The evening world., 1894-08-18
Even After She Sank the Decks
Had to Be Torr Up to
Quenoh the Flames.
CAPTAIN AWAKENED BY SMOKE.
Other Vessels in Danger from Ex-
pIssions Dropped Into
the Stream.

The full-rigged ship Gen. Knox, of
Thomaston, Me-, loading with general
merchandise at pier 10 East River for
San Francisco. was discovered on fire at
. o'clock this morning.
For a time the fire baffied the efforts
of the Department, and not until the
keel Of the ship rested on the bottom
of the river and tons of water had been
pumped into her did Deputy Chief REILLY
feel safe In declaring the Are under con-
troll.
Capt. p. G. Libby, with his wife, two
daughters and son, and a crew of seven
men, were on board. James Caser, a
boy, was on watch on deck.
At o'clock Capt. Libby was awak-
ened by a sitting sensation, and imme-
diately went upon deck. Smoke was
coming out Of the fore ventilators. and
Caser was trying to locate the fire.
There were thousands of cases of kerr
osene and many barrels of benzine and
whiskey in the hold, and the captain re-
allied what the fire meant. He yelled
Ship afire' as loud as he could,
and ordered the boy to run down
the dock and give the alarm. The crew,
awakened by the captains cries. came
tumbling out of their hunks, and the
captain ordered the matches battered
down, and went to arouse his wife and
children.
policeman on South street. near
Maiden lane. heard the captains cries,
and started towards the ship. He had
scarcely crossed the street when he saw
flames bursting through the deck. He
Immediately turned In an alarm. which
brought Deputy Chief REILLY and en-
gines 4. 50 and %.
The Chapman Wrecking Companys
tug, Husler. was at pier block away.
and as the engines came down the street
she started for the burning ship. They
had three streams playing on her before
the fire boats reached the scene.
As soon as Deputy Chief REILLY ar
rived and learned of the dangerous
character OF the cargo. he ordered a
were then burning through the forward
hatchway.
The fire boat New Yorker pushed her
way up alongside of the burning ship
IRON ship +. Cakes, lying at the next
dock. The New Yorker had six streams
playing when the other fire boats ar
Al one ri:ne it looked as II the New
Yorker would be crushed TO atoms. She
Vas between the burning ship and the
careened. The .fire boat slowly drew
out into the river. The tug Flushing
H tr1ed 70 Rs, take h.r place but Deputy
70 turn couple Of streams ON her be-
lore his command was obeyed.
x me neat on the burning ship made the
Gus. The men had to be worked in
relays Of Ave minutes each, the smoke
was SO intense. Fire Captain Whalen
and Fireman Goodrich had narrow es-
from nj
tne hatchWays enveloped them and
forced them to the side of the ships
r pOat Ther they hung until they We're
ierVed suhciently to return to work.
The Ship Charmer was moored on the
ether side OF the dock. Beside her on
o 1ne dock was piled hundreds OF cases Of
M M ara hundreds more were In her hold
Inc burning oil on the Gen. Knox was
liable to cause an explosion at any mo-
a nen., which made the position Of the
dier noorlngs were cast OF, and she
Tapped out Into the steam.
rthe uozens of streams being pumped
INTO the hold Of the Knox seemed to
nave little or 10 effect. Deputy Chief
RELY held that heroic measures were
GHeGessary, and against the protests OF
oapt' Libby ordered the decks TO be cut
Half an hour later the fire seemed
TThhder control, but new danger arose
s Seen pumped into the hold caused the
snip to settle.
v The cry that the ship was sinking
BOARD sprang for the dock. They had
SsnCSreely done so when one of the big
immUUurihS lines snapped. This was fol-
~, tne breaking of the forward hawser had
sn,oHy an additional weight on the one
enHStrh' and the strain caused the
sPueS on the dock to give way. The
smn careened to starboard, the cargo
afresh. W s'a'
,.Lepu:y Chief REILLY then ordered a
SSnild alarm turned n. which brought
UT additional engines and two hook
anu ladder trucks. The Seth Low
ttuaned over from Brooklyn, but K was
tithbosSlb!e for her to obtain a good POSI-
i'm The shifting of the cargo caused
s-s names to shoot up the hatchways