The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-17
FIRE DISCOVERED
BY ADECK HAND
Orphaned Youth, Scrub
bing Deck at a a. m. Saw
Ship in Flames
SEA FIRE DESCRIBED
san Francisco Man Relates
Details of Narrowing, Saving
of Crew and Passengers
by WILLIAM PARKER.
International News Services

D.. INTERNATIONAL news serves,
Los ANGELES. Cal. oct l6.-
An unsung hero---and today a PENN.
.o.s hereof the burned liner city
~ Honolulu, is 20 years old. Law
tenco Greeu. an orphan boy who dis
o,ered the fire and who admitted
.s'hcr wistfully to me as he stood
un the dock after the transport
Thomas disembarked tho rescued
passengers that my brothers home
.7 The only one l have"
Green Is one OF the lowliest OF the
'1vly aboard a liner OF the City Of
honolulu elass. lie is deck hand.
% Is Green's duty at I o'clock every
morning 10 swab the deck.
lie Gave the Alarm.
Green was discharging his duty
with considerable couscicntiousness
because he said that he glanced at
his watch etfive minutes to o'clock
fn make sure that he would finish
His task this morning as early as the
day previous
1T could not have been more than
40 minutes later when | went to
turn or the water at one OF the fire
hydrants that ! saw smoke coming
up one OF tho yentilators. This was
ON the afterdeck about No. 5. /
had never been in ship before but
, %new what fire as sea can mean, 80
! ran to the bridge and reported the
smoke Ia the first offices.io told me
tp sound tho fire alarm. ! ran to
the bell and rang It."
That there was almost continuous
trouble with tho electrical system OF
the city of Honolulu from the time
the vessel left the Hawaiian islands
until fire was discovered aboard
carly Thursday morning was tho do
uldration OF passengers when they
came ashore today.
Started In Statcroom.
From all / could learn. the fire
started in one OF the staterooms on
what Is called 't' deck" said Ed
Lachman. san Francisco furniture
dealer who was forced TO flee from
his staterOom In his patamas, and
wore only discarded pair of SEQ
mans trousers and an old raincoat
when he was met at the dock by his
brother.
we were awakened by the ring
Ing of our telephone bell about $50
o'clock Thursday morning" con-
tinued Bachman. The telephone
operator told US IN a cool tone OF
voice tha. there was a fire on board
and that the captain wanted all pas
sengers 10 come on deck at once and
to put life preservers about US.
This was nv first experience IN a
sea accident and ! lost no time in
ooeying instructions, pausing only
10 fasten a life preserver about my
wife. When we went to the upper
deck had on only my pajamas and
she her night robe.
Cold Wind Was Blowing.
When we got there practically
All NJ the other first-class passengers
were gathered near tho bridge. It
was stin an hour before sun up and
a chill wind blowing, but the ocean
was unusually smooth,
Noting that my wife was clad in
nor nightrobe, one OF the stewards
asked the number OF our stateroOm
and went below and got a dress for
her. That was all he was able to
get for by now the fire was spread
ing rapidly in our statcroom in nd-
ditlon "a our clothing were Jewels
ana money the total OF which
would say was s2.5OO. | don't be-
icye that / honestly could say that
we thought OF this money or the
jewclry. some OF which we can not
replace, ever entered our thoughts
\ we talked and thought about was
whether we could escape with our
lives from the steamer.
About o'clock I'm the morning,
ihe vessel gave a sudden list TO port,
a 8O-degree list. one of the officers
sald, This really was the only time
ln0re was sense OF fear among the