The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-18
81 LOSE LIVES
IN SEA CRASH
Oil Ships Collide end Victims
Are PurE3d to Death.
U. S. AND BRITISH VESSELS
Destroyers Pillow Through Blazing
Sea to Rescue American Sea


men.
An Atlantic PORT, April lS.-Thirty-
seven lives were lost when the Amer
lean steamship q. +. Jennings and
the British steamship War Knight,
both laden with naptha and intam-
mahle oils, colided off the British
coast, March n
This information comes from mem
berS of the crew of the Jennings, who
arrived at an Atlantic port. All who
periShed. except one. We're on the Brit
iSh vessel They We're burned to
death by blazing gas and oil.
Those who survived the flames on
the War Knight were rescued in the
nick of time by destroyers. While
the blazing hull was being lowed to-
ward shallow water, it struck i mine
and was blown up.
DeStroyerS went through a field Of
blazing oil and took off the crew of
the Jennings Some of the Americans
were severely burned. They were
taken to hospitals when they landed.
An officer of the Jennings said the
collision occurred shortly after two
o'clock in the morning. The ship
WaS within fifteen miles of its deS
nation The collision was caused by
the necessity of running without
lights, owing to submarine dangers.
I'VE had had an exceptionally
rough trip" the officer continued. "AS
Il result of the churning, the bulk oil
we carried had caused Il tremendous
amount of gas. Then the War Knight
hit us there was an explosion. 1t was
caused, no doubt, by spark from the
impact of the steel which set the gas
on fire.
Immediately roar of flame spout
ed out of the hole in the Jenning :
side. This all but envelOped the Brit
Sher. I was told thirty-SiX of her
rev of about fifty We're on the deck.
They must have been almost instantly
'ncinerated
I'VE drifted apart. One of the de
StroyerS by which we were conveyed
cot Il line on the British vessel and
as towing her toward the beach
when she drifted on a mine field and
lew up. The case oil with which
She was loaded took fire and cOmplet-
I'd her destruction.
1--WE had our own safety to look
fter, the burning naptha had poured
out on the sea. 1t would have been
folly to launch lifebOatS. 1t was then
;he deStroyers showed their resource
fitness. They. dashed through the
',urning oil. bumped alongside us, and
e jumped to their decks.
I'VE lost only one man, n sailor
named Shea. He was either burned
Il fell overheard and was drowned.
The Jennings being a menace to
,ther ships, the destroyers tried to
sink her with shells She settled un-
til her decks were level with the
water, and the flames were eXtin-
guished. Afterward she was taken in
tow and beached. She probably is not
Il total loss.
THE accident came at the close
Of a rough and exciting voyage. Ii
had set the nerves of our crew on
edge because of the previous disap
pearance of several ships of our con
-oy. They may have been diverted
or they may have been torpedoed. We
merely knew they were gone when
we looked for them"
Tho War KNIGHT was of 75Q1 tons
gross register. She was built at Ala
media, Cal, in 1917.
The Jennings was owned by the
Standard Oil company. She was of
l0.2O0 tons gross register.
The bare news the Jennings had
been in a collision and was beached
was received by the Standard Oil
company in New York shortly after
he accident