IN 1910 A SHIP BURNED FOR 3 WEEKS IN SAN DIEGO BAY

In 1910 a fire was discovered in a cargo hold of the American-hawaiian Steamship company’s freighter Alaskan, docked at the Santa Fe pier in San Diego. It would take three weeks to extinguish the blaze. One problem was that the ship also held 500 tons of calcium carbide, which would form lethal acetylene gas if mixed with water. Firefighting was limited largely to hand extinguishers and chemicals.

From The San Diego Union, Saturday, June 18, 1910:

FIRE RAGES IN HOLD OF LINER ALASKAN AT SANTA FE WHARF

FIREMEN WORK FOR HOURS BATTLING FLAMES WITH CHEMICALS 500 TONS OF CARBIDE IN BURNING COMPARTMENT MAKES USE OF WATER IMPOSSIBLE.

MAY SMOLDER FOR DAYS

SMOKE FIRST SEEN AT 7:30 IN EVENING; CARGO IN DANGER VALUED AT $118,000.

Fire believed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion was discovered on board the American-hawaiian freighter Alaskan about 7:30 o’clock last night in the miscellaneous cargo located under the hatches just abaft of the quarters on the main deck, and for a time threatened both ship and cargo.

The smoke was first seen curling from the hatchway by Quartermaster Hans Schmidt, who promptly shouted the alarm to W.J. Mundell, foreman of the Santa Fe wharf. The latter rushed for the telephone and notified

the fire department, asking that aid e sent to the water front at once. Almost simultaneously the hoarse whistle of the freighter was blown by Chief Engineer Bledrout, who sounded the alarm at intervals for nearly half an hour.

At the time the fire was discovered the cover had just been taken off hatches Nos. 5 and 6, in the bottom of which it was raging, and a gang of stevedores had just begun the work of unloading. The instant the smoke was seen issuing from the open hatchway the cover was battened upon it and all available men were set quickly to work swinging in the cargo booms, stuffing with wet canvas the opening of the huge “king post,” or boom supports, which are hollow and serve as a ready means of ventilating the hold of the vessel. This was done in order to prevent a circulation of air from fanning the flames to greater fury.

MOVED AWAY FROM WAREHOUSE The winches on the after deck of the Alaskan were then manned and slowly the big freighter was hauled back along the dock 50 feet, so the warehouse would not be endangered in case the fire got beyond control.

Within a few minutes after telephoning the alarm to central station the engines and combination hose and chemical from stations Nos. 1 and 4 arrived at the entrance to the long pier leading out to the threatened vessel, and regardless of the tires or wheels of the apparatus, tore out at full speed along the narrow pier.

By this time a mild pandemonium reigned aboard the freighter. Wild reports of explosives and other dangerous commodities present in large amounts among the cargo were circulated among rapidly gathering throngs which streamed out along the pier to the warehouse. In spite of these rumors the firemen worked rapidly and without the loss of an instant lines of hose were run up onto the deck of the vessel from the fire apparatus on the wharf, and all preparations made to flush the hold with streams of water. At this stage F.J. Bennett, captain of the vessel, and W.P. Hillerman, first mate, who had left the freighter less than an hour before for a trip up town, arrived in an automobile driven by Col. D.C. Collier, and accompanied by Capt. E.B. Dunnels, harbor pilot, and a representative of The Union.

CARBIDE CAUSES FEAR

A brief consultation between the ship’s officers and Fire Chief Louis Almgrem and Assistant Fire Chief Snedecor followed. Because of the fact that a consignment of 500 tons of calcium carbide was located in the hold in close proximity to the fire it was impossible to use streams of water to get the conflagration under control. Had the hold been flooded, as was the plan of the firemen at first, it is probable that gas from the carbide would have been produced and a terrific explosion resulted.

The only alternative left to Chief Almgren was to use the chemical streams at his command. A call was at once sent in for the chemical wagon at Station No. 8, on Park boulevard, and for the engine and combination hose and chemical wagon from Station No. 2.