Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-15
GREAT GOVERNMENT IMMIGRATION
STATION DESTROYED.
BURNED EARLY THIS MORNING
NO LOSS OF LIFE so FAR As CAN BE
LEARNED.
Buildings Were Vast Wooden struct'
ures and All of Them Were De-
stroyed-The Valuable Rec
ords of the Government
Probably Burned.

New York. June 15.-The United States
government immigrants station on EMS
island, in New York harbor, was destroyed
by fire this CTuesday) morning, but with
probably no loss of life. The FIRE was first
seen at 1890 this morning by the lookout
from the harbor police station. lie hrst
noticed a fame about as large as a man
hand coming out of the window on the sec
ond floor toward the eastern end. The hre
spread rapidly. AT l:eS a. m. the caves
along the entire roof began TO fall, setting
fire 10 the wooden piers and docks on either
side.
LIP a. m. the whole island was mass
of flames. As quickly as possible two Sec
tions of police twenty men and the pohce
patrol launches were sent to the island
An alarm was Immediately sent TO the
lower precinct police stations of the city
and twenty-five men were ordered TO the
scene The fire boat New Yorker was soon
under way, with firemen, policemen and
others. The fire boat Mills was sent TO the
island as quickly as she could be made
ready. Later many persons went over IN
tugs and row boats.
The end of the building in which the fire
started was used for sleeping, cooking and
eating by the immigrants. The detention
pen. in which there are always a considera-
BILE number of immigrants being held for IN
vestigation, was soon consumed.
Besides the buildings mentioned there are
a hospital, the offices of the commissioners,
a laundry a disinfecting department, and
great cisterns, in which are stored large
quantities of rainwater gathered from the
roofs of the buildings.
The physicians and minor officials live in
the smaller buildings.
1t is presumed at this hour that these,
with all the other buildings on the island,
will be destroyed.
The valuable records are undoubtedly de-
stroyed The 200 immigrants were safely
transferred from the island to the barge
office at the Battery, leaving no one on the
island except the firemen and a few at
tendants.
The ferryboat John G.. Carlisle. which
plies between the Battery and Ellis island,
arrived at 1870 o'clock this morning from
the island with the sick from the hospital.
There were seventy-five men and forty
six women and children on the boat. Twen-
ty of the women were sick, and one Of
them suffered from typhoid fever, and said
to be in a serious condition. With the party
were also the doctors and nurses.
The buildings on Ellis island were simply
vast wooden sheds made of the most infiam-
mable material. The main building was
4O4x154 feet and three stories high. The
first floor was devoted to the baggage room,
the custom house officers, the pens Of the
immigrants and the offices of the express
men. The second floor was occupied by i'm
migrants. II was vast open space, dtVid-
ed into pens by picket fences. The third
floor was a gallery from which the crowds
below could be inspected without coming
into contact with the inspectors.
The cost of the plant is said to have been
$4,000. AL the records were lost.