The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-15
A Million of Uncle Sans
Money Whipped Away
From Ellis Island.
PROBABLY NO LIVES LOST
Heroic Conduct of Nurses and
Attendants -letails of the
Big Blaze.


thousands of immigrants were entirely
demolished in contlagration during the
night, which constituted one of the most
brilliant spectacles ever seen in New York
harbor and which threatened the lives OF
several hundred immigrants who were on
the island
AS far as can be learned there was nc
loss of life.
The exact amount of damage has not yet
been ascertained, but it is said that the
loss on buildings will amount to some
thing like 100000. while hundreds OF
valuable records have been destroyed.
The first steps taken today by the I'M
migration authorities were to ascertain
definitely, If possible. whether any of the
persons who were on the island last
night, had been caught in the flames.
There were no records left by which the
temporary inhabitants could be accounted
for, so the immigrants were divided up
into groups according to the ships they
came In. They were submitted to close
questioning. They were asked whether
they missed any of their, fellow passen-
gers 1t was chattering, noisy crowd,
and little italian children! threaded their
way between the eager men and women
80 Se~A >iA VI tSss AT lcetSl ever
seemed satisfied that all their shipmates
were safe and sound on land, and the
authorities came to the conclusion that in
some wonderful way the fire which eat
up the buildings on Ellis Island as If they
were matchwood. had been without fatal
result
The absence of telephone communication
with the island and the more or less con-
Sf fnrr, No Of
were hurried from the licking flames that
threatened to leave them no safety but
IN the waters of the bay make it difficult
10 ascertain the exact cause, extent and
details of the fire. The thousands of
the night and watched the IMMIGRANT
buildings burn themselves out had a bet
Ter Idea OF the actual happenings than
wonderful sight. Well out in the centre
Of the harbor was livid mass of flame
that shot upward and outward and only
fell inward to the heart of the fire below.
The shores of New Jersey, Staten Island
and the docks on the river were aglow
reached there looked to be hundreds of
little dark dots, like black ants scurrying
water in the distance countless tugs
steamed into the flood of light and soon
the island was surrounded with craft of
Night Watchman Christensen tells the
Story OF the IRE very graphically
4 didn't know anything about it," he
says until 4 found myself in cloud of
smoke. I rushed to the northwest end
where. the flames seemed to come from
and shouted Fire Six men slept there.
bod body ensg r.ne on,s 5nsr gos aut Then some
with all the departments. The immf-
grants seemed dazed, and we had to al
most force them out. Then some of them
ran back for for some bit Tof trinket or
bundle of clothes. We thought we'd lost
nrteen Italians for. certain Their friends
stood around in the blistering heat and
prayed and cursed and swore that their
fellow countrymen were being burned to
oeath- Several people made dash into
the main building in search of them. but
it was useless. Then when we'd given
up hope, we found the fifteen Italians
huddled together at the far end of the
1t was few minutes before one o'clock
when the fire started in one of the towers
IN the main building. Everybody but us
out, goodness only knows. The fireboats
and police poured water on the blaze for
all they were worth. but for all the good
it did It might have been oil.
IF 1t was wonder that the immi-
grants In the main building got out, it
was still more Of q wonder that the sixty
odd patients in the hospital were saved
The nurses and doctors worked as cool
and calm as any trained fremen. Some
Of the sick shrieked and shouted. But
them the % out It on S stretchars hers and Z laid them them
down where they wouldn't get scorched
by the heat. They looked mighty
ghastly ?''
Dr.. Joseph H. ssnner, the United States
Commissioners of immigration, went over
to Ellis Island soon after the fire started,
caring for the Immigrants who lost all
their baggage with the exception of the
few bundles they had carried in their
working hard to provide them T.si With neces.
The buildings entirely destroyed were
the main building, 750 by $50 feet, the de-
tention pen. the restaurant, the laundry.
the norgue, the record building, the stor-
age house. and the disinfecting plant,
which was not quite completed f. j.
Scully. who has the money exchange
privilege on the island, says he has lost
Dr. Joseph r. White, who had charge
OF the medical department on the island.
was awakened Just In time to get his
house was destroyed
Dr. White sal dthat there were twenty
men, twenty women and seyentesn chill
very serious cases were those of young
woman suffering from typhoid fever and
,,- boy who is 81 dying from q an incurable lI
hospitals In this city early in the morn
ing and are reported to be none the worse
The exact number of persons on the
island last night, according to United
States Commissioner Qufnlan, the super
vising inspector, was $50 which Included
35 employees and 215 immigrants. OF the
immigrants two-thirds were men and one
third women and children Some of
these were waiting deporta ton and some
were waiting until the Board of Special
Inquiry had opportunity to Investigate
their qualifications for admission to the
United States.
Commissioner Quinlan said today
From my Investigation this morning,
have reason to believe that the fire
originated in the stausticians depart
ment from defective electric light wire.''
Many accounts Of gallant rescues are
praised for their plucky work in getting
the patients to places Of safety.
One Of the oldest stories is that DR..
Senner's dog rushed to one of the attend
ants rooms. The sleeping man was al
ready partially overcome by smoke.
AJack, the dog seized him by the
arm and dragged him to the floor Then
the man came to, and escaped Among
the rescued immigrants We're thirty Nor
babies only two days old.
One frantic woman threw away. her
baby. 1t landed in the tall burning
grass. The woman rushed on board the
ferfyboat without another thought of her
child A deckhand ran into the smoke,
and grouping around. found the child. He
brought II back in safety to its mother.
She scarcely thanked him.
Supervising Inspector Quinlan and
two appraisers and insurance adjusters,