Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-12-12
BURNED In MID-RIVE.
Flames Break Out While the Coaches
Are on Ferry Boat-Narrow Escape
100000.

| New YORK, Dec. 8.-The steamboat
Maryland, the transfer boat of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
caught fire at LILO O'Clock last night,
! just after she had made fast to her slip
at the railroad wharf at Port Morris.
On board of the boat was the Wash
ington express train, made up OF
two sleepers, a passenger coach and a
baggage car. In the two Sleepers were
twenty -four passengers. After the
Maryland had made fast the train hands
began to make preparations for the
transfer OF the cars to the yard, when
the cry rang out from one of the Sleep
ers that the boat was on fire.
The flames broke out in the kitchen of
the boat, which was on the upper or
saloon deck, and burning timbers, ETC.,
Immediately began to fall upon the roof
of the cars below, setting them on fire.
AS usual upon the arrival of the Mary
land, the rear brakeman who was to ac-
company the train to Hartford, when
the boat WAS made fast to the dock, went
to the last car to take off the
tail lamps" AS he passed along he
noticed nothing unusual; but after he
had secured the lamps and turned to
60 back he was confronted by a solid
wall of flame. The heat immediately
forced him 10 the rear of the boat,
where he was soon surrounded by pas
sengers from the sleepers in various
stages of dishabille. An employee in the
baggage car said that the first intima-
ton which he had of the. fire was when
the roof of the car began to shower
down sparks. The train hands gener-
ouslv contributed hats, coats, etc., to
cover the halt-dressed passengers.
There were twenty-four passengers on
board. eighteen of whom were in the
sleepers. -Four We're women; Col. A. l..
Conger, Of Akron, o., a member of the
national Republican committee, was
passenger. One woman, Mrs. Jennings,
Of New Orleans was dragged from her
berth by a deck hand and escaped in
night dress and cloak. The baggage car
with oil the baggage and the coach sank
with the boat. The two sleeping cars
were run off on the deck and burned
up there. The flames did not extend
beyond the boat itself. The passengers
lost all but the clothes they had on at
the time.
Col. Conger said that the scene was
indescribable and the panic terrible.
He was IN the sleeping car, and with
difficulty made his escape. The men
prayed and swore alternately and
climbed over each other, scrambhng
like wild beasts in their efforts to get
out. One man had only his shirt on
and carried his clothes in his hands.
Col. Conger lost all but the clothes he
wore. The roaring flames advanced so
rapidly that they scorched the passen-
gers as they jumped to the transfer
boat and tug. AT 8 A. NJ. new train
was made up to take the passengers Oh
their way to Boston. The loss is esti-
mated at 100000.
The Adams Express Company had
sixty-foot baggage car OF the steamer
loaded with the through matter from
Washington. This is total loss, but
owing to the fact that meagre particu-
lars had been received at the Boston
Office, the officials there could not esti-
mate the amount. There was no time
to save anything. and the safes went
down into tue hold of the steamer with
at Their Wrecka0a