New-York tribune., 1880-06-30
TALKS WITH THE RESCUED.
SAVING A MOTHER AND HER CHILD-THE CooL'
AIREPr

MEYERS AND OTHERS
Albert Komp. jr, who lives at No. 20j Eas
" Ihirty-ninth-st, and who is engaged III business
IL No. 100 Wall-st.. said yesterday:
NJ "I went on board the steamer at Peck Slip q
3:15 p. m. When the Loaf left her last landing, 4
ie Thirty third-st, there were suppose about 500
" 400 persons on board. Just beyond He'll Gate ther
Is was a sound below that resembled escaping steam
,s At the time was standing near the pilot-house
L. The captain also standing near by. As h
y looked around man came running uD from tn
= lower deck. shouting:
u There's fire belowp
, "A whistle was Immediately blown for assist
u ance The Granite State was Just ahead and OF
hearing our signal she stopped and started towarC
us. and approached SO close that her tmbers were
scorched. By this time, although it was just mo-
irent, the Hames had burst up from the engine-room
and cabin. and were spreading in every direction
F. The scene was too appalling to be described.
1 Women and children shrieked for help and many of
the men lost all courage. Keep cool, keep cool
the captain kept saying, but the peril was too great
; for any one to heed him. Fiercer and fercer tho
flames, famed by the breeze, wound around the
steamers sides and swent along her decks. aud one
after another of the passengers forced to leap
for life into the water. Some had not courage to
jump from the boat until they had been severely
burned. woman rushed past me with her cloth
ing fire, and another presented hideous specta-
| Gle as she ran screaming with her hair in flames
| There seemed to be great crowd the for
ward deck, and they were the first to 90 overheard
| In the midst of the confusion woman came to lie
with child in her arms She cried
| "'Oh! save my baby, save my babyp
"I put hfe-preserver on her, and helped her
over The side of the boat. Then jumped over the
guard-rai after her aud began trying to get them
ashore. 1t was severe struggle. Several times it
appeared that it would be impossible to reach land.
although it was only ashort distance away. Finally |
we reached the shore in safety. When this woman |
first approached INC her hair was burning
JUMPING THIRTY FEET.
Mrs. Meyers. of No. 12S East FIT y-ninth-st was |
OF the last to jump from tho burning steamer.
She leaped from the upper deck. distance Of thirty
feet from the marsh, and injured her back by the
shock that she has been unable TO sit up since then
She is now occupying one of the best rooms of the
hospital Randas Island. receiving careful treat
ment and attended by her daughter. who arrived at
her bedside yesterday Mrs Meyers will probably |
recover although the shock to her system Is severe
SIe gave the following account OF the disaster and |
hea aS boapd 70 m PGpief yesterday YES
Thrty-third-st. Sho was we'll filled with pas |
tengeTs. went to the rear Of the boat but finding
1T very warm there. after short time went for
1 ward. AS passed the engine-room looked in and
'saw that everything was all right. l remember
thinking how terribly hot 1t must be for tbc
engineer and the fireman. 1t seemetl scarcely five
minutes after had reached the bow of the bnot
ana had been looking at the excavations at IIoi
Gate, when heard slight noise hardly an explo-
sion, unless very mild one. coming from the centre
of the boat. was not alarmed at this, until the
men all jumped up and ran forward, saying:
For Gods sake don't get into panic
- dId not then realize the trouble until turned
around TO look back. was standing at the opposite
door. gong forward, and as looked into the cabin
saw the space about and over the engine room all
a6laze. From tnat time until jumped off It did not
|
PALE but saw no signs Of sel6shness displayed by
lifepreserver and stood by me until dumped, con.
island, island, Men were shouting; Captain, send us US
" The smoke and fire were increasing with fenr-
full rapdity, but still Captain Smith stood ut his
above us, but the passengers were SO panicsfrcken
that they did not seem to know how to use them | ,
When saw the direction of the boat resolved to
remain on board until land reached if possible
for could not swim. dropped my trayclIing.ba9 I
and stepped oyer the gnard-rail at tho bow of The
steamer. Waiting until could wait no longer be-
cause Of the flames. jumped. ] struck with n
lrghtful slock and sank down over my head. had {
Jumped distance of over thirty feet into the edge p
all hurt me so that could not stand up, and y '
yraspiDg the grasses as came to tho surface, be-
knees over the marsh for some distance Soon | | l.
aW ~ jacob L Lewis and attracted his attention He
aken Of Hooked back Just once aa waa s
ng eapr'eo So,a'y away and saw horrible sight o
'nnaran,I IviunR u c9d IN heI arms. standing
: ,sleel-honse me- screaming and waving her hands fc
10Th were burning up. unable to escape the fire. "
ct it. could not take nA q secoeS oeSer dor dTr III
that glance also saw that long, fat thing was pl
og as gs ,b e raf IRON te stern by ropes suppose
tern OF the steamer then. AZ was being carried al
d negro was carrying child wi1ch he had found he
] the water. Just then the childs mother came | &C
and finding that the child was alive cried for low
aptan smith cannot be given too much praise. - -.
LEAPiNG PROM THE UPPER DECK sh
Ida Belle Smith, of No. G37 Leonard-st. wos on co
II way to Sea Cliff. She was at the HomDop,tlio We
ospital on Wards Island, Monday evening. an. all
renty unhurt tin
The first thing heard" she sad was funny r Te
tie whistle which startled me by its peculiar tin
und. This was followed Immediately by q cry of ma
e. turned around and sheet Of flame iei
rsting up near the smoke-stack Some ono near
cried out that 1t amounted to nothing: that they co.
re merely trying to frighten the passengers. Oh! w.
bought it could not amount 10 much; it was only
,und us that thought they would soon r
t it out. There was not great confu- ,or,
n everyone appeared polite and confident that w Voi'
would be saved. looked around to sec ii there pas
not somo one knew. but they all strang- SON
finally jumped from the burning boat. from bur
upper deck, and was rescued III few minutes 80 -
q msn who assisted me to the Shore" nor
.aer at night Miss Smith was taken to her home. by
wo members Of the Open Board Of Brokers were Mer
scnBtiH vi buo CedMuRIdhu' uty were Auum lott 4
Martin and A. Kohn both OF whom were among a1 b
saved. Mr. Kohn being an excellent swimmer, peal
ped overheard and swan safely TO shore Martin and
unable to swim but was rescued after having holt
ped from the vessel Neither ALTERED, except
u exhaustion. lsIa
MRs. GRAYs GREAT GRIEF. itse
reporter Of The TRIBUNE called upon Mrs. W. III
Gray, at No. o34 Eighth-ave. She was seated tern
n easy chair IN her bedroom, surrounded by croy
nds sympathizing with her In her misfortune, row
endeavorinR TO alleviate her troubles for the abor
DY conceaiing from her the fact that her child
dead. she betrayed symptoms of great nervous Will
.fapoD' her eyes we're infamed by weeping, bers
her utterances were broken by oonvnls,vo aohs man