Evening star., 1937-08-07
BLAZING LINERS
WHISTLE BROKEN
Bartender Reveals He
Tripped Over Cord in Flee.
ing City of Baltimore.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, August THE mys-
terry OF Why the whistle on the burning
ateamer City of Baltimore would not
blow was solved yesterday by = bar
tender who said he tripped over the
whistle cord and broke it as he left
the blazing vessel.
The bartender. Macon Williams,
testified today before \ Federal board
probing the ship fire which left three
dead. Williams showed the board 4
mark on his leg which he said he re-
ceived when he tripped over the cord.
Previously, Capt. Charles o. Brooks
had told the board that the whistle
failed to sound when he tried to give
the fire signal on it, The whistle
cord runs from the pilot house across
the boat deck to the whistle on the
ships stack.
Saw Hose Working.
Williams said after the fire alarm
WAS given he unlocked hose line and
saw water coming from it. Previously
some witnesses said no water had
come from the hose lines. while others
said it had
He said Capt. Brooks ordered him
into = life boat and he broke the
whistle cord while rushing toward
the boat.
The Federal board plans to make
another inspection of the beached hull
of the boat to determine the condi-
ton of the fire pump, whether the
throttle on the main engine Is closed
They also want to learn whether the
cork insulation around the ships ice
box Is burned and whether the fire
mains were broken at any point.
Comdr. H. NJ Perhan, a member Of
the board, said that cork insulation
had been known TO take fire spon-
taneously.
Another witness before the board
was a veteran Chesapeake Bay pilot
who lauded the discipline and order
aboard the burning ship.
Pilot Tells Of Rescue.
The pilot was Capt. Richard Wy
song. who was in command of the
pilot boat William D. Sanner. Most
OF the 80 persons rescued from the
boat were put aboard the Sanner.
Capt. Wysong said the Sanner,
with members OF a Baltimore orRani-
cation aboard. were bound down the
bay when they saw the burning City
OF Baltimore. Capt. Wysong said he
put the pilot boat within so yards Of
the City Of Baltimore and put both
the Sanners lifeboats overheard.
He said he took command OF one
OF the boats, which picked seven per-
sons out OF the water on the vay to
the burning ship He said there was
q moderate sea running. Capt.
Wysong said about 10 persons. In
Guiding Capt. Charles o. Brooks,
master OF the City OF Baltimore. were
standing in the bow of the burning
ship, but they we're not excited.
Says Discipline Excellent.
He said he returned to the Sanner
and found the City OF Baltimore 8
own boats had put 81 rescued persons
aboard. He said that the discipline
OF both the passengers and crew
aboard the City of Baltimore we're ex-
cellent. He added that, because all
those brought aboard from the burn
ing ship had on life preservers. he
judged that orders aboard the other
ship had been carried out as they
should have been.
Charles Winstead. colored chef said
he helped to untangle some hose after
the f1re alarm was given aboard the
C1ty OF Baltimore. Then, he said, he
got into the last boat to leave the
ship, but gave his place to the stew
ard. Winstead said he had given hi,
own life preserver to girl. Winstead
said that after he left the lifeboat he
was picked up by 4 boat from the
Sanner in about 10 minutes.