The Iola register., 1889-01-04
BURNING STEAMER.
A Magnificent Vessel Of the Old
Colony Line Burned at New.
port.
Timely Escape Of the Passengers
Loss About $500, O,OOO-POwder
Explosion.
Seven Colored Persons Drowned While
Crossing the 0hio-Policeman Dies
From Hydrophobia.

1roW nyuropnopia'
NEWPORT, R. l. Dec. 31.-The steamer
Bristol Of the Old Colony line, which ar
rived from New York about 2:30 O'Clock
yesterday morning, was found to be on fire
at $50 a. m, and in a short time was de-
stroyed. No one was injured, though a
few Newport passengers, who had re-
manned in their state rooms to await a con-
venient hour for rising. had narrow es-
capes and some of them lost all their cloth
ing. All the baggage, however, was saved.
The freight had also been landed before
the fire broke out. The Fall River and
Boston passengers had all departed in the
last train, leaving just as the alarm was
given.
The fire started near the kitchen and
spread very rapidly. The fire department.
of Newport, together with The police force.
exerted themselves in every possible way
to check the flames, but the Joiner work Of
the staterooms, saloons and stairways was
as dry as finder and draughts through
the steamer caused fearfully rap spread
of the flames, so that before the city fire
department arrived there was a mass of
fire sweeping her almost from stem to
stern.
Three alarms were sounded in rapid suc-
cession. Thousands of citizens were also
attracted to the spot by the brilliant illu-
mination of the volume of fire and clouds
of smoke which rose from the burning
steamer. The fire apparatus on the steam
er was brought into use as soon as the
flames were discovered and the crew
worked with great vigor to save the boat,
but in vain.
Some of the passengers still on board
did not understand the meaning of the
first alarm, and were only reused by tho
cracking of the flames near by. All sue
ceeded in escaping. Iut some with only
portion of their clothing, and others by
crawling over the railing near to burning
timber. One man, with two little children
"a boy and girl-who occupied a state
room, was awakened by the sound Of
cracking flames and barely escaped with
his little ones undressed, but with their
clothing i'm their hands. Another young
man had to borrow clothing in which to go
to his home in this city. All the personal
baggage of the passengers was saved.
When the department arrived the upper
decks and center of the steamer were a
mass of flames. which gave out such in
tense heat that it could scarcely be borne
at distance of several hundred feet. This
greatly impeded the work of the firemen.
The flames had gained such headway that
they could only be fought from the wharf
side, while the great heat and fyi ing sparks
endangered buildings on the docks and
steamers lying on either side of the wharf
and a 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 hers were employed in drenching
the dock and buildings. The steamer
Pilgrim, which was in the greatest danger,
was, with some difficu ty, got safely out
of the range of the flames, and was kept
drenched with water from her own ap-
paratus. In the slip to the north lay the
freight steamer New Bedford, which had
to be kept constantly drenched, and even
then did take fire about noon, but the
flames were extinguished before serious
damage was done.
Shortly before three O'Clock in the after
noon the flames were under such control
as TO permit few firemen to board the
steamer and work from outside the guards
of the lower and second decks. At S:15
the port hog frame fel! in, and soon after
the port smoke stack fell in and the STAR
board side fell about noon. Two firemen
were injured. The crew lost all their
clothing and the orchestra their music.
POWDER EXPLOSION.
EvERSON, Pa, Dec. 3.-About eight
O'Clock last evening in Brown row, belong
ing to the II. c. Frick Coke Company, two
kegs of blasting powder in a house oc-
iaH h,-p pnla hn 4 Io
powder for their work in the mines to-day,
exploded from a spark from pipe and
seven of the men were frightfully burned.
Fuloak is the most seriously injured. the
flesh being almost totally burned off his
legs, arms and back. 1t is supposed he
was standing between the kegs when the
explosion occurred. Joseph Chrenchick's
feet were almost blown off and amputation
will probably be necessary. The others
We're burned principally about the hands
and arms and their injuries are not seri.
GUS. Four houses were burned.
SEVEN DROWNED.
RIPLEY, o., Dec. 31.-Yestar1ay morning
a short distance from here Mrs. Turner
and her little daughter. daughter Of
George Cloyd three Brooks brothers and
man whose name is not known, all colored,
attempted to cross the river from Kentucky
to Ohio in a small boat. At some distance
from the shore waves from two passing
steamboats, capsized their little craft and
all seven occupants were drowned. Their
cries for help were heard by persons on
the steamboats,, but darkness prevented
the rendering of assistance. All who per-
ished lived in Kentucky. None of the
bodies have yet been recovered.
HYDROPHoBIA AGAIN.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 31.-Po!ice Officer Henry
Fehle, of this city, died a horrible death
from hydrophobia Friday night. Last
September while walking his beat he was
bitten on the right leg by a dog but
thought nothing of the wound. Wednes.
day the leg began to swell and Thursday
he was taken down with violent symptoms
of hydrophobia. He passed from one con.
vulsion into another and finally died in
great agony Friday night. DR.. Bernays,
who attended him, says the case was gen.
uine hydrophobia.
There is a railroad station in West
Virginia that has q most extraordinary
fagmaster. 1t is in charge OF an old one