The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-31
BURNED AT HER WHARF.
THE OLD COLONY LINE BOAT BRIS-
TOL. A BLACKENED HULL.

Dut bOth saved.
NEWPORT, R. l., Dec. 30.-The steamer
Bristol, of the Old Colony line, was burned
at her dock here this morning and is total
loss. She arrived from New York about
2:30 o'clock this morning, landed all her
freight and her Fall River and Boston
passengers, and they departed ct the usual
time for their destination. There was left
on board the steamer only a few Newport
passengers and their personal baggage.
DISCOVERY OF THE FLAMES.
At $40 O'Clock, just as the last passenger
train was drawing out of the depot. fire
was discovered on the steamer and an
alarm was at once given from the COM
pany's signal on the premises. The fire
started near the kitchen, and spread with
great Iapidity, rendering futile all the
efforts to stop its progress. Three alarms
were sounded in rapid succession, calling
the entire fire department and police force
to the scene. Thousands of citizens were at
tracted to the spot by the great illumina-
tiop. volumes of fire and clouds of smoke
which arose from the burning steamer. 1t
was feared by the crowd that the boat on
fire was the Pilgrim, she being in an adja-
cent slip, undergoing winter repairs.
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
The fire apparatus on the steamer was
t.. brought into use as soon as the flames were
discovered, and the crew worked with great
vigor to save the boat. but the joiner work
of the stateroom, saloon and stairways was
as dry as tinder, and draughts through the
stea er caused fearfully rapid spread of
the flames, so that before the city fire de-
partment arrived there was mass of fire
sweeping her almost from stem to stern.
ESCAPE OF THE PASSENGERS.
Come of the passengers still on board did
not understand the meaning of the first
alarm and were only aroused by the crack
ling Of the flames near by. All succeeded
in escaping, but some with only portion
OF their clothes, and others crawling ever the
railing near to the burning timbers.
One man with Two little children, boy
and a girl, who occupied stateroom. was
awakened bv the sound of the cracking
flames near by and barely escaped with his
little ones undressed, but with their clothing
in their hands
HAD TO BORROW CLOTHES.
Another young man had to borrow cloth
ing in which to go to his home in this city.
All the personal baggage of the passen-
gers was saved.
When the department arrived, the upper
deck of the steamer was a mass of flames,
which gave out such intense heat that it
could be scarcely borne at q distance of sew
eral hundred feet. This greatly impeded
the work of the firemen.
HARD TO HOLD IN CHECK
The flames had gained such headwav that
they could only be fought from the wharf
side. while the great heat and flying
sparks endangered the buildings on
the docks and the steamers lying
on either side of the wharf, and
constant effort was required on the part Of
the firemen to prevent them from igniting
A dozen streams were soon pouring into the
flames with little apparent effect for over
an hour, while others were employed in
drenching the dock and buildings.
SAVING THE PILGRIM.
A gang of employees of the company was
at once put upon the steamer Pilgrim,
which was in the greatest danger, as she
Law in a slip to the south of the burning
steamer with her bow very near. the Bris-
tol's She was speedily warped over to the
other side of the slip, and several streams
from her own apparatus kept her constantly
drenched. A southerly wind also aided to
this end, and, indeed, if the wind had been
from the north it is extremely doubtful if
she could have been moved i'll time to save
her from great damage.
ANOTHER VESSELS DANGER.
In the slip on the north side lay the
freight steamer City of New redford, which
also had to be constantly kept drenched,
and which did take fire about noon, but the
blaze was soon extinguished.
1t was an hour and half after the de-
partment arrived before their efforts made
any appreciable difference in the volume Of
the fire.
FIREMEN RISK THEIR LIVES.
Shortly before o'clock, however, the
flames were down SO far as to permit few
fremen to board the steamer and work
from the outside guards of the lower and
MI MT nd
imminent peril from falling timber and
machinery. The men worked bravely and
well, taking many risks. and laboring con-
stantly at the peril of their lives. The
hawsers from the steamer to the dock were
burned off several times and were refast-
ened.
BOUND BY CHAINS.
5TFinally she was bound to the wharf by
chains to prevent her drifting out beyond
thereach of the tiremen, who were almost
miraculously successful in keeping the dock
and buildings from catching fire from the
intense heat Her boilers had been emptied
of steam before the fire broke out, so that
there was no danger of an explosion. Two
tugs from the torpedo station did efficient
work in leading hose from the Pilgrim near
enough to the fire to put the stream into 1t.
FALL OF THE HOG FRAME.
At S:15 o'clock the port hog frame went
escaping with their lives. Relieved of this
weight, she leaned over heavily toward the
wharf Soon after the port smoke stack
fell. The hog frame and smoke stack on
the starboard side stood well and did not
fall until about noon, the smoke stack going
first, followed by the hog frame in sections,
greatly imperiling the firemen.
DOWN WENT THE WALKING BEAM
The walking beam also dropped from its
support about IL feet but remained upright.
One fireman was injured by being struck
by falling mast on the head. but not seri-
ously Another fell overheard but was
quickly rescued. All this time the steamer
was settling badly and straining her hawsers
SO heavily that at 10: 80 O'Clock they were cut,
and tug endeavored TO pull her out into
the stream but without success, as she was
then found to be solid on the ground. Ii
was hoped early in the morning 10 save the
hull, but this was now out of the question
as it was completely Quilted and the coal
was on fire. The firemen and police were
kept hard at work with only slight inter-
mission until night.
The insurance is 100000, which covers
the loss.
A Princess Goes Mad In a Theater.