The New York herald., 1921-06-01
WILSON PEACE ship
NEAR ruin BY FIRE
Liner George Washington Gets
AbIaze While i'm Hoboken
Repair Yards.
n. Y. FIREBOATS CALLED
Large Part of Superstructure
DestrOyed-Cause and Loss
Not Determined.
\. Y. FIREBOATS CALLED

A mysterious fire that grew from a
swirl of smoke to a blaze that de-
manded the use of all the depart
ment apparatus available in Hoboken
threatened early last night to destroy
the steamship George Washington,
former German liner and the trans
port used by Woodrow Wilson on his
two trips to France during the peace
conference. The fire started after
workmen. who have been recondition-
ing the vessel in the yards of the
Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Company
Hobolen, had quit work and left for
the day. No estimate of the damage
could be had, but 1t was said that
much Of the repair work ordered by
her new owners, the United States
Mail Line. was undone by the fire.
1t was planned by the United States
Mail Line to make the George Washing
ton the finest passenger carrier afoat.
More than $1.000,0oo in repairs and i'm
provements had been ordered The work
was begun OH the first of May. when the
ship was brought down from Boston.
She was 10 have been turned out of the
yard on the first Of July Her tlrst sail
ing for Plymouth was scheduled for July
so.
The George Washington is the second
OF the United States mail fleet TO be
damaged by hre within two weeks. On
May 10 the Panhandle State was beached
near Ellis Island with bad fire In her
engine room. She Is now being repaired.
At s 80 O'Clock last night John Cross.
chief watchman for the Tietjen e. Lang
yards. detected the odor Of smoke as he
passed through a companionwsy just
beneath the bridge. He was outside the
door of the cabin used by the vessels
commanding officer and he could see
smoke LEAKING through a crevice in the
door sill Axes were called for. and
Cross. assisted by half a dozen watch
men, started to break their way into the
cabin. A few blows were all that were
necessary. The door already had been
half burned through and IL crashed into
the room.
A gust of smoke and fame leaped at
the seven men and they were forced
back to the end of the passage. Cross
left to send In an alarm while the others
tried to hold back the fire with the aid
of a chemical spray.
Other alarms were turned IN when the
first Hoboken fremen arrived and If
teen minutes later Bernard Seely. Di-
rector of Public Safety OF Hoboken. teie-
phoned to New York Fire Headquarters,
asking that two ireboats lie deypa tched
TO the assistance of the Hoboien men
at once.
Tugs OF the Delaware, Lackawsnna
and West ern and the Central Railroad OF
New Jersey Joined the firebost5 In the
battle OH the river side OF the burning
vessel. Gradually the fire was driven
from tho superstructiire. but II was
not put under control until the two
upper decks over the waist of, tho ship
had been badly damaged. At one time
1t was feared the entire ship was
doomed.
At the offices OF the dry dock CONF
pany. Henry Dendel. superintendent.
said that about 80 per cent. OF the
reconstruction work ordered By the
ships owners had been completed by
o'clock last night. lie added that
the vessel would have been ready for
service by the end OF tho month. lie
could not estimate the time required
to replace the burned sections