ACCIDENT ON ADRIATIC.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2468, 17 August 1922, Page 4

ACCIDENT ON ADRIATIC.

CAUSE NOT DISCOVERED. HEROISM OF AN ENGINEER. NEW YORK, Aug. 14. A White Star official, after investigation, slates that ho has been unable to discover the cause of the explosion on tfio Adriatic, which was docked on Sunday. It is believed to have been spontaneous combustion. The hero of the disaster is James C. Corrigan, tho second engineer, who entered the burning bunker in the face of almost certain death, and dragged out the bodies, Corrigan dying in hospital here. Tho passengers have contributed 7000 dollars for the families of the victims, and have memorialised Captain David, praising tile coolness ol the entire crew. —A. and N.Z. cable. NEARLY A GREAT DISASTER. HIGH PRAISE FOR CAPTAIN. NEW YORK. Aug. 12. Air .Martin H. Glynn, former Governor of the New York State, wirelessing to tho New York Times from aboard the Adriatic, gives a graphic account of the accident, which very closely approached possibilities of being one of the greatest of sea disasters in history. Ho states that tho explosion in the hold was due to spontaneous combustion of the coal dust. It caused the ship to rock and sent a bright flame into the air. Captain David receives the highest praise from Air Glynn, who says: "He is a natural seaman, like the Norseman of old.” He stopped the ship, and ihe pumps poured tons of water into the seething hold. The officers stood by the lifeboats. Three-fourths of the passengers are Americans; all acted bravely, and the crew were superb. The pumps worked for hours, and the passengers wailed ready to embark in the lifeboats, but finally Captain David announced that the danger was over—A. und N.Z. cable.