The Washington times., 1925-11-18

RISK LIVES
To SAVE
OTHERS
tcontinued from First Page


the hotel dining room. exchanging
tales of their experiences. and
ordered heavy breakfasts. apparent
~ little the worse from their ordeal;
Meanwhile, the Lenape lies gutteo
TO the waters edge by flames on
the shore near here. With flames
shooting from her hold, Captain
E William Devereaux raced along the
Delaware coast to beach the vessel
and avoid q mid-sea tragedy. He
lost his vessel, but saved the lives
of his passengers and crew, accord
ing to those on board.
Passengers declared there was
little panic aboard despite the heat
from the burning hold and the
clouds OF smoke which engnlfed the
decks.
Set Up. Cheer
As the vessel came within the
protection Of the Delaware break.
water. 4 fleet of Coast Guard rescue
craft surrounded the Lenape.
Flames burst forth from hundred
points on deck at this period The
passengers lining the rails Of the
doomed vessel set up q cheer.
With flames sweeping the Lenape
from stem to stern, e crew from
one Of the rescue boats boarded the
Lenape and searched the state
rooms for passengers unacccunted
for.
A score of passengers cut of In
their cabins by the flames were
helped TO deck by the reecuers.
Passengers reported the crew OF the
Lenape stuck to their fire posts
even after the passengers were
taken off.
The known hero OF the rescue WAS
Captain Irving Steele OF the Lewes
Coast Guard. To his splendid cour-
age and that Of his little band Of
life savers 10 given fun credit for
the rescue Of at least one.half
Of those aboard the Lenape.
Captain Steele ana his men, aboard
the coast guard cutter, Lewes,
dashed toward the liner, which was
then ten miles of the Delaware
Breakwater.
when Captain Steele and his men
neared the burning Isenape, twelve
boats OF the Lenape, filled with
terrified passengers, were launched.
Boat by boat load, Captain Steele
and his men picked them up and
transferred them 70 the Lewes.
Then, the twelve boats OF the Lenepe
were used In taking off other pas
sengers. Because Of the extreme
heat from the burning ship It was
necessary for the cutter Lewes to
stand Off at some distancel
No Loss Of Life Claim
Agents OF the Clyde Line express
ed the opinion, however, that there
was no loss OF life.
Delay in landing the survivors
was due to the low tide and heavy
seas.
It was estimated that the property
loss to the burned liner would total
close to $1,000, 900.
: The Lenape was q steel screw
steamer of 5,179 tons, 376 feet long
and fifty feet in the beam. She
was built in 1912 at Newport News.
Since entering the New York
Jacksonville service in 1912, the
Lenape has had two mishaps. On
October IL, 1921, she sank at her
pier in New York, and, after being
reconditioned she grounded near
Jacksonville, in October. 1922, but
was refloated a few hours later.
The liner was under command OF
Of the veteran masters in the Clyde
line service.
When the first as. o. s." mes
sages were sent out by the Lenape,
the cutter Seneca asked the Lenape,
WHATS your condition."
''Afire, smoking badly" the Lenape
replied.
She Seneca and other vessels
which had picked up the distress
signals rushed at once to the
rescue.
fact Brings Ship In
The pilot who brought the Lenape
into the breakwater was Charles
J. Norris, Of Lewes. He boarded
tha saip when it was smouldering
badly, many miles at sea, and stay
ed ON hoard until the liner was
IN flames from end to end-shortly
before the rescue was effected.
Captain Devereux of the Lenape
and Pilot Morris were the last to
leave the burning vessel.
Reports on Rescue
CAPE MAY, n. J., Nov. 18.--~
Boatswain Ira Cope, commanding
the Patrol 108, returned here short
w after 10 a m TO-DAY and rs.