The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-15
Sick in Hospital Carried Out
Without Mishap.
Big Landing Station and Other
Buildings Destroyed.
Origin of the Fire Not Definitely
Known, but 1t Spread Rapidly.


hour destroyed the immigrant landing
Island, causing property loss of about
$3.50, 600 to the United States government.
All of the government records and the
baggage of the immigrants was burned.
Two hundred and fifty immigrants were
rescued from the burning structures. and
brought safely to this city. Not ono of
them received burn. There were forty
patients in the wooden hospital building
in the rear OF the main structure who
were carried out in cots just before the
hospital took 1re.
The cause OF the fire is as yet a mystery.
1t started in the east end u the main
structure which was moro than 1000 feet
long and three stories high. The first
floor of this building was almost entirely
given up to baggage while tine eastern
end OF the second story was used for offices.
The third story was used as a reviewing
gallery. The middle and southwestern
portions of the first two stories were used
for landing bureaus and detention rooms.
1t was in this part of the building that
most of the immigrants were sleeping last
night. When chief Night Watchman
Burke noticed the fire, it was licking
around one OF the towers He at once
summoned the thirty men employed under
leading TO the detention room and aroused
the sleepers, who were reposing on benches
and on wire cots, which the bureau pro-
vides One of 1.-THE night watchmen was
also sent across the bridge to tho women's
dormitory contained in a two story build
ing In the rear of the landing depot
Rescue of the Sick.
They were hustled down stairs into the
yard In the rear of the landing depot and
ek..r. ..s.Is Atu.l eks nw.1 ~
the building and so on to the ferry slip.
where the ferry boat John q. Carlisle was
lying with steam up Meantime tho men
In the main building had been rushed
out and down the main double stairway
at che west end to the boat. 1t was seen
at n glance that the big main building
was doomed, and it required quick work
&c carry out the helpless sick before tho
blistering heat prevented an approach To
the hospital building. Doctors, nurses
and attendants helped In the work. Onco
outside the people carrying cots rushed at
quick trot across tho grass plot to the
pier, never stopping until the patients
were landed on the boat. In this way
the forty sick people were placed on the
main deck. Sone of the immigrants who
had escaped from the building had be-
come anxious about their baggage and
despite the fact that the vast building
was fast being encompassed by hames
rushed back to save it,.
Had to Fight Them Back.
In all the known tongues they insisted
that their all was contained in tho boxes
and bundles which they had brought
over Captain Burke and his men had to
fairly fight them back on the boat They
wept and wrung their hands when they
found it was impossible TO save their
property. The fire by this time had the
entire main building In It's en-
brace apd tha fiamas Illuminated tha
whole harpor, lighting up the lower end
of New York almost as plainly as day.
Jersey City and Brooklyn were thrown
into bold relief by the flames. Lighted
by this glare, with the paint hlisterng
from her sides, the Carlisle steamed out
Of the long slip into the upper bay. She
had heen preceded but a few minutes ear
lier by the transfer steamers Emmons
Hazel Krke John f.. Moore and others
with three of the big Immigrant barges.
Every vessel in the harbor could be seen
plainly and even from Fort Hamilton
and staten Island the burning was
watched ana could be plainly seen. The
wind was from the westward and this pre-
vented the flames from igniting the
smaller buildings in the rear of the main
depot.
The Governments Loss.
At2 o'clock the flames were under con-
troll The big station, the hospital, the
laundry, the restaurant, Doctors houses
and number of small out buildings were
in ashes The engine house was the only
building of Importance on the island.
which escaped destruction. When the
ferry boat Carlisle reachedithe barge Office
landing I'm this city this morning ainbu-
lances from Governor and Hudson streets
hospitals met tho patients from the Ellis
Island hospitals who were divided between
the two institutions. In an interview
this morning. Commissioners OF Immigra-
tion DIR. Senner. said that the loss TO the
governments Is about $3.50, 900.
A Mass of Smouldering Ruins.
! Ellis Island Is n mass OF black, smoul-
dering ruins. All the huge buildings
which since lssn have housed hundreds
and thousands of Immigrants, were de-
moDished I'm n conflagration during the
night, which constituted one of the most
brilliant spcctacles ever seen I'm New York
harbor and which threatened the lives OF
several hundred emigrants who were ON
the island. AS far ns can be learned there
was no loss of life. The exact amount
Of damage has not yet been ascertained.
but Is Is said tLat the loss of buildings