The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-31
STEAMER BRISTOL BURNED.
An Old Colony Boat Destroyed at Her
Dock in Newport.
Flames Start in the Kitchen and Dart
Through the Steamer,
Driving the Crew from Their Posts
and lmperilling Passengers,
Some Of Whom Leave Their Clothes
To Be Burned.
Fortunately the Boston Trains Had
Left With Many Travellers.
An All Day Task Of Danger for the
Firemen.

NEWPORT r. l., Dec. SO.-Steamer Bristol,
of the Old Colony line, was burned at her
dock this morning and is total loss. She
arrived from New York at about 2.3O a. m.
and landed all her freight and her Fall River
and Boston passengers and they departed at
the usual time for their destinations. There
were left on board the steamer only few
Newport passengers and their personal bag
gage. At 6.20 o'clock this morning, just as
the last passenger train was drawing out of
the depot, fire was discovered on the steamer
and an alarm at once given from the compa-
ny's signal on the premises. The fire started
near the kitchen and spread with great
rapidity, rendering futile all efforts to stop
its progress. Three alarms were. sounded in
rapid succession, calling the entire fire de-
partment and police force to the scene.
Thousand of citizens were also attracted to
the spot by the brilliant Illumination. An
immense volume of fire and great clouds Of
smoke rose from the burning steamer. 1t
was at first feared by the crowd that the
boat on fire was the Pilgrim. She was in
an adjacent slip undergoing winter repairs.
The fire apparatus on the steamer was
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 staterooms, saloon and stairways was as
dry as tinder and the draughts through the
steamer caused fearful spread of the flames
SO that before the fire department arrived
there was a mass of fire sweeping her almost
from stem to stern.
Some of the passengers still on board did
not understand the meaning of the first
alarm and were only aroused by the crack
ling of flames near by. All succeeded in es-
Gaping, but some with only portion OF their
clothing, and others by crawling over the
railing near the burning timber. One man
with two children, boy and a girl, was
awakened by the sound of cracking flames
near by and barely escaped with the little
ones undressed, but with their clothing in
their hands. Another young man had TO
borrow clothing to go to his home in this
city. All the personal baggage of the pas
sengers was saved.
When the department arrived the upper
decks and center of the steamer were mass
of fierce flames which gave out such an in
tense heat that at a distance of several hun
dred feet work was greatly impeded. soon
mass Of flames with little apparent effect for;
over an hour, while others were employed in
drenchiDg the dock and buildings. A gang
of employees of the company were at once
put upon the steamer Pilgrim, which was in
the greatest danger, as she was lying in the
Slip to the South of the buring steamer with
her bow very near the BristoPs side. She
was speedily warped over to the other side
of the slip and several streams of water
from her own apparatus used in keeping her
constantly drenched to prevent the intense
heat from setting her on fire. A southerly
wind also aided this end. In the slip on the
North side of the dock lay the:freight steam
er City of New Bedford, which had to be
constantly kept drenched and which did
take fire about noon, the blaze, however, be-
ing soon extinguished.
1t was fully an hour and half after the
department arrived before their efforts made
any difference in the volume of fire. Shortly
pefore 3 o'clock the flames were down so far
steamer and work from the outside guards
and lower and second decks. The hawsers
from the steamer to the dock burned off sew
eral times and were refastened and finally
she was bound to the wharf by chains to pre-
vent her drifting out beyond the reach Of the
firemen. The firemen were almost miracu-
lously successful in keeping the dock and
buildings from catching from the intense
heat. Fortunately for the men who were
working on the steamer, her boilers had been
emptied of steam before the fire broke out
so that there was no danger Of explosion.
Two tugs from the torpedo station did ef-
fective service, leading hose from the Pilgrim
near enough to the fire to put stream into it,
crash. and a number Of firemen barely
escaped with their lives. Relieved of this
weight, she leaned heavily toward the
wharf. Soon after the port smokestack fell,
but the hog frame and sm0kestack on the
starboard side stood well and did not fall
until about noon, the smackstack going first
followed by the hog frame in sections great
ly imperiling the firemen. The walking bean
also dropped from its supports about twelve
fees but remained upright. One fireman
was injured by being struck by falling
mast on the head but not seriously hurt
Another fell overheard but was quickly
rescued. All this time the steamer was set
tling badly and straining her hawsers so
heavily that at 130 they were cut and tug
endeavored to pull her into the stream but
without success, as she was then found to be
solid on the bottom. 1t was hoped In the
early part Of the morning te save the hull,
but that was now out OF the question as the
boat was completely gutted and her coal was
on fire. Firemen and police were kept
hard at work with only slight intermission
until night The department used all its
hose In drawing water from the dock. Act
ing Chief Engineer Merritt lost thumb In
the machinery early in the fire. Merritt
was taking the place of Chief Engineer
Braiser, who, by singular coincidence, died
yesterday at his home In Poughkeepsie. The
crew lost all their clothing and Hooper's
Band lost their music and instruments.
Captain o. g. Simmons, commander of the
Bristol, stated That he went to his room af-
ter tile first passenger train left to prepare
to take the second train himself and on op-
ening his stateroom door found the place
full Of steam. An alarm was at once sound
ed and the crew tried to fight the flames but
made little headway as the boat was so dry
and the flames spread so quickly. Chief
Officer Thompson says he first saw the
flames in the direction of the kitchen. The
fire apparatus was got out and every posi-
BILE effort made to c0nfine the flames to the
kitchen where they started, but withoutIsuc-
cess In three minutes the hose, full of
water, was actually on fire and the heat was
so intense the men could not work. Il. j.
St Tesap6 P6ancseP cgmuany Sf the bees serP be uSa
the first to discover the fire. He went
down the wharf to take the train
for Boston, and while waiting went aboard
the steamer and got cup of coffee. As he
came ashore, he saw flames coming from the
main passenger gangway and spreading
around the walking beam. He told police
officer, who struck an alarm. Smith then
went to the Old Colony telegraph Office and
wired the Boston office Of the accident.
Some deck hands said they were at break
fast, when the alarm sounded, and thought
at first it was only for practice, but on going
out found the engine room all on fire. The
cook states that he started fire in the
range, and soon heard loud roaring, and at
to decide almost beyond doubt that the orr
gin of the flames was in the kitchen.
When the news reached the Boston 6fice
of the Old Colony Company, officials were
speedily notified, and at about o'clock
special tram iR OF locomotive and one car
General Manager j. r. Kendrick, General
Passenger Agent George l.. Connor, j. III.
French and Directors Brayton and Thomas
Borden. They were joined here by Director
the wreck, heard the story Of the officers and
laid plans for future moyements Kendrick