The New York herald., 1921-05-20
Panhandle State, Deserted
by Crew of Strikers, Takes
Fire at Her Hudson
River Berth.
OIL TANKS SPRING LEAK
Two Fire Boats, 5 Tugs and
Several City Hose and
Truck Companies
Fight Flames.
COMPARTMENTS FLOODING
Fear Expressed That Big Oil
Burner May Sink Off Statue
Of Liberty IL Bulkheads
Give Way.

handle state OF the United States Mall
steamship Company caught fire last
night soon after o'clock as she lay
In her berth al Pier 7. Hudson River.
10 which she had been transferred only
few hours before from Pier "a. at
West Thirty-fourth street. Two hours
later the Are had made such hsadway
owing to leak in an oil tank. which
allowed oil 20 fiow into the bilge. where
" caught fre. that the steamship was
iowcd 10 the fats OF tho Statue OF
Liberty by areboats and tugs
Tho vessel was bcached In twenty
two feet ~ water between Liberty
Island and Ellis Island. and the fire.
boats and tugs at once began 10 pump
the engine compartment fun Of water.
The ship lay on an even keel during
this operation. and al midnight last
night officials Of the Fire Department
said that the flames were under con-
troll and that there was no longer any
Likelihood OF Il spreading. For time
Il was feared that the flooding Of the
ship might sink her, but her bul<hesds
held firmly and this danger was soon
past.
Because Of the marine strike and
the unsettled conditions along the
waterfront. there were many rumors
aloat last night that the Are aboard
tho Panhandle state was caused by
incendiaries. The police. however. de-
clared that they had obtained no evil
dencc to substantiate the runors and
tho iiremen said also that so far as
they could sec the fire was due 10
other causes and tho ship was not set
aare In some quarters the belief was
expressed that the nrc might have
been caused by tho untamiliarity OF
members OF the crew. newly signed as
strike breakers for the next voyage.
with the engines of the vessel,
starts I'm Engine Room.
The flre started In the lower COM
partment or the engine room aud was
reported hy the watchman on board
thc vessel 10 watchman OF tho pier.
who turned In an alarm about : 30
O'Clock Several truck and hose COM
panlcs responded. headed by Acting
Chief Joseph Martin and Deputy Chief
Helm. Two fireboats also came 20 the
pier, as did five tugs owned by the
steamship company.
Streams OF water were poured into
the engine room OF the vessel by the
freboats and by the land hremen work.
ing from the dock. and the blaze was
almost under control when Chief Martin
discovered that oil was flowing slowly
from several seams in one Of the oil
tanks.
The oil ran into the bilge and fioated
on the water there and caught fire
almost et once. The fremcn were able
10 handle the flames in the engine room,
but because of the heat and their loca-
tion they could not get at the FIRE IN the
bilge After consultation between
Chief Martin and Port Capt Mullins of
the steamship company and his assist
ant. Capt Parker II was decided 10 tow
the vessel to the Bedloo Island fats and
there flood the engine compartment In
an attempt to drown The Are.
Capt Mullins telephoned the Chapman
Merritt wrecking Company, and .
lighter was sent by that concern to
accompany the vessel and TO salvage her
II necessary The five company tugs
and the fireboats New Yorker and Will
lett nosed the Panhandle state into the
river and down the Bay. with the lighter
toliowing
No Evidence OF Fire.
as the Panhandle state moved slowly
down the Bay there were no signe of
fire on board her except a thin column
OF smoke that went up from amidships.
and any one not knowing OF the flames
would never have suspected that she
was IN trouble. For this reason she at
tracted no attention as she headed for
the flats
The Panhandle State reached New
York two or three days ago from Lon
don and Boulognc. after having con-
siderable trouble because of the strike
In leaving this port on her previous
the other day the union men N her crew
gave twenty-four hours notice and then
left the ship. They included engineers
fremen. stewards and seamen Accord
ing to a delegation Of radio operators
last night the steamship company began
Yesterday morning TO recruit crew a
strikebreakers. but employees OF the
company at the pier said she had no one
on board her but watchmen and a few
members Of the crew who had not
struck. She is scheduled to sail again on
May 20.