The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-15
Fireboat and Tugs Scurry to
the Rescue.
EVERY BUILDING BURNED.
No Lives Lost-Sick Immigrants
Brought Off First.


There 20 La.a and to Help Fight the Fire
Was . Terrific Biaso and Kept tho whole
HarSor AnEht TOR Hours-Tho usland In
Just STE Acres OF Ruiss-EvcrythiuE Gore.
A fire started in the biggest OF the Govern
nent buildings at Ellis Island at 1890 o'clock
rAptdity, was at 1 o'clock sweeping over the
whole island. and 1t seemed certain even then
that every building there would DO burned.
The frst known of the Ore In this city was |
when the flames were seen shooting up In the
sky by the belsted sitters in the Battery Park.
At this time tho hre was Just coming out OF
the western end Of the biggest OF the Govern
mcnt buildings. 1t seemed to come out Of the
windows and out of the roofs at almostt the same
moment.
more than half the building appeared 70 DO In
flames, and within fifteen minutes the whole
building was going.
There was no te~leRraphic or telephone word
received from the island, but the Ere by this
time had liz up the whole bay and the river. and
every tug that was abroad at that hour Of
night with fire apparatus aboard was h~ustling
In the direction Of the island.
The lookout on the freboat New Yorker.
which is stationed at the Battery wall, was one
otthe first to see the flames, and he gave the
alarm on the boat.
It takes the New Yorker less than two min
utes to get started. and the men had tumbled out
Of bed and were at their posts and the boat was
of in q tify. She ploughed straight across tho
harbor. passing smaller tugs, and was close
enough to the fire to get to work before any Of
the other boats got within hailing distance. She
was followed by two police launches with all
the force Of harbor police that could DO gath
cred in q few minutes. The Police boat Patrol
is out Of commission.
By tho time the police had started. q great
crowd had gathered at Battery Park. The
flames were then shooting Q hundred feet in the
air. and by their light hundreds Of people could
bs seen on the island rushing hither and thither.
There arc usually moro than Q thousand per
sons. most of them immigrants. who sleep on
the island.
The customs officials in the Barge ohice
near hy thought that the number there
when the IRE broke out was between
100 and 200. som of whom arrived
On three ships that came I'm yesterday; the
spaarndam from Rotterdam. the Alsatia from
Genoa and Naples, and tho Furnessia from
Glasgow. The S~paarndam brought in . big load
Of immigrants. and the Alsatia q good deal big
ger one. nearly all of them Italians,
From the main building the IRE swept over
the ferryhouse and the docks and yard, and
caught, apparently, on all the buildings on the
island. A few minute past / o'clock the roof
Of the main building was seen to fall in, and .
great shower OF sparks shot up into the air.
The light from the IRE seemed to be doubled
instantly. The bay was lighted up clear out to
Sandy Hook, the shores OF Staten Island, New
York, and New Jersey. and the buildings on
them, and the great crowds that had gathered 70
zee the flames were as plainly distinguished as
they would have been in broad daylight
1t seemed a moment after tho fall OF the roof
that every tugboat in the harbor had started out
TO assist In handling the DIRE. The river was
fairly black with them. and those in the distance
other. A few minutes past / two moro crews OF
the harbor police were secured and they started
for the island in their launches.
Word had been sent to Police Headquarters by
this time. and orders to get twenty-five more
men ready TO go over the moment that the
launches could land the men they had were
sent The island has . little police force of ita
own and there are some OF the city men sta
toned there.
The number OF people who could be seen run
ming about the little edge Of the island that
wasn't covered by the burning buildings seemed
70 increass every moment.
At a quarter past / a great crash was heard
@hd 4 moment later there was another tremen
dons shower Of sparks flying up into the afr.
when they had cleared q little 1t was seen
mat the two walls OF tho main building on the
"'hd had falIso In. The sound Of the crash
was echoed from the hills on Station Island ant
he Heights Oh tho Jersey shore.
FOR a few minutes after this crash tho crowds
~NNh WI "a Stohu 'uhhiii6 atouit
were lost sigh OF. but when the SMOKE that fol
lowed the falling OF the walls cleared away I
'"ula DO seen that q hundred or more tugs hat
reached Tho island, were crowding close to tn,
''0Fe' and appeared TO DO taking tho peopl,
GSO.ra.
Al this time every building and every shet
seemed to DO burning. and there was ahsolutsl!
NO 'he''er for the people anywhere.
inc areooat Now Yorker had been at worl
some minutes then. and many OF tho other tug
Win e apparatus that were not engaged Il
'e rescue had arrived. and, setting their On
sHe' going were pouring great streams int
~ o@L'ng mass. without any apparent effect.
"i1F no Government boat had arrived within
sA4'hE distance Of the island. A few minute
~'Oro 'H's tho General Mega. ono OF thu 70,
."ue boats. which was lying At the Govsrnmeu
LH