Evening star., 1937-07-31
BLAZING LINER HIT
FIRST RESCUE SHIP
Arkansan's Captain Reveals
How City of Baltimore Ran
Wild During Fire.
BY the Associated Press.

NORFOLK, Va, July 3l.-Capt.
Paul Jones of the American Hawaiian
line steamer Arkansan, risked the
safety of his own ship in rendering
assistance to the i'll fated Chesapeake
Steamship Co.'S City of Baltimore.
which was destroyed by fire in Chesa-
peake Bay near Baltimore, with the
loss of four lives.
The Arkansan, first to reach the
burning ship, rescued five survivors in
its own lifeboat. but not until she had
been rammed almost amidship on her
port side by the City of Baltimore.
The Arkansan arrived here yesterday
with several plates on her port side
damaged. She will not be permitted
to continue on her voyage to the West
Coast until damaged plates are repaired
winch probably will be done today.
Captain Reports Collision.
| Capt. Jones made a report of the
COLLISION at the Office Of Eugene Carl
son, supervising inspector Of steam
boats for this district, today soon after
his ship had docked.
We were only about 1.50o feet be-
hlnd the City of Baltimore when We
saw her burst into iames," said Capt.
Jones
| We went to her with all speed. and
IN SIX minutes we had our boat over.
ooaro and were picking up survivors
Inc rescue work was handicapped to
some extent by the City of Baltimore
herself, She was still under vav
while she was a mass of flames. We
tried to keep our ship from striking
her and at the same time do what We
could to rescue her passengers.
| She came at us once, and We Just
managed to get out of her way. Then
she came at us again, and struck liz
| amldship on our starboard side Then
sne ran on bank and bounced of
again and started first one wav and
tnen the other. She probably was not
under control or her flre-room crew
nad been forced to flee for their lives
without having the opportunity of
shutting down her power.
Saw Passengers on Deck.
When we first got near the shin We
could see the passengers huddled on
| her forward deck. We got so close to
the ship We could see the faces of the
passengers plainly. They looked wan
| and frightened, but there was no con-
fusion aboard. The passengers ap-
peared to be quietly waiting for what
ever fate was in store for them.
Our hfeboat picked up five pas
sengers, four men and a woman. and
we transferred them to the Baltimore
pilot tug, w. s. Sanner. BY the time
We had picked up the five survivors
small boats were around the ship In
numbers They, too, were handicapped
IN picking up survivors by the fast
moving burning ship
/ The rescue boats were Obliged to
| look out for their own safety and
frequently they were obliged to run
away from the burning craft when
she started in their direction. The
small boats also were menaced by the
propeller OF the City OF Baltimore
and as result they had to steer
clear OF her stern and stand off farther
than would have been the case had
the boat not been in motion"
There was no sailing from Norfolk
last night by the Chesapeake Line.
The steamer City Of Norfolk left
Baltimore last night for Norfolk and
will sail today on the return trip to
the Maryland port. The steam er
Yorktown will replace the burned ship
| on the Norfolk baltimore nm