The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-05-10
SIXTEEN WERE
SUFFOCATEDI !
Terrible Fire on the Mallory Line
Steamship LeOna.
STEERAGE PASSENGERS HELPLESS
The Fire Spread so Rapidly That it was
Impossible TO Reach the Entombed
Passengers, and All But Eight
Met Death.

New Yory May 1O.-The Mallory line
steamer Leona left her pier Saturday
at y. IN. bound for Galveston, with II
saloon passengers. She carried a gem
eral cargo of merchandise. Captain
Wilder was in command, with First
Mate Wallace and Second Mate Swee-
uey assisting. The chief engineer was
Taylor with three assistants, and a
crew Of 70 men, including fremen and
deckhands.
Among the passengers were S. V.
Winslow, Of Rutherford, N. j. On his
return to this city late last night Nh
Winslow told the following graphic
story Of the fire.
First Mate Wallace was pacing the
bridge about a. m, when he thought
that he smelled smoke coming from the
forecastle, He went down the forward
to the companion way and opened the
door to the steerage. The moment he
did this there was a burst Of flame,
which burned his face
Wallace turned and ran on deck
and cried the alarm of fire to the for
ward watch, telling him to wake the
steward and have all the passengers
aroused as quickly as possible without
creating any excitement. The steward
did this i'm a quiet manner, going to
each stateroom and waking the oc-
cupants.
There was no excitement among the
saloon passengers. Most of them pack
ed their luggage and carried it from
their stateroOms into the main saloon.
They gatherer in the saloon and re-
mained there, and after the officers had
/ assured them that there was no i'm
mediate danger they took matters
| quietly. The steward made frequent
trips forward and came back with
reports Of the progress of the flames.
Captain Wilder rushed on deck at
the first alarm, clad only in an under
shirt and trousers. He assumed COM
mand, and at once ordered the crew
to rescue the steerage passengers. On
the same deck with the storage. on the
port side Of the ship a large quantity
of cotton bagging was stored, separ-
ated from the steerage passengers by
board partition.
"The main deck was almost COM
pletely filled with freight, cutting off
all exit from the steerage to the after
part Of the ship. The only way out
from the steerage was up the forward
companionway.
"'The crew, on the CAPTAINS orders,
rushed for the companionway and at
tempted to descend. They were driven
back by dense volumes of smoke, and
flames quickly followed. The smoke
and flame also came UP through the
ventilators, and it was apparent to all
/ who were on deck that below decks
was a roaring furnace.
"Then it dawned on the officers and
/ crew that the unfortunates in the
/ steerage were probably burning to
death. Captain Wilder saw his crew
driven back from the companionway,
| and the realization of the horror below
made him desperate.
He rushed to the stairs and boldly
attempted TO go below. He did not get
down more than half dozen steps
when the increasing clouds of smoke
and the flames shooting up arount
him drove him back on deck.
He stepped back to the shelter O.
the pilothouse. His face was scorched
His eyebrows We're burned away, III
stood there dazed and overcome for
moment. Then he exclaimed: M,
God! no man can go through that an,
come out alive
Despite frantic efforts to reach thu
entomhed passengers, it was severa
hours before the lower decks could b,
approached and when the sailors
reached the steerage it was only t.
find 16 dead bodes-10 women, fou
men and two children. The eight othe
steerage passengers escaped.