Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-27
SIX HURT BY BLAST
|. ON R!CHMAN YACHT
Three ZiegfeId Players and
CoIumnist Burned-One in
Critical Condition.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
-GREENPORT. N. Y, July 27.-Six
persons. including three members of the
"ziegfel Follies,'' and Mark Hellinger,
newspaper columnist were in hospital
today. burned and injured in an ex-
plosion and fire aboard Harry Rich
mans yacht yesterday.
The party was preparing to start on
fishing trip when the blast shook the
36-foot cruiser.
The injured were Miss Helen Walsh
Miss Virginia Biddle and Richman. all
of the "Follies"; Hellinger. Sam White,
a fishing captain of Greenport, and Sam
Levy, Richman's chauffeur. Miss Walsh's
condition is critical She was pulled
from under a flaming mattress in the
inner cabin, her dress aflame. Richman
seized her and jumped with her into
the water.
Five fire companies beat out the
flames. but the boat was wrecked.
Gladys Glad Uninjured.
Mrs. Hellinger known in the "Follies"
as Gladys Glad, was the only member
was taken to a. hospital suffering from
hysteria.
Hellinger and Richman said gas fumes
in the cabin in which the group were
sitting exploded. and fire sprang up so
quickly all were burned before they
could fee
The 36-foot sea-going cruiser. the
Chevalmar II, was bought two weeks
age by Richman from Alexander Aaron,
Broadway producer. for reported price
of $4,000.
After insuring the craft yesterday,
Richman invited the Hellingers and
the two chorus girls to go deep sea
fishing today.
Five Were in Cabin.
They left Beacfhurst, Long Island
at 2:30 am. and tied up at an oil
company dock here at $50 am. Nearly
$50 gallons of high test gasoline was
put aboard and White was hired to
pilot the Chevalmar out to a point of
Green Hill where Richman and He'll
niger planned to fish.
The three actresses, Levy and Rich
man were in the cabin, White had Just
stepped aboard and Hellinger was pre-
pairing to cast off at IL am. when the
blast occurred
Flames which shot out from the
cabin enveloped White. He was blown
10 feet back on the dock by the force
OF the explosion.
The shoes of all six on board had
been blown off. Fire was sweeping the
cabin Hellinger, on deck, was sur
rounded by flames, his colthes were
burning, his left arm had been burned
and his hair had been singed.
Ripping off his burning suit, he made
for the cabin. A flaming mattress lay
on the floor \Hellinger threw It through
an open hatch and discovered it had
been covering Miss Walsh, whose cloth
ing MAS afire.
Leaps Into Water.
Hellinger was about to pick up the
girl when Richman grabbed her and
jumped with her in his arms into the
water. Levy meanwhile was leading
Miss Biddle and Mrs. Hellinger over the
roof of the cabin to the dock.
The columnist and spectators who
had gathered on the dock helped Rich
man and Miss Walsh from the water.
Although physicians said later Mrs
Hellinger had not been burned in the
slightest, she ran screaming up and
down the dock and was carried to an
| linger, Miss Walsh and Miss Biddle were
all taken to the Eastern Long Island
Hospital. Physicians attended White
at his home. Hellinger was released
late in the day. All the others re-
manned in the hospital overnight, but
Richman, Levy and Mrs. Hellinger were
discharged this morning.
Physicians who examined Miss Walsh
| said she might have internal injuries
in addition to the burns. Miss Biddle
will be held for further observation.