New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-16
THE ELLIS ISLAND BLAZE.
WONDER EXPRESSED THAT THERE WAS
NO LOSS OF LIFE
DIR. sENNER SAYS 1T WILL DE A LESSON TO THE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES WORK OF WOMEN
NuRsEs-TAKING CARE OF THE
IMMIGRANTS.

IMMIGRANTS.
Ever since have been in office the fear OF
something like this fire has haunted me- and
now that 1t has come and no lives were lost
am glad of 1t. row of unsightly. ramshackle
t!nderboxes has been removed. and when the
Government rebuilds 1t will be forced to put
up decent freproof structures"
Thus did DR.. Joseph H. Senner, Commissioner
OF Immigration. In charge of Ellis Island, speak
yesterday of the fire that devastated the island.
leaving 1t mass OF smoking ruins inside of two
hours and seriously imperllling the lives of the
ODD persons sleeping In the himsy wooden
structures. That lives lost, that MOI
even an injury was sustained by any in the
flames that spread with such frightful rapidity
was the wonder Of every one yesterday, and was
the subject for congratulations on the part OF
DR.. Senner and his assistants To these assist
ants-especiay the women nurses in the hos
pital. the watchmen and Surgeon Whites en-
tirely due the remarkable escape of every panic
stricken immigrant. DR.. Senner could not ex-
press too feelingly his appreciation of the cool
headed courage Of his aids in the face Of ex-
IRENE danger.
DANGEROUS PLACE
Every person who was seen yesterday by The
Tribune reporter in regard to the fire condemned
in the scverest terms the condition Of the build
ings which the United States Government had
allowed to be used to house at times over night
thousands of immigrants. The peril from fire
to these helpless and generally ignorant people
fully appreciated by DR.. Senner. and he did
all in his power to provide against the loss or
life from the fire which he felt would one day
occur. The value Of his foresight and precau-
tons as displayed in the efforts Of his assistants
was generally commented on yesterday. and Of
fered strong contrast to the peculiar inertness
of the Government in providing freproof struct-
ures for the island.
Ellis Island yesterday presented sadly for
lorn picture. Three stone buildings remain
standing. the engine house. the electric light and
steam plant and DR.. Whites house-all else is
in ruins The buildings destroyed were the main
one. which was 75O feet long and $50 feet wide,
and three stories high; the detention pen, which
was recently reconstructed; the restaurant, the
laundry the record building, the morgue the
stora ge- house, and the disinfecting plant
which had not yet been completed, but upon
which $4,000 had already been expended, and
in which machinery costing $4,000 had been
placed The southwest landing pier, which had
been recently reconstructed and covered at
large expense. was also entirely demolished. Es-
Inmates upon the total monetary loss sustained
by the United States Government, the immigra-
ton officials and the immigrants could not yes
terday be made with any degree Of accuracy.
Dr. Senner puts the rough estimate at some
where between $500 600 and $1000,000. 1t is
said that the Government is not responsible for
the loss of the personal effects Of the immigrants.
The poor creatures were in such a state OF col
lapse yesterday at the Barge Ofiice, where they
were huddled together that no definite idea or
individual losses could be obtained These losses
were chiefly of clothing and personal trinkets'
which probably had no great intrinsic value.
THE SAFES SECURE.
There were several safes containing IN some
cases large amounts of money in the burned
buildings. but 1t is believed that their contents
will be found intact when they are recovered
from the ruins. F. j. Scuy, the money changer
for the immigrants had safe in the main
building in which he says $4,000 in for
eign coin and drafts. 1t required six hours
work yesterday morning to get this safe out Of
the ruins and it's contents found to he
unimpared. Thomas S. Faulkner. agen, OF the
immigration clearing house of the Trunk
Line Association, had two safes. one Of which
was recovered yesterday 1t had burst open
and $500 was found to be missing The other
safe. which is still buried under the ruins. con-
tains several thousands of dollars Felix Liv-
ingstone and Emile Schwab, the concessionaires
on the island, place their loss on supplies and
equipment in the restaurant and culinary de-
partment at $1,000 the safes Of Treasurer Lee
and of John e. Moore. of the railroad-steamboat
service. We're recovered uninjured
One Of the serious losses to the immigration
Bureau was that Of many Of the records which
contained the history of the immigrants who
have landed here for several years back. The
records Of the immigrants who were detained
on the island on Monday night can be obtailcd
again by the Board Of Inquiry before they are
allowed to depart.
The story of the miraculous escape Of al the
immigrants. aroused at midnight Monday
to face rapidly spreading flames only par
TALLY told in yesterdays papers. Many ac-
counts OF brave told yesterday
which prevented the destruction Of the Ellis
Island plant going down in history a second
Paris Charity Bazaar horror. DIR. Senner said
yesterday that on Monday night there we're on
the island 73 debarred immigrants. who
to be returned to their ports Of de-
parture; 60 women and children detained for
examination, - patients in the hospital and 50
employees, making total Of ODD persons; 800
immigrants had been landed Monday from
the steamers Furnessia, Alsatla and Spaarndam,
but most OF these had been cleared
DISCOVERY OF THE FLAMES.
When William Gaines. one Of the three night
watchmen on duty. discovered the beginning OF
the fire in a small flame in the office Of Charles
Ichlar the chief clerk, which situated at
the northeast end Of the second floor Of the main
building at 1920 o'clock. he hurried after his J
companions and. seeing that II was impossible .
to put the fire out the three men FASTENED 10
the quarters Of the sleeping immigrants. and by
cool. quick work marched all Of them out OF the .
building TO safety on the John g. Carlisle which .
lay with steam up at her slip. Or. White was
aroused from sleep in the old mansion house by
Frank Gibson. the apothecary. and he immedi- I
ately FASTENED to the hospital 10 get the hfty-
five paticDts out The women nurses there did +
noble work carrying out Of the building, which
had by that time caught fire, patient after pa
tinnf IN they wore all placed the Carlisle.