New-York tribune., 1922-08-12
Woman Leaves Adriatic Safe
Bible to Leapl7 After Blast; 5
Floors to Death Dead, 4 Injured
Ex-Governor C1ynn Tells
of Flash From Coal
Hatch and Bravery of
Captain and His Grew
One Blown Into Sea
Spontaneous Co m b IL stion
Caused Explosion; Pas
sengers ALI Are Unhurt

ABOARD THE STEAMSHIP ADRr-
ATTIC, off New England, Aug II tBy
Wireless to The Associated Press).-
An explosion occurring to-day aboard
the steamship Adriatic in the reserve
coal hatch killed five members of the
crew and injured four others.
The explosion. which occurred at
80 a. M, was caused by spontaneous
combustion.
Not passenger was killed. Of the
five members of the crew who were
killed, one was believed to have been
blown overheard.
The following description of the ex-
plosion was given by Martin H. Glynn,
former Governor of New York, a news
paperman and a passenger
ut came like a roar of thunder The
captain of the ship, Hugh R. David, is
strict disciplinarian, and this showed
to-day when he performed great work
He had the fire in the hold under con-
troll and the ship again on her way a
few hours after the explosion.
'The discipline, the courtesy of all
the officers was admirable, and the
members of the crew were true to the
best traditions of English seamanship.
"The explosion and the attending
flash awakened me-. / landed on deck
to find scores before me, and there we
stayed until the sun came up, and what
we saw was complimentary to human
nature.
Seriousness in Air
"It was a tense time. There was a
solemnity, seriousness in the air, a
ipfy of
fancy and a looking of faith in the
face, but no whimpering, no snivelling,
no Mysteries, no wailing, no word of
complaint.
Then. while the boat was still drift
ing and the pumps plugging away,
from out of the shadows came the voice
of beautiful woman who said:
"Captain David will pull us through,
all right
ga man next to her repeated it, Then
some one else took it up and so it went
from lip to lip, down the line and
around the deck: Captain David will
pull US through, all right
"And he did"
To-day, while the sinking sun was
gliding down the western sky, two of
the victims, enshreuded in the Union
Jack, were inferred in the vaults of
the deep, while 1900 people stood in
reverential attitude as the bodies
slipped over the side of the ship for
which they had given their lives.
Passengers raised $1,000 to care for
the families of the dead and injured.
In addition to Mr.. Glynn, among the
passengers on the Adriatic are Winslow
S. Pierce, of 81 Wall Street, and Mrs.
Pierce; Clarence Howard, president of
the Commonwealth Steel Company, and
his son, of ST. Louis, Mo-; Frank Kaley
and Albert Straus, of 52 Wall Street.
The Adriatic left Liverpool for New
York on August S with $50 passengers,
of whom 202 were frst-cabin, and a
crew of about 500.
At noon yesterday the White Star
Company Offices here received a wire
less from the Adriatic, saying, 1891
miles east of Ambrose. Anticipate ar
rival 2:30 p. m. Sunday. Beyond last
message have nothing further to COM
municate. All well at present. (Signed)
David" The previous message from
Captain David had stated, Everything
0. K. Proceeding full speed"
The wireless messages snow that the
vessels speed was greatly reduced after
the explosion, and that it was not until
10 a. m. yesterday that she went ahead
again at full speed. That she lost no
ever, is shown by the fact that she is
expected here at the time scheduled for
her arrival.
The first word of the trouble was
received in wireless message to the
Charlestown (Mass.) navy yard at Q
o'clock yesterday morning, which was
as follows:
Explosion in No hold. Endeavor-
ing to locate trouble. May need as
sistanee. Proceeding.
"DAVID, Commander"
The names of the dead and injured
as received in radio from Captain
David, were:
Dead--J. Redmond, trimmer; j. Dill
ly, fireman.
Injured electrician; S. Haw-
ley, fireman; j. Northam, trimmer;
R. Mccarthy, trimmer; E. Donnelly,
trimmer.
Missing--s. McGuiness. hreman.