The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14
81 of Crew Saved by Diving
and Facing Danger Of
! Burning Oil.
LOSS IS PUT AT $1,750,000
Thousands at Waterfront to
See Spanish Tramp Blaz-
ing Spectacularly.

terday wnen her cargo OF OIL tooh hfe
and destroyed her as she lay over the
nats of South Brooklyn awaiting orders
to proceed to sea-
The four who were lost were part OF
the shovel crew and were caught in theI
shaft tunnel, where they were cleaning
the scale of the frames. Her afterguard
and the rest OF the crew-she counted
thirty-nve all told-saved themselves by
diving oversize. Afterward four were
dressed at a hospital for burns. and one
was found to have suffered an injury to-
an ear drum. But the blaze which
wrecked her burned like a bonfire. once
1t had taken hold. and her captain con-
coded after he came ashore that had
she been at sea when II happened she
would have been listed among the, ves-
sells which have disappeared without
trace.
The serantes has tramped the oceans
for the last thirty-seven years. and has
nown the hags Of half the maritime ma
tons OF the world. She was laid
down on the Clyde in 1881. had fush
wooden decks and carried her archaic
anchors under davits on the forecastle
head. The type Is rare on the seas now.
she has been Spanish owned since the
war began In Europe. and for the last
few years, despite her age and nttleness
lisa tons net-has been a heavy divi-
dend getter.
Loads 10000 Barrels of OIL.
She came to Bayonne from Baltimore
ten days ago and loaded 10000 barrels
Of mixed oils for Spain. Yesterday she
fastened her matches down and fetched
across to the South Brooklyn fats. where
she was swung at anochor while her
skipper went up to the Custom House
for his clearance papers.
When he returned he told his STAN
that they would lie where they were un-
til orders came for them to sail. Then
ne sat down to his midafternoon rehec-
ton in the cuddy.
Without warning the plates flew Off
the table as a heavy explosion shook
the vessel. The whole structure Of the
deck blew of about the after hatch and
the smoke and flames of burning oil
lowered to the skies. There was no
time to save anything-even the ships
papers were abandoned without .
thought.
Ofilcers and men plunged oversize. the
cook the first to go with his hair and
beard afre. About half Of them could
swim, The others managed to splash
der chains. where those who were able
to swim assisted them to hang on.
The danger of the men was extreme.
Two more heavy explosions shook the
vessel before the first man was fished
into rescuing boat. and as the fire
ragged In the ships vitals she became
finally white hot. As the tide washed
along her length clouds of steam set the
men gaspins and coughing. Then the
burning oil began to come oversize and
there were moments when the victims
had to let themselves below the waters
level TO escape being burned alive.
Coast Cutter to the Rescue.
However, in that thoroughfare for
craft of all sorts they were not long ne
elected. and succor began to come up
quickly. The first to arrive was the
Coast Guard cutter Takama, in charge
of Charles NJ. Berry. masters mate. She
gave her first concern to four sailors
who were obviously in the worst situa-
ton, hanging on helpless at the rudder
chains and with patches of burning oil
drifting past them every few minutes.
They were got aboard the Takama with
a boat hook and said they were Manuel
Valerino. Salvador Ritillo and Manuel
Dorenta, seamen, and Jesus Berthe.
cook.
Berthe had gone into the water with
the top of his head afire. When they
stretched him on the Takama's deck he
was as bald as a mountain eagle. He de-
clared, though, that the loss of his hair
and beard was all the harm he had suf-
fered
A police patrol boat and a submarine
chaser picked up Capt. Ancietto Ojanaga,
his deck and engine room officers and
all the rest of the crew Capt. Ojanaga
showed the seamen's faith that Is in him
- 10. 10 z1,-I IL. IL.
again. He began to yell that there vas
yet a chance to save his vessel and in
sisted that the police boat which had
taken him in was in duty bound to claw
alongside the Serantes. fasten a line to
her and haul her into shallower water.
The police skipper couldn't see It. but
two tug boatmen from the South Brook
lyn front thought they could and set
10 work to put their theory into prac-
tice. One sent boat over with a
line. the other made her winch fast TO
the Serantes's anchor and tried to lift
1t out OF the mud. 1t held fast in the
stream that was running and the small
boat. after trying four times to get under
the vessels counter. gave II up finrlly
on account Of the heat and flames.
Tugs Give Up Salvage Task.
The Serantes began to settle when the
urst oi HeT WdtcTIlno plates DutBed and
their rivets began to pop. In a few
more minutes she was taking in water
fast The tugboats backed clear when
they saw there was no hope Of helping
her. and by the time they were well
away the vessel was settling fast Her
keel took the ground just as her main
deck came awash.
And even then. with their superstruc.
tire clear. she still burned fercely. The
water was entering from below and
forcing out the burning oil, She was
like small volcano In eruption as the
flames ran along her spare standing rig.
ging. and rails. and her fluid cargo, like
lava, poured out and drfted down the
tide. She stopped burning only after
smoke and flame had poured from hei
for two hours. and long after that q
pillar of steam rose from her and
drifted in toward shore.
The vessel had supplied a splendid
spectacle for thousands of persons
gathered to see her end at the water.
plosions had sent all the amateur DO.
lice and nurses OF South Brooklyn and
Staten Island TO their stations. Al
the while the ship was burning thre,
ambulances waited at ST. George, ant
platoon OF police and Ave more am
balances kept vigil on the Brooklyn
piers expecting her injured survivors.
But all those who escaped from II,
Serantes were taken to the Batter,
and afterward treated at downtown
hospitals. Four had been burned, non,
very seriously. One man Is deaf from