Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-12-17
NEW ORLEANS HAS
DISASTROUS FIRE, (
MANY L|vESLOsT
SHORT ~ ELECTRIC CIRCUIT RE.
SPONsIIiI.E N REPORT
MADE.
THREE VESSELS BURNED
Damage Estimated nj From Two a,ssl
One Hall 10 Four Mlillon Dol.
lars; Fire Fighters In.
purrd.
oy Associated Press.

~ Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS. dee. iG.--when a..
electric feed wire snapped. dropped into
a pool of water and short clrcuited with
blaze. u caused s2.G5O. 900 damage .n
the 81, ,Iso 600 floating dry dock of the
Iahncke dry dock aud shipbulldlng com
pany here to'lny. destroyed three yea
sells undergoing repairs. damaged vi,
others and caused a casualty list OF at
loast thirty. The blaze lgnlted pool
Of oil and the resulting explosion scai.
tered blazing oil throughout the plant.
Tho fire which started at 23O o'cloc',
was under control NJ tt5 y. m.
The casualties consisted mostly of
men burned by flying oil or injured In
their efforts Ia reach places of safety.
one city fireman was believed NO seri.
ously injured that he might die.
The yesrclB damaged by the flames
- that they were practically destroyed
were the John Adams. Sncnrappa and
the pillwyn. Minor explosions spread
flaming oil 20 other parts of the plan.
and fires started almost simultaneously
In a score of places.
The Dadc County. the Boswell.
smaller frcighter. the Seneca. Hermit!
age. Corralles aud the weatbrook were
damaged The Petrol. with Dewey nj
the battle of Manila Ilny. was hand.
towcd 10 safety The Old Hickory was
brought out of the reach OF the flames
BY n tug.
Captain Pankhurst ~ the Bavington.
with a pistol In each hand. stood on
the bridge of his vessel and compelled
members ~ the crew who were rclucr
ant To engage In fire fighting TO do their
share ~ the work. Fire department
reports stated that Captain Pankhurst's
orders were obeyed aud that damage %
the BavlnRton was kept 90 the mini.
mum possible under the circumstanees,
The Bavlngton Is leased by the ]. ~.
W. Steele Company.
Possibility u explosions on the YES.
sells. many ~ which were engaged IN
the Oh trade made fire fighting hazard.
Gus and hampered work Of those on.
gagged. Soldiers from jackson Bar.
racks were dispatched 10 duty shortly
after the fire started and preserved
order.
Maritime exchange officials an.
nounccd there waS $4,000, 900 worth of
shipping In dry docks.
Ernest Lee Jahncke. millionaire own.
cr ~ the dry dock. Jumped into the
Mississippi river and swan 10 shore
when the order was given 10 cut loose
the dock.
The Dlllwyn. steel freighter. fs3i
tons, was undergoing repairs M n re-
suit of striking reef IN Tampico hhr.
bor. October q. She was owned by
the New Orleans and South American
=, amship Company.
...r John Adams was used In ths
general freight trade by the Texas
transport and terminal company. The
vessel was 6iis tons and was built by
the United States shipping board.
The sacarapa. slGs tons. used In the
European trade by the J. n. W. Steele
Company.
The senaca. 1899 tons. was used N
the cuban trade by the West Indian
navigation corporation.
The Dadc County 1855 tons. was
owned by the Ward line and built BY
the United states shipping board.
The Corrallcs and westbrook were
chartered by Iykes Brothera