The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-06-16
rHREE.QuARrER MILLION LOSS
Additional Particulars Of he Fire on ELI
Island.

Island.
New York. June l5.-Fire at an early
hour this morning destroyed the immi-
grant landing station that covered al
most all Of Ellis Island, causing a prop
er,y loss of about $7sO,0O0 to the United
States government All OF the govern
ment records and the baggage OF the I'M
migrants was burned. TWO hundred and
fifty immigrants were rescued from the
burning structures and brought safely
10 this city. Not one of them received
burn. There were forty patients in the
wooden hospital in the rear of the main
structure. who were carried out on cots
Just before the hospital took fire.
The cause of the fire is as yet mys-
terry. 1t started in the east end OF the
main structure, which was more than
one thousand feet long and three stories
high. The first floor OF this building was
almost entirely given UP TO baggage,
while the eastern end OF the second story
was used for offices. The third story
was used as a reviewing gallery. The
middle and southern portions OF the first
two stories were used for landing bu-
this part of the building that most OF
the immigrants were sleeping last night.
When Chief Night Watohmal Burke no.
ticed the fire IL was licking around one
OF the towers He a, once summoned
the thirty men employed under him. who
quickly unlocked the iron gates leading
into the detention room and aroused the
sleepers, who were reposing on pencnes
and on wire cots. One OF me nignt-
watchmen was also sent across the
bridge to the woman's dormitory, con-
rained in two story building in the rear
os the landing depot. They were hustled
down stairs into the yard Of the landing
depot and then conducted around the
west end OF the building. and soon 10 the
ferry slip. where the ferry boat John q.
Carlisle was lying with steam up.
Meantime the men in the main build
ing had been rushed out and down the
main double stairway at the west end.
to the boat
Surgeon J. H White. and Assistant
Surgeons White and Gideon. had been
aroused by this time and they at once
began 20 remove the forty paiienis In
the hospital.
Doc,ors, nurses and attendants help
Ell in the work Miss A. Boi;z. one of
the nurses, carried out four q the child
rem herself Once outside, the people
ca arrying cots rushed AZ a quick trot
across the grass plot to the pier. never
stopping until the patients were landed
on the Carlisie's main deck Meantime,
some o. the immigrants who had sscsp-
ed from the main building had beco-le
anxious about their baggage and, despite
the fac; that The main building vas fast
being eacompassed by flames. rushed
back 20 save Il. Captain Burke and rs
men had 10 fairly hgh; HEN back on the
BOAT They wspl and w-ung tneir hands
when thsy found IL gAs impossible 20
save their property.
TIE fire by his du.e bad the entire /
main building n is embrace Azd the
gsnes Illuminated he whole haroo-. s
Jersey City and Brooklyn were thrown 1
iuto bo,i relief oy The aaaaes- Lighted !
by thIs glare. with ses paint Sils;ering !
from her sides. The Carlisle steamed OF. .
u the long SKIP izto ;a= upper bay
Shs had been p-e-eiei bg: te~ min ,
utes esrlser by IRE transfer steamers I
E.rnrOas. Hazel Ksrke and John 2
Moore with three cs ne Big .-n1.izr7z: 4
oarges TIE hsstsTy IN ,ais city 1ss 1
c, DIVIDED oy thousands. Every vessel q 1
sas ka-0o- coald be seen plainly. and !
eyea s-Jn Fo-t Ha-.i.5a and SNss1 Is :