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Show FRENCH LINER REPORTS FIRE BYWIHELESS Rochambeau, Two Days Out From New York, With 421 Passeng-ers, Probably Heading for Port. LOCATION OF THE VESSEL UNKNOWN Wireless Said There Was No Danger; Maritime Circles Wonder if Bomb Placers Are Responsible. NKW YORK, Nov. S. The French lino steamship Uochamtirnu, two days out from New York for Hord.-Hux. which reported l,v win-lens today that there win fir ju ),r COil bunkers, presumably w.m steaming tonight for Halifax, the nearest port. Her exact position was net given in tho single wireless message that brought news of her plight to land, but it was calculated that she would male Halifax somo time late tonight or early tomorrow. Aboard the menaced f-tcanier are np proximatelv persons 4'l pascu gers and a crew of about -30 Had a large cargo of war supplies, including 2."41 case., of cartridges and l.i'i bales of cotton. The fire which turned the vessel from h.-r course toward the northern port of Halifax is deep in the hold, in the bunkers where is placed the r-servc suppiy of coal. Its exact location, bc-cord:ng bc-cord:ng to the wirele-s nicHgc, is amid-hij-s. This message s;n. that the ve-ssW was in no danger and from its tone the French lino ull'i- Is inferred I thai the situation was not u sciious one. Agent Not Alarmed. ' "We are not alarmed,' said Paul Fa-guet, Fa-guet, peneral agent of the line. "Hunker "Hunk-er fires are not uncommon, nor are they generally very serious, as they are away from the cargo space.'1 Only one wireless message had been received from the steamer when the French line ofYiees closed at the usual hour tonight. This was from Captain .lubam aud reached the offices here about 2:30 p. m. It read: "Fire in No. 5 reserve coal bunker. Fighting fire and have turned to Halifax. Hali-fax. Hope to put it out. No danger at all." The Rochambeau left New York Saturday Sat-urday afternoon. It waa estimated that she had sailed 000 miles when the wireless wire-less message was received today. This would still keep her within the ocean lane traveled by the big transatlantic liners and, despite the silenco over the sea, enforced by admiralty censors, there is reason to believe that at least three ships are within close steaming distance, available in emergency. Plenty of Lifeboats. Lifeboats and life raftB fur all aboard and to spare were on Hie Rochambeau when she sailed, according to the lino's officials. It was estimated that life-saving life-saving accommodations were aboard for 1300 persons, more than twice as many as sailed. In addition, the steamer is equipped with the usual fire-fighting apparatus required in the case of ocean liners. The big cargo, which weighted the steamer low in the water, consisted chiefly of iron and steel, machinery, eoppor and steel wire, brass rods, empty shells and guns. So far as could be learned tonight, 24l eases of cartridges cart-ridges wore the only explosives aboard. Maritime circles wondered today if the accident was another of the long list attributed to the activities of bomb carriers and placers. Another Recent Case. Within the past few clays the steamer steam-er Rio La (iere, from New York to Queenstown, with sugar, caught fire at sea and put into Halifax with fire in her hold. Her captain attributed the fire to a bomb hidden in a sugar bag. The list of steamers sailing from New York to Kurope, upon which bombs were found aud in some cases explosions ex-plosions occurred, and their sailing dates, include the following: Touraine, March fi; Devon City, April 27; Lord Erne, April 29; Crossington Court, April 2fl; Haniland, May .1 ; Lord Downshire, May J ; Kirkoswald, May 2; Strathtay, May S; Bnnkdale, Mav fl; Minnehaha, July I); Craigside, duly 24; Athina I, September 8; Bant' Ana, September 13. |