San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-05-10
San Antonio, Texas, Monday, May 10, 1897.


mer "City of Augusta" which left this
port shortly after the "Leona" on her
way to Savannah. A half hour Ia
ter, or about five o'clock in the morn
ing, the CITY of Augusta" hove to,
alongside the burning steamer and the
saloon passengers were notified to pre-
pare to leave the ''Leona."
They were all transferred to the
City of Augusta in safety and the work
of fighting the fire was continued.
About o'clock in the morning the
flames were under control and the
steamer out of danger. The passen-
gers were sent back to the "Leona'and
the City of Augusta continued on her
way to Savannah The Leona put
about and returned to port under her
own steam.
An examination of the steerage COM
partment was made as soon as the
ship had cooled off sufficiently and
thirteen corpses were discovered. Their
attitudes showed that they were try
ing to escape when death found them.
Some lay huddled in heap. Others
were on their knees, with hands out
stretched, as if to grope their way in
the darkness and the binding SNAKE.
Nine of them were burned so horribly
that they were utterly unrecognizable.
The flesh on their features was gone
and in places the naked bones, char
red and blackened, had been disclosed
to view. The butcher and the two
walters were the least burned of any
of the dead and it was easy to identify
them.
The dead are undisturbed. They are
still lying where they fell and will be
removed on the order of the coroner
today.
The "Leona's" cargo consisted partly
of matches. which were stored near
the wheel house and it is possible that
the fire was caused by the matches.
The damage to the vessel and cargo
is extensive.
At one o'clock this morning Charles
H. Mallory, of the Mallory line and
Coroner Hoeber boarded the Leona.
After viewing the bodies and question
ing the captain, Mr.. Mallory said to
the reporters present:
There are thirteen dead on board.
But everybody on the ship IS so excited
that l have not yet been able to get a
full report about the fire. When 1 do
will give it out.
"All / have been able to learn so far
is that the steamer sailed on Saturday
at p. m. She had thirty passengers
on board, of which twenty-three were
steerage. At / a. m. yesterday morn
ing fire was discovered bursting out of
the forward hatchways. 1t spread
very quickly and almost as soon as the
alarm sounded, the steerage and COM
panionways were filled with smoke.
The cause was spontaneous combus-
ton among the miscellaneous cargo.
when the fire had been put out II
found that ten of the steerage passen-
gers. both men and women, had been
suffocated and their bodies subsequent
w burned. Two of the steerage wal
ters were likewise dead, as was the
ships butcher
Coroner Hoeber asked a number Oh
questions regarding the breaking out
Of the fire. the means of egress whlch
the Messengers had, etc. Then ne turn
ed TO Mr.. Mallory and said: i con-
slider it my duty to put Capt. Wlluer
under arrest, pending INVESTIGATION IN
to this deplorable accident. But l 40
not wish to put him to any unnecessa-
nv Inconvenience, and will accept MI.
Mallory's assurance that he Will not
run away"
This being done the formalities of the
night were ended.