The morning call., 1893-01-02
the passengers ON the return trip the en-
ployes on board the ferry boat have few
minutes To themselves

the passengers ON the return trip the en-
ployes on board the ferry-boat have few
minutes 10 themselves.
1t being New Years day the employees of
the restaurant, In company with the deck
hands and Others, adjourned In squads to
the saloon aboard the vessel and to various
saloons along the water front for a New
Years drink. just before leaving the
restaurant the cook. as usual, cleaned the
top OF his range with gunny sack and
tossed the sack.as he supposed, into water
bucket behind the range.
Instead the sack caught on bolt in the
range and swung against the overheated
screen. 1t caught fire and the flames caught
a kettle OF boiling grease on the stove. In
an instant the whole galley was in blaze.
A boy employed in the restaurant which
is owned by Daniel Boehm, discovered the
fire ard gave the alarm. The engine who
was near the bow OF the boat, attempted to
reach the engine-room. which was just op-
pOsite the restaurant and separated from it
by passageway scarcely three feet wide, in
order to put the firepump in action, but the
flames cut him off and prevented him reach
ing the machinery.
He then ran to the upper deck and opened
the safety-valye on the boilers, using con-
trlyance arranged for just such an emer-
geney.
In the meantime the alarm reached the
hreroom In the hold, and the tiremen tum-
bled ND the little iron stairway as rapidly
as possible. Not one OF them escaped with
out singed eyelashes and eyebrows.
The flames Travelled with frightful rapid
ity, and everybody on the dock was shouting
fire, but no one thought of turning in an
alarm. 1t was fully ten minutes after the fire
was discovered before the alarm was turned
in from box 10, Clay and East streets, at
90 O'Clock.
Long before the first engine arrived on the
scene the whole upper part of the boat was
wrapped in flames. The light woodwork,
saturated with paint and varnish, burned
like finder, sending out dense clouds Of
smoke that drove the volunteers who were
working with buckets from the boat.
The tug Annie, which was lying at the
Washington-street wharf with steam up.
got stream of water on the burning boat
in few minutes after the alarm was first
sounded, but the boat not being equipped
for fire purposes was of but little service
alone When the fre-engines arrived there
was no hydrant near the wharf, and the
lines of hose had to be run clean across the
waterfront. crippling the engines in their
work.
The tugs Fearless, Vigilant. Etna, Gov
ernor Markham and Annie allsteamcd as
close as possible TO the burning boat and
rendered valuable assistance. especially in
saving the piling, which repeatedly caught
fire.
As soon as all the fre-epgines and tugs
XVI W WUIh luc ulo was SpetQuy C00tTOlleu,
but not before the whole upper part Of the
vessel was burned out.
The hold was flooded with water, a nd she
turned over in her slip until il was feared
for time that she would sink
The vessel was valued at about 500. 600,
and was insured for S40,O in the Home
Insurance Company Of New York. She
was commanded by Captain Hughes. and
carried crew Of over twenty men. In
addition to the loss on the vessel proper,
Emmett Hayden who owned the saloon and
Dan Boehm who owned the restaurant on
board, lose everything, including large
amount OF stock. Their joint loss will
amount to about $1,000. uninsured.
In getting near enough to the burning
ship TO use her hose. the tug Etna, which
came under full head of steam from some
where down the bav, ran into the pling and
damaged her bow slightly.
AS soon as the fire was extinguished, the
charred Tiburon was lowed to an adjacent
slip. where she will be pumped out and
then repaired, unless it is found her hold is
seriously damaged. The Ukiah will take
the burned vessels place ON the ferry, and
made the afternoon trip for her yesterday.
General Manager McGlynn of the Donahue
line was an interested and anxious specta tor
at the fire. Word was sent him by tele-
phone even before the alarm was sent In,
and he came to the wharf in hack.