The times., 1897-05-11
THE FIRE ON THE LEOhA
Statements Made Rejecting on
the Courage Of the Crew.
A STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE
No Explanation of How the Three
Members of the ships Company
Who Were Burned Happened 10
BE In the PasseBgers' Quarters.
Origin of Fire Unknown.

New York, May 1O-The forehoid OF
the MolIory line steamer Leona, IN which
thirteen persons were suffocated yester-
cay morning, was not officially inspected
today Capt Petrie, OF the United states
board OF inspectors, took look at il, I'D
wiIIprobabIy calIthe officers Of the steamer,
the owaers. and some u the passengers 10
give evidence tomorrow. This evidence
will .e OF conflicting nature. Many Uf
the passengers made statement today re-
fleeing upon the courage OF the crew. On
the otter hand, some OF TIE cabin passen-
gers had nothing but praise for the con-
duct Of Capt. Wilder, his officers and crew
It is not clear how the fire started.
Every preeautiou seernsto have been taken
to prevent any accident TO the eoIublist-
ihIe part Of the cargo
A thing unexplained is how the three
members OF the ships company who were
burned with the ten passengers came 10
be i'm tha. part of the hold where the bodies
were found.
The corrected list of the dead was given
out by the MaIlorys today, and is as fol
lows:
Steeragc passengers Cotrane. Mrs. c.
Guzza and daughter: Mama Madro, sister
nf Cotrene: Airs. Madro' 5 two children,
aged four and one; Sophie. Sehlnalz, Han
nah Solomonson, Bridget Sullivan and Miss
Vlacikek - o1r 1gst
Ship company Albert Haryey andAdOif
Laag. stewards, and II Hartman, butcher
The rooms which the steerage passengers
occupied were scarcely more than eight
feet square There was one on the port and
one on the starboard side, the former be-
ing for men aud the latter for women and
Children These rooms, formed entirely
Of wood. wefe filled with sInaH bgnks, in
which the passengers slept Bet waen them
was a eo4alpanionway, about eight and
half feet wide, Leading to the deck. The
doors OF both roous opened right beside
the stairs, and anybody who gained tee
door would have had little difficulty in
esea ping the fire There was almost
seven feet OF room between the two rooms
occupied by the passengers, and two larger
rooms aft, about ten feet long and four
wide, arranged on the sides in the satne
way These rooms are also for steer3ge
passengers, but were used for extra cargo
this trip
Th,, stories of the fire told by Chief
officer Wallace and Capt Wilder are prac-
ticaiiy the same. The fire started In the
long room on the port side of the steamer.
Chief Officer Wallace was in charge OF
the bridge He smelled smoke and traced
it to the steerage He went down the
stairs TO investigate further, and finally
reached the room full OF tute bags and
sewing machines. When he opened the
door a great volume OF black smoke burst
upon him He Immediately sounded an
alarm and fastened to Capt. Wilder's room.
! Nm1bers Of che steerage passengers fled to
the deck, the sailors helping some of them
out
Can't. Wilder told a reporter that the fire
was far advanced when he reached the
forward part of the ship. No attempt
could be made then to get any more
steerage passengers out He says tha'
it was impossible for his men 70 get within
| forty feet of the corupa nionway for tn,
] first half hour when the fire once hac
control. After that half hour they were
not able for long time to approach nearer
| than sixty feet Nine of the dead were
] found Oh the xomeR's side below, and the
! other four were lying III front of the dooI
| to the large room on the port side, where
\ the fire started.
Capt. Wilder denies a story that an at
| tempt was made by four Spanish stoSer'
! to launch a boat and that Chief oflbei
| wallace drove them back at the point OF
| revolver. Under the circumstances, he
/ says, the passengers were very cool Ihel
4 were transferred TO the City OF Augusta
| while the crew fought the fire, and wer'
! then brought back gain. II was not Hnti
! they had come hack and been mustered
| that it was known that ten OF the stesrag'
! passengers and three of the ships com
pany were missing.
| Capt Wilder could give no explanation
| the fire. 1t might have been smoulderinl
! since before they went out, he said, and I
MIGHT have been caused by spontaneou
| combustion.
Coroner Hoeber has set the inquest for (
| week from tomorrow.