The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-03-22
104 LOCKED UP WHEN
SHIP BURNS At SEA
Passengers in Staterooms ant
StOkers Driven to Work At
Pistols Point.

New York, March 1S.--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 pas
sengers of the United States liner
Potomac when she arrived here to-
day from Bremen.
1t was a tale of Yankee pluck and
ingenuity-of a skipper's refusal to
give UP his ship until every hope had
been abandoned, and of his accept
ance of the thousand to one chance"
which turned threatening catas-
trophe into merely narrowing ex-
perience for those aboard.
The fire was discovered at mid
night March 2, few hours after the
Potomac, With Capt. william Nc
Leod in charge, sailed from Bremen
up the coast of Holland into the
North Sea. She had been steaming
along on a smooth sea when sud
Spanish and Filipino stokers bound
ed from the hold and started for the
lifeboats.
Driven at Pistols Points
Officers, with drawn revolvers.
ordered them back to the freroom,
which had become an inferno CT
smoke with flames billowilg from
an adjoining com p1rtmeut, where
mattresses, life preservers and ships
stores had mysteriousiy taken fire.
: The dread cry of fire" spread
quickly through the ship. The 104
passengers broke from their state
rooms and made for the lifehoats
Captain Mcleod sent stewards to
herd them back and prevent the
frenzied ones from leaping over
board.
Chief Engineer E. NJ. Garland al
ready had placed guards over the
boiler-room crews. and with streams
of hose were spouting tons of water
on the blaze.
Power Rooms Flooded
The engine and frerooms were
flooded with water, but huge clouds
of smoke pouring from the hatch
ways and the almost unbearable
heat around the stokers, next to the
fire, gave evidence that it was gain
ing headway.
At 1 a. m. the fire had become so
fierce that the decks were hot.
4 o'clock the Potomac slowed down
to half speed. At 4:50 Captain Nc
Leod ordered the engines stopped,
and the blazing craft rolled slug
gishly about while the whole crew
turned fire fighters.
Seamen went over the sides in
| bos'n's chairs with s!edge hammers,
smashed in the cast iron port lids,
and directed their hose into the
heart of the fire, but without effect.
Even live steam. turned into the
I hatchways. failed to retard the
| flames.
At $40 a. nj. after the S. o. S.
had been sent out and a rescue YES
sci was heaving to, to await the re-
suit of the battle. Captain Mcleod
| decided that, rather than beach his
ship he would try a stunt he learn
ed during the war, while lodging
enemy submarines.
| DsIwss uasa.. noav Wa.Lr
He steamed ahead at top speed.
until the whole ship trobbed with
the vibration and her outline was
almost obscured by the dense smoke
sweeping astern.
Suddenly he ordered the rudder
hardover. AS the vessel careened
in the come about" her starboard
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 D. m. sixteen hours after
the alarm was sounded. the fire was
under control and the vessel resum-
ed her voyage.
The Potomac still had about
thirty tons of water In her hold
when with a list to port, she steam
ed In today.