The Indianapolis times., 1935-08-10
ORPH!R FORCED
into PORT BY
BLAST DANGER
Salvage Ship Leaves Site of
Wreck When Explosion
Fear Mounts.
Continued From Page One)

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 at sea long enough for his
diver to make an exploratory
descent. Then occurred the accident
of the swinging anchor which cut
short Jim Jarrett's dive.
That ended it. The boilers could
not last much longer Capt Russell
at last gave the order which sent us
hurrying into the safety of Kinsale
HarbOr.
According to 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 LuSitania'S.
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 PerilOus
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
condition. Blowing out 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,
beaan 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.
4 could hardly stand it myself
Taylor tc'd me, and the other TWO
engineers had all they could do to
stick it out under such conditions. "
But with that hulk As fathoms
below. almost within his reach. and
with every likelihood that 1t was the
LuSitania itself. Capt. Russell de-
termined TO continue despite all
hardShipS. He played his ace. but
Jim Jarrett trapped in his iron
man suit 270 feet down became
@NAANN III tAiC dAlNAlOA NdUAt ana mac
to be drawn hastily aboard to pro-
tect his life.
There was no time to send Jarrett
Gown again. The Orphir's margin
y of safety was now completely ex-
hausted. She skipper gave up ano
ordered an immediate return tC
port.
Temperature at 500
Even when the Orphir drew into
Kinsale Harbor. Teddy Williamson
one of our Stokers. had to continue
working in the furious heat 70 Put
out the fires. With the engine room
thermometer standing at 800 de-
grees, the copiouSly sweating VIII
Hanson threw out the burning Goals
from under all SIX of the danger
ouSly overheated boilers.
Then the boilers we're secured oi
their salt deposits and filed with
fresh spring water.
When this had been accomplished
the officers left the ship TO receive
an official welcome from HarboI
Master Capt. Coleman and civic
representatives of KinSale. Hail
the population of the little Irish
coast rown turned out for the cere-
monies.