The Mena weekly star., 1922-03-23
GOOD ENDITO FIRE
 THRILLER AT SEA
After Losing Fight, With Crew of U, s. s. Potomac Held at Point of Re- vOlvers, War Trick Saved
 Vessel and Lives.

New York, March 18.-A thrilling tale of fire at sea, with 104 panic stricken men and women locked in their staterooms, and stokers held at their posts under the threat of drawn pistols, was related by passengers of the United States liner Potomac, when she arrived here today from Bremen.
 It was tale of Yankee plunk and ingenuity-of shippers refusal to give up his ship until every hope had been abandoned, and of his acceptance of the thousand to one chance" which turned threatening catastro- phe into a merely narrowing experi- ence for those aboard.
 The fire was discovered at midnight March 2, few hours after the Poto- mac with Captain Mcleod in charge, sailed from Bremen up the coast of Holland into the North Sea. She had been steaming along on smooth sea, when suddenly with howls of warn ing, the Spanish and Filipino stokers bounded from the hold and started for the lifeboats.
 Driven Back at Revolver's Points.
 Officers, with drawn revolvers, or dered them back to the fire room, which had become an inferno of smoke, with flames billowing from an adjoining compartment, where mat tresses, life preservers and ships stores had taken fire mysteriously.
 The dread cry of fire" spread quickly thru the ship. The 104 pas sengers broke from their stateroom and made for the lifeboats. Captain Mcleod sent stewards to herd them back and prevent the frenzied ones from leaping overheard.
 Chief Engineer E. M Garland al- ready had placed guards over the boiler room crews, and streams of hose were spouting tons of water on the blaze.
 Fire Gained Despite All.
 Then engine and firerooms were flooded with water, but huge clouds of smoke poured from the hatchways and the almost unbelievable heat, gave evidence that it was gaining headway.
 At a. m. the fire had become so fierce that the decks were hot. At 4 o'clock, the Potomac slowed down to half speed. At 4:50, Captain Mcleod ordered the engines stopped, and the blazing craft rolled sluggishly about while the whole crew turned fire fighters.
 Seamen went over the sides in bos'n's chairs with sledge hammers, smashed in the cast iron port lids and directed their hoses into the heart of the fire, but without effect. Even live steam, turned into the hatchways, failed to retard the flames.
 Then a War Trick Won.
 At 8:20 a. m., after the s. O. s. had been sent out, and rescue vessel was heaving to, to await the result of the battle, Captain Mcleod decided that, rather than beach his ship, he would try a stunt learned during the war, while lodging enemy submar- ines.
 He steamed ahead at top speed, un- til the whole ship throbbed with the vibration and her outline was almost obscured by the dense smoke sweep ing astern. Suddenly he ordered the rudder hard over. As the vessel ca- reened, in the "come about" her star board side lifted so sharply as to throw the tons of water in her hold up along her sides and over the heart of the fire. Immediately the flames subsided, and at 4 p. m., sixteen hours after the alarm was sounded, the fire was under control and the vessel had resumed her voyage.
 Chief Fngineer Overcome.
 Chief Engineer Garland was over come by heat and fumes in the last hour of the fight and was under the care of the ships surgeon for several days, according to passengers, who narrated the tale. Richard Albrecht, chief officer. and Alfred Puff, sea- man, were injured slightly.
 The Potomac still had about thirty tons of water in her hold when, with a list to port, she steamed in today.