CATASTROPHE AT MARSEILLES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 127, 26 November 1923, Page 7

CATASTROPHE AT MARSEILLES

TWENTY LIVES LOST * STEAMER BURNED AT BREAKWATER. (VKniD PRESS ASSOCIATION COFIMGHt.) (AUITKALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLB ASSOCIATION.; PARIS, 23rd November. An explosion occurred aboard the steamer Otterburn; lying a t the outer breakwater at Marseilles, ready to sail at daylight. There were 20 deaths.. The vessel was bound from Barcelona to New York, with a cargo of cotton goods, chlorates, and benzine.

Three explosions took place in quick succession at 1 o'clock in the morning. Dense volumes of smoke arose and the Otterburn was quickly enveloped in flames. The port authorities, in response to the wireless calls, speedily sent oul motor launches and floating fire-engines, but no firemen could .board the steamer, as she was burning fiercely amidships and astern, the flames rising mast-high. The decks glowed red-hot. The fire-fighters were just ready to bomb and sink the ship, when a motorlaunch reported that members of the crew were clinging to the anchor-chains, and perched on the bows.

As the fire-fighters could not approach closely, they shouted to the survivors to jump into the sea. This they did and 23 were rescued. Several bodies were also picked up. When the fire had partly burned itself out, several men were able to board the ship forward. Between decks was still a roaring furnace. Two charred bodies were picked up at the bottom of the bridge ladder. Later it was stated that there were 15 stowaways aboard, hoping to get to America;. All of them perished. Some quarters attribute the fire to tha stowaways, and suggest that they smoked m their hiding-places below.