The Washington times., 1921-06-12
PUTS
GUT BLAZE;
ENDS PERIL
Steamer Buckeye" Menaced
BY Flames Discovered in
Engine Room.

ANNAPOLIS. Md. June 1.-The
Buckeye State. new Matson Naviga-
tion Company liner, on her maiden
voyage from Baltimore to San Fran
cisco, caught fire today in Chesa-
peake bay, eight miles off the u.
s. Naval Academy, at Annapolis.
The liner. which left Baltimore
last night, had 135 passengers
aboard, eighty-four in the cabins
and fifty-one in the steerage.
FIRE REPORTED OUT.
the fire out. II was confined to the
engine room. and was of uncertain
origin.
Misfortune has overtaken the
Buckeye State since she was built
here some time ago. She was to
have saiIed for San Francisco on
May i. but was held in port by the
shipping strike.
Arrangements were nnaliy made for
, the liner to sail yesterday afternoon
at 2 o'clock, but when the hour for
| sailing arrived, II was found that her
engines were disabled. The ship lay
| of Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor
all night with a largo gang overhaul
| ing her engines.
UNDER WAY AT DAYLIGHT.
| Getting Under way this morning at
| daylight. the liner reached point
| eight miles below here when at 500
| o'clock the Baltimore fre department
| received wireless from the U. 5.
Navy Department telling OF the fire on
the ship and asking that a fireboat be
| sent at once.
The Firebost Deluge was rushed
from Baltimore and a navy tug was
| sent from Annapolis with fre-hght-
ing apparatus on board. Shortly be-
| fore noon the battleship Ohio. which
| has been anchored here, was sent
| to the distressed ship.
An investigation is already under
| way in Baltimore to determine
| whether the disabling of the ship
was attributable to sabotage among
ship strikers.
LINER BUILT OF WOOD.
The liner, which is of wooden con-
struction, was built in Baltimore.
|
mer colony, Arundel on the Bay. The
settlement is made up largely of
| Washington people.
The Buckeye State sailed with nifty
one Chinese strike breakers as sailors,
They Joined new shipping board
steamer at Shanghai, China, and help
| ed bring IL to Philadelphia. From
there they were sent to Baltimore and
were to be taken to San Francisco on
the Buckeye State.
| The Buckeye State has aboard a
general cargo for Havana, San Fran
cisco and Honolulu.
| The revenue from the trip is esti-
mated at about 100000 from pas
sengers and $4,000 from freight
ENGINES WENT WRONG.
On Friday the Buckeye was pre-
pared for the trip and everything was
| found to be In perfect working con-
dition. Ten minutes before the sail
ing hour tho propellers we're started
for a brief final test and IL was found
that the machinery had been disabled.
When the propellers started to turn
almost all the FIRE went out and II
was found that feed pipes to the big
oil burners had been choked with
waste and other substances. A
thorough investigation was made and
II was found that the unions, joints
and oil cups throughout the exten.
sive oil system connected with the
big burners had been tampered with.
The electric system seemed to have
been wrecked also. IL refused to
work Electric fans about the ship
would run for only a few minutes at
a time and the lighting system would
not burn for moro than ten minutes
at n time.
The Buckeye state is 535 feet long
land was built by the Sparrows Point
lp,ant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding
Company. The vessel, said to be one
of the finest 2 passenger steamers
sfloat was put into service in April.
l7he steamber has accommodations for
eco frst class passenger.
| 1t has a displacement of II 900 tons
ard cargo-carrying capacity OF
at out $500 tons The captain, Charles
Peterson, in command OF the ship.
was in command of the Hawkeye
state, q sister ship, upon her de-
psrture from this port February rs.
tie remained In charge OF the Hawk
'oye State until she reached San Fran
Icisco on her return trip from the Hs-
y aiiian Islands Captain Peterson
n ade the trip overland by train to
lthis city to take charge OF the Buck
Isye State on her maiden voyage