The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-10
ORPHIR FORCED
into PORT BY
BLAST DANCER
Salvage Ship Leaves Site of
Wreck When Explosion
Fear Mounts.
Continued From Page One)

days and nights the Orphir's boilers
have been in imminent danger Of
bursting because Of the piling up
Of encrusted salt in its pipes and
valves.
Only the discovery Of a huge hulk
which had been made on Tuesday
prompted Capt. Russell to take the
desperate chance and keep the Or
phir al sea long enough for his
diver TO make an exploratory
descent. Then occurred the accident
Of the swinging anchor which cut
short Jim Jarretts dive
That ended it. The boilers could
not last much longer. Capt. Russell
at last gave the order which sent us
hurrylng into the safety Of Kinsale
Harbor.
According 70 Taylor on Tuesday
our supply Of fresh water for drink
ing purposes became completely ex-
hausted. Normally We would have
put into port at once to replenish it.
But it was on that very day that the
fisherman. John Harrington. located
the hulk from which he had once
fished up a ships wheelhouse resem-
bling the Lusitanias.
In order to keep the Orphir on
this precious, easily lost spot. Capt
Russell ordered the chief engineer to
turn over to the crew the supply of
water maintained for the boilers
For the last three days this has been
the water we have drunk and used
for washing. The boilers were kept
going with salt water pumped from
the sea.
Proceeding Is PeriIOus
Few but engineers will realize how
perilous this proceeding is. AS the
seawater was turned into steam it
left behind a residue Of salt. Then
more salt was injected, and more
residue added TO the growing pile.
Gradually the salt accumulated
until on Thursday the chief engi-
neer, extremely alarmed, informed
Capt. Russell that he declined
further responsibility for the boilers
proved completely ineffective.
More and more the clinging salt
menaced the combustion chambers.
The condition became far worse
when the valves, which had been
leaking since the Orphir left Clyde,
beSan to leak to an alarming de-
gree. The engine crew was forced
to man the hand-pumps to keep
water circulating in the condensers
that cool the steam back into water.
Heat Becomes Terrific
The heat in the engine room
rapidly became terrific.
L could hardly stand it myself"
Taylor told me. and the other two
engineers had all they could do to
stick 1t out under such conditions"
But with that hulk As fathonls
below, almost within his reach, and
with every likelihood that it was the
Lusitaria itself. Capt Russell de
termined to continue despite all
hardships He played his ace. but
Jim Jarrett. trapped in his iron
man suit 30 feet down became
fouled in the anchor cable and had
to be drawn hastily aboard to pro-
teCt his life.
There was no time to send Jarrett
Gown again. The Orphirs margin
of safety was now completely ex-
hausted. She skipper gave up and
ordered an immediate return to
port.
temperature at 300
Even when the Orphir drew into
Kinsale HarbOr, Teddy Williamson,
one of our stokers, had 10 continue
working in the furious heat to put
out the fires. With the engine room
thermometer standing at 800 de-
grees, the coplously sweating Will
hanson threw out the burning Goals
from under all six of the danger
Ously Overheated boilers.
Then the boilers we're secured of
their salt deposits and filled with
fresh spring water.
When this had been accomplished
the officers left the ship to receive
an official welcome from Harbor
Master Capt Coleman and civic
representatives of KinSale. Half
the population of the little Irish
coast town TUNED out for the cere-