Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-07
10 Are Killed
In Ship Collision
And Explosion
Tanker and Freiehter
Both Set Attire in
Delaware River

NEW CASTLE. Del, Mar. 7
R.-An outbound freighter and
a big Navy tanker collided with
terrific force in the lower Della
ware River early today. touching
of blast that set fire to both
vessels. The tanker settled to
the bottom in shallow water.
Ten men on the tanker. in
Guiding the captain and a fed
erally-licensed pilot who was
guiding the ship. we're miss
ing and feared dead.
Thirty-five others on tn e
tanker and the entire 23-member
crew of the stricken freighter
were saved. Ten were fished out
of the burning oil-slicked water.
The crash occurred shortly be-
fore l am. off the northern end
of Pea Patch Island. three miles
south of New Castle and Penns-
willie, N. j. Philadelphia is about
SO miles to the north. The river
at this spot is two miles wide,
but the navigable channel is only
so to 100 yards across.
Light Rain Falling
The sky was overcast and a
cold, light rain - which later
turned to snow = was falling
when the tanker. the Mission of
San Francisco. collided with the
freighter, the S. S. Elna II. Visi-
bility at the time was reported
at six miles.
Both vessels were empty of
cargo.
Moments after the two big
ships plowed into each other
the freighter ripped a big hole
into the tanker's starboard side
the blast let 60 1t tore off the
tanker's superstructure and the
bridge where Capt. William c.
Allen of Galveston. Tex. one of
the missing. was standing with
some of his officers.
The sheet Of flame fired the
bow OF the freighter as it started
backing swiftly away.
Tanker Continues to Burn
Ten hours after the collision
the stern of the tanker, jutting
out of the debris filled water.
still burned fiercely. Little hope
was held that Capt. Allen and
the eight other missing men
could have survived the ire
mendous blast and the result
ant fire.
Capt. Alexander Kaare Of the
Elna, an Estonian vessel of Lii
berian registry owned by Oskar
Tidemann g. Co.. New York. said
his ship was about an hour out
of Wilmington, Del. when ne
sighted the tanker.
I'VE blew our whistle to signal
the other ship to turn" he said.
las we kept approaching We
blew the whistle again. but they
didn't acknowledge the signal in
any way"
On the other hand Joseph A.
Martell, AZ, of Fail River. Mass,
on watch aboard the tanker, told
newsmen after his rescue that
he saw the freighter suddenly
moving out of the river"
There was time for the tanker
to blow only one blast on the
horn" he said. THE freighter
answered it with bell"
Collision Follows
Mr.. Martell said the collision
followed, with the freighter ram
ming the tanker.
The Army Corps of Engineers
surveyed the channel at the
wreck scene and ordered the
western half closed to all river
traffic, but kept the eastern half
open on a "proceed-With- eau
ton basis. The engineers said
further study would be made to
determine if it would be neces-
sary to remove the tanker i'm
mediately.
The freighter was aground
out Of the channel area.
The Mission. though owned
by the Navy. was assigned to
the Military Sea Transportation
Service and opearted by Mathia-
sens Tanker Industries, Inc,
Philadelphia. under contract TO
500 SHIPS paga Ac