The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-03-22
THRILLING
BATTLE WITH
FIRE AT SEA
Panic Stricken Passengers
Locked in State-roonns and
Stokers Forced to Hold
Posts Under Drawn
Pistols

New York. March lS.-A thrill
ing tale Of fire at sea, with loi
panic-strickcn men and women
locked in their state rooms and
.;tokeI.s held ut their posts under
the lhra;lt OF drawn pistols. was re-
lated hy passengers Of the United
States liner Potomac when she ar
rived here today from Bremen.
II was a tale OF Yankee pluck
and inGcnuity-of Il shippers re-,
f,:sal TO give up his ship until every
hope hnd been abandoned, and Of
his acceptance OF the thousand 90
one chance" which turned "a
threatening catastrophe into Il
merely narrowing experience for
those aboard.
The fire was discovered at mid
night March ,, q few hours after
the Potomac. with Capt. William
Mcleod in charge. sailed from Bre-
men up the coast Of Holland into
4 North sea. She had been steam
ing along on 4 smooth sea when
suddenly, with howls Of warning.
the Spanish and Filipino stolers
bounded from the hold and started
for the lifchoats.
Officers. with revolvers. order
cd them back 10 the fire room,
which had become az inferno Of
smoke with flames b;liowinS from
an adjoining compartment where
mattresses, lie preServcrS and ships
stores had rlyster1ously taken fire.
The dread cry OF fire" spread
quickly through the ship. The l04
passengers broke from their state
rooms and made for the liieboats.
Capt. Mcleod sent stewards TO
herd them back and prevent the
frenzicd ones from lcaping over
board
Chief Engineer Z. NJ Garland
already had placed guards over the
boiler room crews, and streams Of
hose were spout;ng tons OF water
on the blaze.
Huge clouds Of smoke pouring
from the hatchways and the al
most unbearable neat around the
stokers, next TO the fire. gave evi-
lence thar it was gaining head
way
At ! a. ~. the FIRE had become
so fierce that the decks We're hot
Vt / o'clock the Potomac slowed
down 10 half speed. AT +:50 Capt.
Mcleod ordered the engines
Stopped and the blazing craft roll
cd sluggishly about while the crew
turned fire lighters.
Seamcn went over the sides in
bos'n's chairs with sledSe hammers,
smashed in the cast iron port lids,
ana directed their hose into the
heart or the fire, but without effect.
Even live. stcaLl. turned into the
hatchway, failed to retard the
flames
~ $50 Il. M after the S. O. S.
had been sent ont and Il rescue
vessel was hcavinG TO. TO await the
result OF the battle. Capt. Mcleod
decided thar, rather than beach his
ship he would Try q stunt he
learned during the war. while
lodging enemy submarines.
He steamed at top speed. until
the whole ship throbbcd with the
Vibration and her outline was al
most obscured by the dense smoke
sweeping astern. Suddenly he or
Gered the rudder hard-over. AS
;he vessel carecned in the come
about" her St;trboard side lifted so
sharply aS to throw the tons ot
wafer in her hold up along her
sides and over the heart Of the
.ire Immediately the flames sub
sided. and At p. nl., sixteen hours
after the alarm was sounded, the
fire was under control and the
vessel resumed her voyage.
Chief Engineer Garland was
overcome by heat and Tunes in
The last hour OF the tight and was
under the care OF the ships sur
gcon for several days. according 10
passengers who narrated the tale
Richard .Alhecht. chief officer, and
:, seaman We're slightly injured.
The Potomac still had about
thirty tons Of water in her hold
when with Il list 10 port. she steam
cd in today.