Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-10
j. S. JOINS INQUIRY
INTO SEA DISASTER
Men OF Northern Pacific Tell
Thrilling Tale Of Escape From
Blazing inferno
ORDER OF SILENCE LIFTED

While officials Of the Admiral Line,
owners Of the burned steamship North :
ern Pacific. and the Sun Shipbuildins
Company, which lost four employees on
board, arc investigating the cause Of tbe
fire at sea, the Government Is also pre-.
pairing an official probe OF the disaster
Tho Shipping Board has announced
that the Government had no supervision
over the steamer. but that she was ir
charge Of the Admiral Line. Officer,
and crew agreed that the fire on the
Northern Pacific was simply one Of the
mishaps Of tho sea.
The crew told wild story of theil
battle in the dark against heavy odds
after they had taken to the lifeboats
and left their ship to burn. The boat
which was later picked up by the tank
er Herbert G. Wylie was almost run
down by that vessel before the stranded
men were sighted and picked up. Al
no time after they took to the boat did
they get another glimpse Of the three
other lifeboats and their occupants, un.
til the latter were landed at Newport
News.
The fire. members Of the crew said
broke out in the passenger accommoda :
tions of the vessel on deck II. between
the smokestacks. and they knew little
of it until too late to do anything more
than man the liteboats and save them
selves. They were warned Of the fire
by Second Officer Wilson too late tc
drag the four Sun Shipbuilding men
from the flames. They persisted.
Skeleton Crew Usual
The fact that the vessel was manned
by only skeleton crew. and was with
out radio equipment. was not unusual
Shipping Board officials said today
1t is often that such vessel. bound
only short distance along the coast,
does not fully equip herself before set.
ting out. Up to late yesterday after
noon Captain Lusti forbade any mem
ber Of his crew to talk of the accident
on orders of the Shipping Board. Wher
the silence was broken. the men cout
add little to the narrative which hat
already been told in piecemeal: The
survivors. passed through this city TO-
day on the way to New York.
The captain and several members o
the crew immediateiy went betor'
United states steamboat inspectors tc
ten what they knew about the origin
Vi ~, -,
Re1resned nE lew nou,s sep an,
apparently little concerned about thci'
eApta.ei.L au;hea e,"o .h su, Ha ,d ros",,. nav
ear,ier "es,Iioo i tt & sm n.u e. "S ShirhMiiIi-
lney saiu o,e ,Uo. oro sun ,,n,tarod ',ar' ;nS
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sune o+ ",S 'd t,e;r % r '"G for u nr
orn ,,,j cow tbem n fter tba 6ro r.o,
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mere When nn me I,re WI WIS aa u. as nussn
ABOUT :oo ciock, WIN iaihes 'eap'h.
Nlgn apove the iiastncau' . f.. A.,
we star.en iCokins aoou. i"I .n'
boats' NaPta!ii Cnhsr sa'u, "nI iaN
the one with thlrteeh men III A. wiz
we were taxing that uoTulu unothe'
steamShlp hearp! was plchihs up an
other boat. we s1Feu 'hree oI Tue iou'
nOnfS.