The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-06-11
Collision of Ship and
Tanker Covers Water
With Burning Oil
Continued from page one)

NNoAACAAIueu lEOIH page OleJ
to death in the flaming. oil-coated
water in the first moments after the
impact.
The ships crashed blindly in a
dense fog that blanketed the coast
Throughout the night.
The Fairfax. q Merchant and
Miners Transportation company ship,
bound out of Boston for Norfolk, Va,
with a passenger list Of II and a crew
OF 70, drove her bow into the port
side OF the tanker before watchmen
aboard the steamship could do little
more than shout a warning.
Before the ships broke apart. the
tanker, loaded with oil. burst into
flames. Blazing oil poured upon the
sea and swept by the waves %enveloped
the fore part Of the Fairfax.
Sinks in 20 Minutes
The tanker sank within 20 minutes,
carrying with her her entire crew
which Gamer said probably num-
bered at least 40 men.
Eigteen of the passengers and crew
of the Fairfax were missing when a
roll was called later. Several were
seen to jump overheard as the flames
swept upward and it is believed all of
the missing persisted in the sea of
blazing oil.
At least II were injured.
1t was 7:05 p. m. E. S. T. when the
crash occurred. barely two hours aft
er the Fairfax had left her pier and
crept down the harbor.
The steamship Gloucester. of the
same line, followed her out three
hours later and was the first to re-
ceive word of the accident. Racing
through the fog she drew alongside
the Fairfax and the passengers of the
wreck ship were transferred to her
Shortly after daylight they landed al
the pier in Boston.
Not until the arrival of the passen.
gers did the full horror of the dis
aster become known.
The flames which swept up from
the burning oil melted away the radio
antennae on the Fairfax and halted
her efforts to send out ar S. o. 8.
Repairs were started and the wire
less finally began operating. The
Gloucester picked up the appeal.
Stories Of the disaster. as told by
passengers and ere upon their ar.
rival in Boston. pictured the scene
that followed the crash.
Crash without Warning
The Fairfax. they said, had beer
poking slowly through the fog, NOV.
ing at barely half of its normal speed
of IL knots. Almost without warn.
ing. there was a crash as it ploughec
into the tanker.
Blazing oil flowed out over the sur.
face of the sea and surrounded the
ship. It showered her sides and
dropped on the deck. splashing upor
the passengers and sailors who were
outside at the time.
The explosion, according to the pas
sengers. tore the tanker to pieces anc
within a few minutes the last piece
had sunk from sight leaving a flam'
ing sheet of oil on the sea.
Apparently in panic and crazed By
their burns, several persons leaped
into the blazing sea. Among the
seven passengers who were missing
were four women. Eleven members
of the crew disappeared.
There was no opportunity to rem.
der aid either to those who jumped
overheard or to those aboard the
wrecked tanker. The flames and the
fog swept them from sight.
The arrival Of the rescue ship with
its cargo of injured and stunned wit
nesseS to the tragedy was vastly dif-
ferent from the return Of most ships
carrying vacationers. their hair dis.
heveled and their faces showing the
strain Of their work, stood beside
their patients. They had worked
hard on board the Fairfax tending
the injured.
Charred Vessel Docks
A little after 10 a. m. the Fairfax,
charred. broken and Scared, tied up
to the dock which she had left gaily
10 hours before. There was a party
Of formerly gay vacationists lining
the rails, now charred and twisted
on the port side.
When the gangplank lowered no
one was flowed aboard except Su-
pervising Inspector Oscar G. Haines
of the United States inspection serv-
ice, Captain Charles M. Lyons, local
inspector, and officials OF the COM
pany.
The oil fire had left Its mark from
stem to stern on the port side. Paint
was blistered and burned, windows
and ports were smashed by the heat,
and it was obvious no lifeboats could
have been lowered on this side of the
vessel for the davits and ropes were
burned away and the boats warped.