Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-12-30
4Die,5 Nissing
In Collision Of
1ankersinFog
Other Crewmen Safe
After Vessels Crash
In Delaware River
By the Assoeiotsd Press

WILMINGTON, Del. Dec. 30
Two tankers crashed in the
fog-bound Delaware River early
today, killing at least four crew.
men. Five others still are listed
as missing.
The tankers, Atlantic Dealer
and Atlantic Engineer. collided
as they sought safe anchorage in
the fog-shrouded river, setting
OF fires on both vessels.
The fires apparently caused
little damage and both Atlantic
Refining Co. tankers awaited IA
vorable tides to proceed under
their own steam to Philadelphia
Four Bodies Found.
The bodies of the victims were
recovered by rescue ships from
the United States Army engineer
sub Office at Edgemoor, Del. An
Army engineer spokesman said
its vessel. the Liston, picked up
three bodies and the New Castle
another. None of the dead was
identified.
Eleven Of the Al crewmen
aboard the 10.600-ton Atlantic
Dealer were thrown into the
river and five of them still are
missing Rolf L. Eklund. Drexel
Hill, Pa. and Paul Shipper
Pennsauken, N. j.. were rescued.
Company officials said all 46
crew members of the 19,000-ton
supertanker Atlantic Engineer
were safe.
Fires Controlled Quickly.
Fires aboard both ships were
controlled quickly by the crews.
Preliminary reports indicated no
serious damage to either vessel
and said no crewmen were
burned.
Both ships were bound for
Philadelphia from Texas. the
Atlantic Engineer with $4,000
barrels Of crude oil and the At
lantic Dealer with 5000 barrels
Of gasoline and 114,000 barrels
Of other refined products.
A company spokesman gave
this version of what happened:
The Atlantic Engineer had
anchored because of the fog of
historic Pea Patch Island, where
a United States fort was manned
during the Revolution and
Southern prisoners of war were
confined during the Civil War.
It is about 61a miles south Of
Wilmington and Is miles south
Of Philadelphia.
Other Ships at Anchor.
The Atlantic Dealer was pro-
ceeding slowly upstream, hunt
ing for anchorage space. Sew
eral other ships were at anchor
in the area.
Residents along the shore of
the 2-mile-wide river were
awakened about $3.50 am. by
the screech of warning whistles
They heard the thump of a COL
lision. than a roar as both ships
caught fire. The flash of flames
was seen at the State road bar
racks of the Delaware State
Police, 2 miles from the river
Emergency units and ambulances
throughout the area were alerted
Immediately.
Nothing around the crash
scene was visible from the shore
The ships were in the main
channel. a mile from the river
bank and hidden by fog after
the fires subsidized.
LifebOat Launched at Once.
A lifeboat with a crew of five
was launched almost immedi-
ately from the Atlantic Dealer
Some time later the Chilean
freighter Copiapo, bound to
Baltimore from Philadelphia.
picked up the lifeboat crew and
two men who had been rescued
from the river.
There have been many ship
collisions in the river area which
for 80 miles from Philadelphia
to the Atlantic Ocean is one of
the worlds busiest waterways.
Last July 6 the tankerS Phoenix
and Pan Massachusetts, collided
10 miles south of Wilmington
and burned to the waterline.
Four creWmen were lost, 80
saved.
Today'S collision occurred 2
miles south of the Delaware
Memorial Bridge, which links
the Southern terminus Of the
New Jersey Turnpike at Deep
water to the main north-south
highways to Baltimore and
Washington and the Delmarva
Peninsula roI1te Tn Nnrfolk Va