FIRE AND EXPLOSION.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1925, Page 4

FIRE AND EXPLOSION.

ox A PLEASURE V ALT IT. A CIGARETTE TRAGEDY. SAN FRANCISCO, June 29. Latest details show that one woman was found and four persons were nursing, as well as 29 in hospital, as a result of a fire and explosion which caused the pleasure yacht. Crystal to sink shortly before midnight, live miles off Chelsea, on the Atlantic Coast off New Jersey. The tragedy occurred while 3(i young men and women were enjoying a moonlight sail anil dance aboard the Crystal. Panic broke out among the passengers, following a terrific blast that 1 came alter one guest had tossed a cl. garette into the forward hatch, where ■ the gasoline supply was stored. The voting woman who was drowned , was Deborah Knight, ol Pleasant villi*. Her body was picked up by Lojigport < oast'guardsmen who rushed to the res--1 cue alter the explosion hail served as ‘ an “5.0.5.” Captain W. Young, skipper nl the Crystal, who was hunted in the lire, 1 hat followed the blast, was rescued hv coast guardsmen. lie was released under 2<Hi(l-doI bonds pending investigation of the tragedy. The Crystal left Aleccon lolct at 9 o’clock at night, and the It 13-lout launch was large enough to enable 18 1 couples to dance on Die lower deck. Suddenly the fox trot music that emanated from a phonograph was drowned out by Ihe explosion, which rocked fbe loal to an extent that it . was at first feared that it might capside. Almost immediately the lot-ward dock hurst into Haines. Harry l.eli--1 hi of Atlantic City, was al the 1 wheel, and with him was his wile BarI barn. “DECK 11 FAY FD IT.” ■ “Everything” was going along qiiiet- , lv.” Lehmann told newspapermen. •'will, (in* sea as calm as a mill-puud. Mom of those aboard were dancing. All • ol a sudden the forward dock heaved ' up under a b’tid explosion that blew me . away from the wheel. Women began ■ to scream and rush around, blamei ,-htiL up from the deck almost simultaneously uiD* the explosion. 1 shotil,,J i hu-o women anil young men aba,an! to tear up flit* planking deck, an,| started to do * i myself. Some started In do what they were mid. but Ihe (lames drove I hem all over to I lit starboard side, and the ship a heavv list tliiit i arei*l away ■nnc ol the lifelmts. “('apt. Young kept moving around, trying to keep onkr, telling D'em m he cool and everything would he .ill light, but they didn’t listen to him, and when the list on the starboard side occurred foe captain ordered them m t!ie port side, so he ■•mild get them into lifeboats. “They all rushed over at once, and there was a connter-list that sublime d all the lifeboat s mi Dial -id.*. The women seemed to have gone crazy and some of Die men. 100. Wo had the hardest time, with it getting hotter every minute, to get them to put mi lifebelts. As soon as they got them on (hev jumped into the water, and you emild see them in ilto light cl the rearing llatnes, bobbing around, screaming, their laces as white as death. Sliri’ lII'BN IvD TO WAT Fit-LI N I*l. i *T. guess it was an hour l;.*fore the l.migiKirt coastguards with Captain Chadlic Turner reached us. By that, time everyone was in the water and the ship was burned down to the waterline. Captain Young was the last to leave Du- Crystal.” Smm* of those rescued were permitted to return homo alter receiving medical treatment, hut ’Host of them remained at the hospital, many in a dying condition from their severe burns. The coastguard crew out ol l.ongpot t was the first to reach the scene. Thev were soon joined by the Absecon crew, and several members ol Die “Dry Navy” on patrol in the vicinity. They picked up the passengers who I were floating around in lifebelts and rushed them to Atlantic City. ' Mildred Mack, one of the girls who | was rescued, said Warren Dilks. who | was reported missing, was drowned, “I i saw him go down.” she said. “His I (Tice was near mine, and it was white | and his eyes were closed." So spectacular was the lire that brought tragedy to the Crystal dnm- ' ing party that thousands of guests at hotels in Atlantic City far away could see the flames. The sky was illuminated for miles around, and hundreds of jK'ople climbed to the roof to watch the fire.