Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-01-15
CAPTAIN DIES
FIGHTING FIRE

NEW YORK, Jan. ia stirring
romance Of the sea was told today
when details Of the death OF Captain
John Matthias. commander OF the aux
Hilary cruiser Laurentic, reached rela-
tives here by meal. The Laurentic Is
White Star liner, taken over by
the British Admiralty.
Only two days from his VITO arH
babies and on his way home after
two years continuous patroling in
the Far East, Captain Matthias died
attempting to rescue men trapped in
the blazing hold OF his ship near the
powder magazine
Flying the homeward bound pen.
nant at the peak, the Laurentic
steamed at full speed for port. From
coal passers in the stoke hole to of.
Ulcers on the bridge, every man was
bent on pushing the cruiser to reach
port in time for the holidays.
In hamlet in Yorkshire. Captain
Matthias wife and two young children
heard the Laurentic had been ordered
to return to her home station. Mrs.
Matthias, with her two little girls, aged
ten and twelve years. made the trip
TO Liverpool
On December Is. within two days
run from port. serious fire was dis.
covered in hold No. 2. With the chief
officer at their head a squad of men
plunged into the hold to fight the
fire. The fire had gained such head.
way that it was sweeping toward the
powder magazine, cutting off their
escape.
Signalling frantically to their com
rades on the deck, the trapped men
succeeded in getting word of their
desperate plight to Captain Matthias
on the bridge.
Captain Matthias ordered some of
his crew to follow him and plunged
to the secue in the smoke filled com.
partment. The secue squad sue.
ceeded in dragging out some OF the
imprisoned men and then went back
for the rest
When Captain Matthias was entering
the furnace-like hold to recue the
last of his crew an iron beam warp
ed out of place by the intense heat of
the blaze fell on him and his squad
OF rescuers. Captain Matthias was
instantly killed and several of his men
were injured. Another squad of sea.
men recovered the injured sailors and
succeeded in recovering the body of
the captain. The fire was got under
control and the cruiser put into Liver
pool.
Under Admiralty instructions the
Officers of the ship were not per
mitted to wireless the news of The
accident and fire. With the home
bound pennant still at the fore tn,
Laurentic locked at Liverpool. Mrs
Matthias and her two children waited
Tor the cal tain, whom they had moi
seen for two years, TO come off tn,
ship. Finally an officer appeared and
told them no wthe captain had sacri
ficed his life for his men.
Captain Matthias was we'll known in
this port. The Laurentic. his last
command. after she finished the Mon,
treal.Liverpool Summer service. used
to sail from New York on Winter
Cruises TO the Mediterranean and the
Caribbean Seas.
The captain first went to sea be
cause of the jilting received at the
hands OF little Irish girl. He was
born in York. County Cork. and at
the age of fifteen was keeping com
pany with n fair colleen who lived
near the Rushpool Docks. Queens
town. One day he declared his In.
tentions to the girl. Molly by name
Jack" she replied, so the story
goes. ANY time you want your socks
darned, n shirt patched or a tear in
your breeches mended, you're vel
come enough here. But you're only
an apprentice and I could never take
what you say seriously"
when l come back I'll be captain
OF an Atlantic liner" the youth an
swered holly.