the activity of bomb car
riers and placers. Ship after ship
laden with war supplies for the allies
has sailed out of New York within
the past eight months with bombs Sc.
creted in the hold, and in many cases
these bombs have exploded. Within
the past few days the steamer Rio
Lagos from New York to Queenstown
with sugar. caught fire at sea and put
into Halifax with fire in her hold.
Her captain attributed the fire TO
bomb hidden in a sugar bag. Sugar
seems to have been selected frequent
ly for hiding bombs on ships The
Rochambeau, it was said, carried no
sugar, The list of seamers sailing
from New York to Europe, upon
which bombs were found and in some
cases explosions occurred, and their
sailing dates, include the following:
Touraine, March 6; Devon City
April 81; Lord Erne. April 90; Cros-
sington Court, April %; Samland,
May / Lord Downshire, May 1; Kirk
oswald. May 2; Strathlay, May s;
Bankdale, May s; Minnehaha, July
81 Craigside, July "a; Athinai, Sept
ember 8; SAINT Anna, September 49,
The Rochambeau was built at St
Nazaire, France, in 1911. 1t is 5SS