Evening star., 1942-02-09
Big Liner Begins
ToCapsize as
Water Pours in
Lost Rites Given
40 Men,; Smoke Pail
Visible for Miles
By the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, Feb. ga raging
fire broke out this afternoon in
the huge former French liner
Normandie, tied up at Hudson
River pier, and two hours later
naval officer expressed fear
she would capsize because of
the amount of water being
poured into her. A heavy toll
of life among Workmen on the
vessel was feared.
The officer, who did not give
his name, asked police and fire.
men to cut holes in her sides to
allow the water to escape He
said the ship, third largest mer-
chant vessel in the world. was
listing at a 25-degree angle.
Early reports that 200 of the
$500 or 5000 workmen aboard
the ship had been trapped below
decks proved unfounded. Navy
official said, but nevertheless it
was feared casualties would be
heavy.
Father William Mcdonald of
St. Paul's Roman Catholic
Church said he gave last rites
to at least 40 men and that five
other priests were working with
him inside the pier. Other in
jured were taken to several hos
pitfalls.
Welders Torch Blamed.
Fifteen workmen from the burn
ing vessel arrived at Bellevue Hos
pital in a disaster unit bus. three
of them so severely burned or over
come that they were carried in
stretchers to the emergency ward.
The Sd Naval District authorized
publication of statement by Ed
ward j. Sullivan. carpenter, who
said the fire started when a welders
torch ignited some inflammable ma
terial or the promenade deck about
midships, Spreading rapidly. the
blaze crippled the ships Lighting
system. making it difficult for men
below to find their way off the ship.
At pm the fire still was burn
ing fiercely
Naval officers said there were 300
Coast Guardsmen. 400 sailors and
1900 civilians on board when the
fire started Most of them escaped.
Five alarms were sounded as the
flames attacked the superstructure
of the 100000 900 liner and dozens of
doctors and nurses were sped to the
scene with catastrophe equipment.
BY 4 pm. tE. w. t.. two hours
after the fire started. the vessel was
completely enveloped in smoke,
which, hindered flre-fghters work
ing both from the waterfront and
from fireboats.
Dozens of fire boats and tugs
PLAYED steady streams on the ship.
Upper Deck Ablaze.
The entire upper deck of the So
423-ton vessel. third largest mer-
chant ship in the world. was ablaze.
Flames rapidly raced through the
length of the l209-foot superliner.
eating at the graypainted super
structure.
Eyewitnesses said 1T looks like
the entire ship will go up"
-Four fireboats pulled into the slip
near the liner and began spraying
water on the flames. Fire engines
on the street also went to work,
but the range of their hose lines was
ineffective for the after end of the
ship.
The promenade deck is directly
below the boat deck and the fire
spread quickly over both levels and
began whipping down through lower
decks into the inside of the ship.
Besides flreboats and police
launches. police emergency squads
and ambulanceS sped to the scene.
augmented by members of the police
bomb and sabotage squads.
The smoke was so heavy that 1t
obscured the tops of buildings as far
south as the garment district. 10
blocks away. The blaze was visible
across the Hudson River in Jersey.
Third Naval District headquarters
at New York authorized publication
of the story
Shortly after the fire was reported
a large group of agents from the
Federal Bureau of Investigation was
dispatched to the scene to investi-
gate the possibility of sabotage.
Mayor F.. H. La Guardia inter-
rupted a broadcast after speaking
only minutes and sped from City
Hall to the Hudson River pier
John Riley. Brooklyn driller,
said he was in the hold with 200
other drillers when he smelled
smoke and some yelled, Let's get
out of here"
Riley said more than 5000 work.
men were aboard at the time.
The catastrophe unit of Bellevue