The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-07-05
FIRE IN her HID.
Unfortunate Plight of the Red
ID" Line Steamship Caracas.
Passengers l-arded by the Tug Ex-
CeIsior at Pier I North River.
Met in the Lower Bay by the Fire.
boat New Yorker.

Tie Red I'D" line steamship Caracas
which sailed from here for Venezuela
ports last Monday, returned to this por
on ire. at o'clock this morning.
As she passed Sandy Hook sh
signalleu to the operator stationed Their
of her predicament.
He promptly notified her agents, Boil
ton. Bliss & pallett, OF 1856 Front street
who Immediately communicated VIII
the nreboat New Yorker. lying at hei
wharf at the Battery.
The New Yorker hustled down the bay
Robbins Reef
AS soon as the New Yorker wen
alon. side The burn ny steamship sh'
began pumping water into her hoiC
through several lines of hose.
Meanwhile the tug Excelsior had beer
chartered by the Red d line agents ant
took or the, passengers. on board the
Caracas. landing at pier ". X.
Her passengers thus safely cared for
the Caracas was then lowed over to the
north side OF Liberty Island, where she
is likely to sink from the great amour
Of water being pumped into her.
The Caracas carried but small mum
Der OF passengers and general cargo
bound for Curacao and Venezuelan
ports.
The passenger list is as follows:
5. w. SLEEPER.
nr, +. nEGEkEA and family.
ANTONIO VALLENlLLA.
Mr.. and Mrs. RI DECANDO SOTO.
THOMAS ALENDA.
At the office of Bolton. Bliss Il Dial
lett little could be learned beyond the
fact that the fire was reported to have
broken out In the after hold of the vessel
to an Evening World" reporter hi:
entire inability to account for 1t, as that
portion OF the vessel was laden entirely
her regular berth, Pierrepont Stores
Brooklyn, and under the charge OF her
usual stevedore. The cargo in the for,
no hold and amidships was q generally
every staple that Is customarily shipped
to the tropics The agents We're posi-.
tive, however, that the hold where the
hainss first appeared contained nothing
No information could be obtained from
the agents regarding the value of the
CaracaS's cargo or of the vessel herself
nor could the amount of insurance car.
ried be obtained.
The fre-boat New Yorker succeedet
IN hlling the Caracas fun of wate,
Tiher,v she lay IN the mud north o
thus extinguishing every spark of fire
aboard of her Tugs from the Baxter
Wrerking Company were then engaged
Capt. Woodrick. of the Caracas, gave
the following account Of the fire tc
Capt: Ryan, of the lire-boat:
We were about thirty hours. out, ant
port. in the Gulf Stream, when tbs
flames were discovered In the after
hold; in the cargo OF -four, in bags, al
l o'clock yesterday morning
1T seemed then as II the whole shir
would be speedily enveloped in flames
The life: boats and lfe-rafts were ordered
out, and provisions and everything was
ment's notice. The matches were bat
tened down, and then we turned steam
into the hold where the fire was raging
and then put about and headed back fol-
Fortunately the steam succeeded il
checking the spread of the flames. anL
we got here without having TO take t.
the small boats, We took on a pilot
about G,cl OK last u!e' t, ana reacnec
Robbins Reef about O'Clock this mora,
ing: Then We continued to blow whistles
and exhibited Other, signals of distress
until we fell In with the tugboat Mar
garet Lenox, which ran up to the cit,
for assistance"
The captain could not tell how tht
fire had started, nor what the probable
udH1dse Wuulu ne. i mere were nifty bag
Of mail on board, and the passengers
baggage and the entire cargo was more
or less damaged by fire and water. The
Caracas had crew Of about seventy
men.
Capt. Ryan, Of the New Yorker, said
to an Evening World" reporter;
1t seems almost miracle that the
ship should hav' been able 10 make her
intimation that we had Of the Are was
about o'clock this morning. when the
tuS LenoX came up with the steward OF
ne caracas. who told US how the vessel
The wheel and rudder and rudder Of
We nrH' boat were damaged recently hv
picking up the police buoy In the basin
or me Better and We could not make
there the decks we're hot. We Opened
the matches and the men went INTO the
hold. We fought the FIRE there until
, thrye OF our men, John priscoll, Henry
ny, the smoke and impure air in the
mold, and then decided that the only
hope Of saving the vessel was to run
tug EXceisor nf pas sn W she w towel
the Red n liner IN To- her nresen,
berth in the mud OF Liberty Ii nty f Pslsnd
where We tilled her with water"
HOW long did 1t take TO do that?" he
One hour and twenty minutes ex,
actly. replied the captain.
Inc men VINO were overcome by the
smoke we're not severely, affected They
were able to resume work at the expira
ton OF half an hour.
Capt. Joseph j. Roden, of the NJ. A,
Leno&, Nno was one OF the first to re.
spond to the sig ais Of distress made Ly
the Caracas, said:
Il pulled out OF the Atlantic Dock. IN
BROOKLYN, about o'clock this mornlnp
and headed down the bay, waen [ heard
the steamers whistle blowing for aid
II found the captain and officers an.
parently very much excited, but the pas,
and seemed to take matters very coolly
! offered to take them OF then and there
when | learned the condition OF affairs
but they politely declined.
Later they decided TO leave the shin
and came un To the city ON the fnr Es.r