Evening star., 1922-10-25
WOODEN SHIP FIRE
BURNS ALL NIGHT
Blaze Started in Engine Room
of Vessel at Alexandria
Pier.
Special Dispatch, to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, October 25.-
F:remen today were battling with
flames discovered at IT'S O'Clock last
night in the engine room OF the big
wooden ship Atlanthus, belonging
to the Western Salvage Company,
which is being dismantled here at
the wharf of the Virginia ShipbuiId-
ing Corporation.
Every piece of fire apparatus in
the city, with the tug Firefghter
from Washington. is on the scene
ana about dozen streams are being
played on the burning ship. the in
terror of which presents the appear
ance or a roaring furnace.
Al midnight last night the two
reserve steamer engines of the city
were put into service and ever since
ooth have been working. Since a
lsW minutes after o'clock last night
the FlrehShter has been on the job
throwing several streams of water
on the ship.
Machinery Ruined.
Practically the entire superstructure
of the At'snthus is gone, the interior
IS gutted and all of the valuable ma
chinery of the ship is so badly dam
sed by the fire that it has been re-
auced to junk. it was stated today.
me MoJave, known as the "hoodoo
SNIP, Whlch was directly beside the
burned ship, was badly scorched by
the flTe. For a time it looked AS if the
hoodoo ship was doomed. However
the firemen kept the blaze confined to
the vessel on which it originated. and
lne Mo]ave was only slightly
AT daybreak this morning the Mo-
jaNe was moved to a place of safety.
Directly south of the burning ship
was the Georgie NJ. Morse. Launched
IN ls2o' which is practically COM
pleted. 1t is a 9,4O0-ton steel freight
er. the property of the Virginia Shin
building Corporation. Early in the
night this ship appeared to be mem
aceo, out when it was seen that the
ma mes would in all proba bility be CON.
nned 20 the ship on which they orig
ship. 'ne
A weary and tired looking bunch
OF volunteer firemen were fighting the
IRE at the shipyard today Most of
shem had been on the job since the
fire started.
Discovered by Watchman,
George wilkins, employed as a
watcnman, stated that he discovered
the blaze exactly at 7:15 O'Clock, in
the engine room of the ship. He at
once had an alarm turned in. and
soon thereafter the fire department
was on the scene
The origin of the fire is not known,
aitnough j. n. Barde. general mana
ger OF the Western Salvage Companv-
is of the opinion that cigaretfe
stump may have caused it, Others
expressed the opinion that probably
spark from one of the acetylene
burners used by the mechanics may
nave been responsible.
Az daybreak today the ship was
resting on the bottom Of the river,
and was filled with water fifty feet
deep; Practically nothing remains of
the big ship which cost the govern
ment about $1,000,000 but the charred
remains of the hull.
The western Salvage Company car
rtea @ no insurance on the boat. This
ship, together with the Mojaye. ar
rived in Alexandria last Saturday
morning from Baltimore. having been
toWed here by a big tug. The work
OF dismantling the ship was begun
Monday morning.
otfieiaus Of the company estimate
the loss to them in their salvage
work will be at least $4,000
The Western Salvage Company sew
eral months ago purchas sed from the
Cnited States Shipping Board a total
OF zzS OF the wooden ships used dur
ui6 LILO WOTiu war by the t1njfed
States. The two foregoing ships are
the first to arrive at this port to he
dismantled. The 226 ships cost the
government about $500, 1000, 900.
Firemen Injured.
Several Of the firemen had narrow
escapes from falls on board the shin
and others received sprsined ankles.
Leonard Ford, a member of Colun-
bia Company, No. 4. suffered slight
burns about the face while fighting
the fire.
During the night and early morning
hours hot coffee and sandwiches were
furnished the f1remen.
1t was stated that the fire aboard
the Atlantus will not in any way in
terfere with the salvaging work
which has begun, and that this work
will be continued without inter-
ruption.
The fire attracted a crowd of sew
eral thousand persons from every
section of the city. The crowd re-
manned until after II o'clock. By
midnight practically the only persons
remaining on the scene were those
engaged in the task of fighting the
fire.