The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-01
FERRYBOAT BURNED
Brooklyn Annex Boat No. 5
ToWed Down the River
a Blazing Mass.
SUNK OFF ELLIS ISLAND FLATS
Had Just Been Rebuilt and Was
10 Have Gone into Commits
sion Today.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's double
decked side-wheeled SIS, 1000 annex boat
No. s, which piled between this city and
Brooklyn, was burned to the waters edge
last evening. All that remains Of the
beautiful ~ferryboat is the hull. and it is
beached on the flats Of Ellis Island.
How the fire started is a mystery.
Every man who was on the vessel be-
fore she caught fire is positive that every
possible precaution was taken to prevent
such an occurrence.
Within five minutes after the flames
were discovered the entire boat seemed
ablaze, and it was only the prompt
work of iremen and the speedy arrival
of fire tugs that saved the big piers and
~ferryhouse of the company from being
swept away. Annex No. 5 was brought
down the river yesterday from Fletcher's
Iron Works in Hoboken, where it had
been undergoing extensive repairs. and
moored to the south side of the York
street pier, which was formerly used by
the Red Star Steamship line.
1t was intended to put the boat in SER
vice this morning. A gang of painters
worked on the boat all day putting on the
finishing touches to the decorations. The
painters quit work at about half-past
five o'clock. Nothing out of the ordin-
airy took place while the painters were on
board When they finished work they
left their ra;nt nots cans of t,,rnentine
and other naranhernalia niled i'm near the
ganeway on the inshore side of the boat.
John DOYLE the fireman left the boat
before fine nainters LEROY Coon. the
engineer followed them off. Both men
saw the fires were banked. and that there
was nothing about which might cause a
confa grafton There was no one on the
boat. tbe emnioves all having been in
structed to report for d,,tv this morning.
At about six o'clock Herman K. Bur
ross. of No % Montgomery street. was on
his way to a coal ONCE near the old
Red Star pier when he was surprised to
go $3.50. 80 aw1 .az..,n~ thra,,ah +ha
upper deck of the Annex boat near the
srnokesfack He called James McAlinev.
aud ta~athar 49, r,shaa tousrd ~
anu .osethei eney Fusheo 'omaiu LIZ
ferryboat. They were a good hundred
wards from the boat when flames shot,
- thua,,ah az 49,. 49, a,m,.am aha,t
the smokestack in fantastic yellow
wreaths McAlinev retraced his stems
80 n,1oa ~ So ~, - 49, an+raaa
aho puileo the hre alarm az the eiierace
of the big piers. In short order the
department hurried out and succeeded III
rN4.IsS~ $50 49, -
streams on the burning vessel The
flames gained headway rapidly. and CHIEF
prannan diraetad tbat an alarm he sant
brennan usiecteu tiidl an alarm oe seae
in for the local department.
Engines RESPONDED PROMPTLY. but it vas
.nn.ran+ h.fara +betr .rriva1 +ba+ tne
apparent peioIS lheA diAisal ena1 az
boat was doomed.
The flames struck the paints oils and
t.rnentine left on the deck bv tbe naint-
ers. The ~turpentine exploded, and the
burning fluid was scattered in every di-
finder and seasoned by exposure to
steam and heat. Being covered with
fresh paint it burned with a ierceness
that alarmed the workmen.
Ten minutes after the flames had been
{5ra,sh a. to mlgSeas Of i Are icy, were rsb burS bdqg
upper and lower. and LIQUIDS Of black
smoke at times hid the burning vessel
that the Sides Of the bic esf freight e she'd be-
gan 10 crack and snan- Firemen did
noble work, but they were unable to
check the flames. For a time it looked
as though the bic shed would catch ire.
ether boats moored near the Annex were
holIled out of dangers way No too soon
Increase in volume and burst out windows
and doors From sters, to stern above
and below decks, the boat was on fire.
yania's fire tug Trenton hove in sigRt.
she ran close TO the end Of the steam
hin nier and Watchman James McAliney
hoarded her The captajn ran close fo
The Annex boat and McA1inev with the
hrsverv that characferizes him iiInned
from the how of the ing at the risk or
his life abnar "a fhe burning ferrvhasf 4
Iawserw was thrown to him and he made
II fast n tbe how If the h,1rntne hoat
He n,ade his urav hand over hand IL
the trenton half sIffocated from the
fiinaine smoke s
One Of the lines which held the Annex
boat To the ME, was east off The second
Ia b1raad AFT A. q sinaia tba 1srnn
baaJ b,1rned Of A. 8 siooaI The Trren-
with her hiazinp Freight
irha VIM fan6ad t6a aames into qreat
f,,rV and blazes shot nigh above The vese
eel The snecfahie was q prand INC
fha b,,rninp vessel heinz s1,r6r,9n1ed hJ,
The fire. tass I,5niata Aner;oa W1etsany
Psdnor Re1vidara JSaIa 49, T 49, :
Virdan TTncie nc p " p',ri ! p . ?
RRarrstf The tnes r,avsd 49, ~ stra = =.
70 water on the R1,Tning vasSag M thasy
anneared 70 have iitfla or no affeet TlLSss
t,prepbaaf Henrv 4 Tre uyfard Naf+han,
Graud canfain ran so cj@ee ~ +ha h,rn
ing ferryboat that her nilet house and
hn17 were scorohaa nd hiis+nred w
: stream being turned on her BY a IRE