Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-11
Witnesses Tell
of HerOisn
ON Liner.
WOMEN PRAISED
FOR CALM ACTS
Sailors and Marines
Also Lauded for
Rescue Work.
BY the Associated Press.


God bless EN-" acted like majors,
A. E. Abbott of Quincy, bronzed
first sergeant of Marines, said in
describing four-hour battle
against fire and deadly smoke as
flames blanketed the Fairfax al
most instantly after the collision.
with a terrible death staring
them in the face" he said, they
assembled, gasping for breath, in
the stern of the boat while the ap-
parently impossible task of saving
the ship was undertaken by all
aboard.
"Huddled in a group with un-
conscious forms all about them,
they refused to become panic
stricken and thus allowed all the
men to work in putting out the
fire"
Sergt Abbott praised also the spirit
of the man passengers. After the first
shock of the blast, they set to work,
get to life boats until the Gloucester
was ready to make the transfer, he said.
Praises Service Men.
Taking no credit for himself, Sergt.
| Abbott told of the heroic efforts of four
other Marines and six Navy officers,
who, he said, really saved the ship. But
| for the efforts Of these men the Fairfax
would have been lost and all aboard her
| burned to death or drowned"
The battle against the flames, he
said, lasted for four hours. The whole
port side was enveloped In an instant.
All the passengers on that side Of the
boat rushed to starboard to escape the
| fire and smoke. The service men
| segregated the women and children and
directed the work of fighting the fire.
The rescue efforts of the Gloucester
crew, Sergt. Abbott said, were efficiently,
promptly and thoroughly carried out.
First thought was given to the burned
and injured. Stretchers were taken or
passed to the Fairfax and the more
unfortunate OF the passengers trans
ferred to the Gloucester, where they
| were given emergency treatment.
After the Gloucester had arrived here
and its weary cargo had gone to hotels,
Sergt. Abbott went in search of his
| fellow Marines to be sure they were
| made comfortable.
Didn't Have n Chance.
Arthur p. Saulnier, a Marine, of
Brockton, Mass, said that passengers
on the bow of the ship and in state
rooms near the bow, were badly burned
by the burning oil hurled by the ex-
plosion.
"They didn't have a chance" he said.
Saulnier was in the smoking rooms
at the time of the collision, he said.
ont Shaat nf fame covered
the front of the ship.
Men, women and children went
wild" he declared.
The tanker was hit on the port side,
he said. A large hole was also stove
in the bow of the Fairfax.
Among the missing, he said, he be-
lieved there was man by the name OF
Walker. He thought about 10 were
missing after the crash. A roll call was
held on the Fairfax later, he said.
other passengers told of seeing per-
sons wrapped in flames leaping from
| the ship only to land in burning oil
on the surface of the water about the
| two ships.
c. d. Farrell of the U. S. S. Lexing-
| ton, a passenger. said flames enveloped
the forepart of the Fairfax.
Radio Burned Away.
Harry Jam of Quincy, Mass q sailor,
who was going to the U. S. S. Chaumont
at Norfolk, Va, said the whole top deck
of the Fairfax from bow to stern, was
enveloped with flaming oil after the
explosion.
Jam, who said he was in the smoking
room with Saulnier and five other men
at the crash, rushed with them to the
! deck They took orders from officers
and first lowered lifeboats.
With other men they smashed in
doors and windows of Staterooms to get
out people who had been overcome by
| fumes from the burning OIL he said.
The radio antennae was burned away
by the flames, Jam said. The chief
radio man on the U. S. S. Charles aided
the radio men on the Fairfax in re-
pairing apparatus to send out the dis
| treSS calls.
The nurses aboard the Fairfax were
highly praised by Jam for their courage
In aiding those burned and wounded.
They continued their work aboard the
Gloucester, he said.