Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-08
STEAMER POMMERN
IS FOUND LEAKING
BY INSPECTORS
Damage to Pipe Believed 0c-
casioned BY Hot Fires Under
Boilers When They Were
Burned Out; Electric Pumps
May Be Needed


Listed to port five degrees and with
water in her hold above the double
bottoms ranging from few inches to
10 inches deep, the condition OF the
giant refugee merchant steamer Pom
mern Is such today from leak, which
was first noticed Sunday morning,
that electric motor pumps will prob
ably be Installed to remove the water
SO the leak can be repaired.
At 1890 this afternoon II was learn
ed from reliable source that the leak
is coming from an emergency outlet
pipe designed to carry water out from
the bilge to sea In case of a leak de-
veloping IN the ship.
Inspector Heeney investigates
At 10 o'clock this morning u. s. In
spector Of Steam Vessels and Boilers
Thomas j. Heeney was seen coming
from the Pommern. He was dressed
in overalls and had been making an
investigation Of the Pommern,s con-
dition. He refused to make state
ment but indicated that the leak was
gradually becoming worse and infer
red that Il could be repaired before II
becomes serious. He made an inspec-
tion at o'clock last evening, having
been notified TO do so by Acting Col
lector OF the Port Raymer Sharp, who
was informed several hours before by
Capt. William r. Foster, harbormas-
ter. and the armed guards on watch !
in the engine room, that the leak was
gradually increasing.
Leak Noticed Wednesday
rnffnnsY - atA1nol.e a,
afternoon that the Pommern was list |
ing 70 port about five degrees" said |
Captain Foster, the hafbormaster, at |
noon today. Captain Curtis, the as
sistant harbormaster. and went |
aboard We found the water rising in |
the engine room, evidently coming |
from copper pipe on the port side. |
We reported this to Acting Collector
Sharp, who sent inspector Heeney |
down TO make further investiga-
tion.s
Other HulIs Seem Sound
Captain Foster said that the Pom
mern Is the only vessel of the refugee
fleet leaking at the present time. I'VE
are patrolling the harbor night and |
day." he said. checking up the draft
On all the German steamers three
times q day and also at night. None
OF them are altered The Pommern's
draft Is not yet changed but she has
a list to port We are using two pa
troll launches al night. each containing
two army men and one customs in-
spector." Captain Foster said he does
not think the Pommern leak to be in
territorial. IL would have been more
thorough IL they had started the leak
ON purpose he commented.
Early this afternoon Il was learned
from q asreliable source that Inspector
Heeney, assisted by Customs Inspect.
or Martin J. Scully, found conditions
approximately as follows when they
inspected the Pommern last night and
today:
Damage Fully located
Tracing all the suction pipes and
the pipes connected with the sea-
cocks, they finally located the leak
coming from q .six-inch suction pipe
connected with the main sea-cocks.
The pipe runs from the engine room 4,
through the engine room buIkhead un-
der the port boiler into the fireroom.
The leak was evidently caused by ,
the burning-out of the Pommern's
boilers by her officers and crew, the
officials found. The superheated boil. ,,
ers burned out gasket, letting in | ,,
small Tow OF salt water from the out !,
side. through the pipe intended to
force bilge water out OF the ship in
ease OF emergency.
The depth OF water which had leak.
I'd in through the outlet pipe was /
found to range from a few inches to
10 inches over the top OF the tanks
double bottom) at the after end or
he port boiler.
Although the leak is not now of
serious nature II might easily become
tcontinued on paae twol