Evening star., 1949-07-11

They were HarWood Martin, 40
of 3509 Woodley road NV. whit
suffered burns on his forearm!
when he craWled along burning
dock to throw life preservers. ane
Victor Nieves, %. who was cut
by flying glass.
The fatal explosion came
shortly after 1:30 pm, just as
the party was about to set out
for a cruise down the river with
picnic lunch aboard the craft.
Had Just Taken on Gas.
Harbor police said the explosion
apparently was caused by spark
from the starter which ignited
gasoline fumes around the engine
Commodore Jack Miller of the
yacht club said gas had just been
pumped into one of the boats two
tanks and both tanks were pre-
sumed to be full. Only one of the
two tanks exploded. however.
The cabin cruiser, the Halcyon,
newly redecorated with blue
decks, mahogany trim and white
hull, was owned by Boiling Pow
ell, jr., also in Mr.. McNutt's law
firm, who was reported to be
out of town.
Mr.. Martin, who was nearby on
his own boat when the explosion
came, said. 1T sounded like an
atom bomb and looked like it.
had my back to it and when I
turned around, people and the
roof of the cabin were still in
the air. One man was blown
out of the window. Just before
the accident, I had noticed people
on the back of the boat laughing
and kidding as the boat tied up."
The rescued and rescuers, like
Mr.. Martin. told stories of an
afternoon outing suddenly turned
into a nightmare with debris and
flames shooting so feet into the
air and people struggling in the
water.
Mrs. BiddIe Describes Scene.
There was Capt. Luboshez with
his legs pinned in the burning
wreckage and Steward Johannesen
crawling out of the engine pit
with his shirt in flames. There
was Mrs. Prichard screaming from
the rapidly sinking cruiser as she
saw her husband floating face
down in the water and Col. Biddle
shouting to his wife to jump.
Mrs. Biddle gave this account:
"Mr. Dudley invited us for lunch
on the Potomac. When we got to
the dock, we were told they were
recharging the battery. We went
into the cabin and changed into
playclothes and Tony and Mrs
Prichard and I sat in the bow.
They got the boat going and
we left that dock and went around
to the other dock to gas up. They
took the floor boards up so there
would be no fumes. They really
took every precaution.
Then we heard it. 1t wasn't
very big noise. We ducked our
heads and glass came flying over
us. I looked around and the
whole back of" the boat was in
flames and beginning to sink.
Went Back to Help Victims.
THE bow, where we were, had
pulled away from the pier. Tony
told me to jump. 1t was quite q
Jump to the pier but I made it
Then I saw Mrs. Prichard still on
the boat and I jumped into the
water. I knew I had to get he1
off that boat. The other gas tank
was right behind her.
}, Mrs. Williams dived into thu
water and swan to another jetty
but I didn't want to leave my
husband and Mrs. Prichard didn'
want to leave hers"
II was swimming around trying
}, to find everybody. I didu't know
where Tony was. Then I saw
Tony holding onto a piling with
the general.
II saw a hand go down tt
Mrs. Prichard and that held hel
up till I moved her around tt
the end of the dock where shl
could hold onto a crossbar. Some.
watch