The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-02-10
NORMAND|E

prize ships OF the French merchant
marine-The L'Atlantique. ths
Paris, and the first Lafayette.
Therefore, her designers and build
ers were particularly conscious OF
fire danger.
The walls OF all her interior
rooms were built OF duralumin COW
cred with asbestos. Every room
was a self contained unit, from
which, theoretically. n all doors
were closed, a fire could not break
out. There was hole in the cell
ing of each room TO permit the In
PRODUCTION OF hose with which 20
flood IT, Each cabin and room had
thermostat through which any
abormal increase In temperature
was registered on a central board.
They also automatically closed ven
tiiators to cut off drafts that might
spread fire.
Yet the sparks thrown from an
acetylene torch manipulated by Il
workman In the main lounge set
the fire shortly after 2 p. IN. yes.
terday that was completely out OF
control within 10 minutes and
was not finally extinguished until
I p. m, though it had been control
cd by 500. One man was killed
and 10i were injured. most OF them
slightly
Establishing how and where the
ship was fired. Admiral Andrews
said the sparks apparently ignited
several bales OF kapok, a fberous
composition used TO stun life pre-
servers. He said there was no pos.
sibility OF sabotage. He declined
to discuss how the fire had spread
so rapidly. His subordinates said
every precaution had been taken
against Are by the 300 Navy and
500 Coast Guard men who were
aboard the ship, charged with pro-
tecting ii from every danger. In
addition, there were 500 civilian
workmen aboard, converting the
former luxury liner TO her new role
as naval auxiliary. Not until IL
minutes after the fire broke out,
was New York City fire lighting
equipment summoned and within
an hour three fire boats were at
the pier and IS fire trucks were on
the elevated highway along the
Hudson River and in the street
below, pumping water onto the
three upper decks. Meanwhile, a
naval officer had used the loud
speaker system, originally used TO
urge the visitors of departing pass
engers to go ashore at sailing time,
TO order all aboard to leave. Some
so men lost their heads and leaped
into the icy Hudson from which
they were rescued. The others left
by the gang plank and by a long
ladder extended from the street TO
the prov by firemen.
Efforts to pump accumulated
water from the upper decks failed;
it had solidified too quickly into
Ice in 20 degrees above zero ten.
perature. And the tide was COM
ing in, gently pushing at her great
sides. Slowly, hour by hour, she
tilted more and more. Tug boats
were rushed into the pier to push
against her: more hawsers were
stretched between her and the pier.
But the hawsers snapped and the
tug boats had to be called back lest
they be crushed. BY ! a. m. her de-
gree OF list was 2S degrees and It
seemed she would flop over at any
second. By 2 a. m. she was 3s de-
grees of true and only the river
silt which had banked around
her keel during the months she had
been tied to the pier. was keeping
her from Hopping. Degree by de-
gree she slumped down, and. final
ly, at 2.39 a. m. slipped into the
water, so gently there was hardly
a ripple.
Admiral Andrews tired face re-
Elected his disappointment and he
left the scene without making
statement. One OF his aides said
that naval engineers would survey
the ship today with a view 10 de-
vising means OF righting her. While
no one in authority would say as
much, II was indicated that there
could be no suggestion Of her being
a hopeless wreck, good only for
salvage.
Our beautiful ship will sail
again" the French offcer said. Tn
ashamed, he permitted tears 10
course down his cheeks. but how.
o how, could the Americans have
permitted her 10 burn?"
Naval censorship prohibited a
too-detailed account OF the damage.
but II was permissible to say that
the fire damage was entirely conhn.
ed 10 the three upper decks, that
the interior OF her hull had been
sealed by her water.tight doors and
bulkheads and remained dry even
while she was partly under water.
that she remained structurally in
tact. both above and below the main
deck.