The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-03-24
YANKEE CAPTAIN
SAVES BIG Line R.
Defeats Fire and Mutiny at Sea
in Long Fight.
USES TRICK TAUGHT IN WAR
Ocean Catastrophe Probably Prevent.
ed When Captain Mcleod of the
Steamship Potomac Takes the
Thousand to One" Chance.

New York, March 20-A thrilling
tale of fire at sea, with 1874 panic
stricken men and women locked III
their staterOOms and StOkers held at
their posts under threat of drawn
pistols, was related by passengers OF
the United States liner Potomac when
it arrived here from Bremen
1t was a tale of Yankee pluck and
ingenuity-Of a shippers 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 catastro-
phe into a merely narrowing expert
ence for those aboard.
The fire was discovered at midnight
March 2, few hours after the Po-
tOmac, with Capt William Mcleod in
charge, sailed from Bremen up the
coast of Holland into the North sea.
Suckers Give Warning.
1t had been steaming along on
smooth sea when suddenly with bowls
of warning the Spanish and Filipino
stokers bounded from the hold and
started FOR the llTebOatS.
Officers, with drawn revolvers, or
dered them back to the fireroom
which had become an inferno OF
smoke, with flames billowing from an
adjoining compartment.
The cry of "fire" spread quickly.
The 104 passengers broke from their
staterOOms and made for the lifeboats
Captain Mcleod sent stewards to herd
them back and prevent the frenzied
ones from leaping overheard.
Chief Engineer E. NJ Garland al
ready had placed guards over the
boiler room crews, who, with streams
OF hose, were spOuting tons of water
on the blaze The engine and fire
rooms were flooded, but huge clouds
of smoke pouring from the hatchways
and the almost unbearable heat around
the stOkers, next to the fire, gave evil
dence it was gaining Roadway.
Decks Become Hot.
At 1 a. m. the fire had become so
fierce that the decks were hot. At
four o'clock the Potomac slowed down
to half speed. At $50 Captain Nc
LeOd ordered the engines stopped and
the blazing craft rolled sluggishly
about while the crew turned fire.
fighters.
Seamen went over the sides In
bos'n's chairs with sledge han%ners,
smashed in the cast-irOn port lids, and
directed their hoses into the heart of
the fire, but without effect
At 800 a. m., after the S. o. S. had
heaving to-, to await the result of the
battle, Captain Mcleod decided that,
rather than beach his ship he would
try a stunt he learned during the war
while lodging enemy submarines.
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 sweeping
aStern.
Saved by War Trick.
Suddenly he ordered the rudder
narrower. AS the vessel careened In
the "cOme about" it's starboard side
lifted so sharply as to throw the tons
OF water in its hold up along its sides
and over the. heart of the fire. Imme-
diately the flames subsidized, and at q
.. M, Is hours after the alarm was
sounded, the fire was under control
and the vessel resumed it's voyage.
Chief Engineer Garland was over
come by heat and fumes in the last
hour of the fight.
The Potomac still had about thirty
tons of water in its hold when, with
list to port, 1t steamed in.