The record-union., 1897-05-10

NEW YORK, May 9.-The World
tomorrow will say: The Mallory line
steamer Leona which left her pier on
Saturday bound for Galveston took fire
at sea, put back and arrived in port to-
night with sixteen corpses on board. The
dead We're thirteen steerage passengers
and three members of the crew who
Succumbed to a terrible fire which oc-
CURED off the Delaware CaDes at an
early hour this morning. The horror of
the story can hardly be told tonight.
Those who are dead were penned up
below decks, and although frantic eff
forts We're made by the officers of the
vessels to save them, the fire had gained
such headWay before the danger was
discovered that all escape was cut off.
The steamer carried in her cargo many
bales of cotton. 1t is not certain how the
fire originated, but when discovered, it
burst forth with such fury that it was
impossible to reach the steerage. Even
then the steerage passengers We're ap-
parently unmindful of the danger, else
the smoke and flames had not reached
them. The saloon passengers were first
reused and in such manner as to oc-
casion little alarm. When it became ap-
parent that the fire had cut off the
steerage. the Captain and his men
poured great quantities of water down
the ventilators, and the most frantic eff
forts were made for the escape of those
penned UP. In this way eight of the
steerage passengers made their escape.
The dead are:
Tp,,i1 loot C,,11
van, r. Catine, Mrs c. Guzza, Miss
Guzza. Miss Hannah SOlomanson, Mrs
Valciks, Miss Valciks, Sophie Schwartz,
Maria Wades, two unknown children,
two unidentified.
The crew-Alfred Hardy, waiter, New
York; Alfred Lang, waiter, New York;
H. Hartmann, butcher, New YORK;
The Mallory line steamer left here
Saturday at 3 p. M, bound for Cal
weston, with eleven saloon passengers.
She carried general cargo of merchan-
disc. Captain Wilder was in command,
with First Mate Wallace and Second
Mate Sweeney assisting. The chief en-
gineer was Taylor, with three assistants
and a crew of 10 men, including firemen
and deck hands.
Among the passengers were D. V.
Winslow of Rutherford, N. J. On his
return to this city Mr.. Winslow told
the following graphic story of the fire:
we left the pier at 3 o'clock yester
day afternoon. We passed through the
Narrows, making excellent time. Sandy
Hook was passed and the lights of Jer-
sey shore were still visible when we went
to bed. BY the time we passed Barne-
gat light at 10 o'clock all the passengers
were in bed. The passengers in the
steerage had also retired. The watch
going off at II o'clock reported every
thing well. There was no suspicion of
any fire or other trouble. The sea was
very smooth and there was no wind The
moon was shining brightly.
First Mate Wallace was passing the
bridge about a. m., when he thought
he smelled smoke coming from the fore
castle He went down the forward
cOmpanionway and opened the door to
the steerage. The moment he did this
there was a burst of flame which
burned his face. He ran on deck and
cried the alarm of fire to the forward
watch, telling him to wake the steward
and have the passengers aroused as
quickly as possible without creating ex-
element The steward did this in a
quiet manner. going to each stateroom
and waking the occupants.
He said in calm tones there was a
slight fire in the forward part of the
ship. and It might be advisable for the
passengers to get their things together.
1t might be possible, he added that the
ship would eventually have to be aban-
doned.
There was no excitement among the
saloon passengers. Most of them pack
ed their luggage and carried it to the
main saloon. They gathered in the
saloon and remained there, and after
the officers had assured them there was
no immediate danger they took matters
quietly.
THE steward made frequent trips and
came back with the report of the
progress of the flames. He said the
fire was confined below decks. and as
the flames did not rise very high the
passengers did not fully realize the ex-
tent of their peril.
Captain Wilder rushed on deck at
the first alarm, clad only in an under
shirt and trousers. He assumed COM
mand and at once ordered the crew to
rescue the steerage passengers. On the
side. of the ship a large quantity of
cotton bagging was stored, separated
from the steerage passengers by
board partition.
THE main deck was almost complete
ly filled with freight, cutting off all
exit from the steerage to the after part
of the ship. The only way from the
steerage was out the forward compan-
ionway.
THE crew, on the Captains orders,
rushed to the companionway and at
tempted to descend. They were driven
back by dense volumes of smoke. and
flames quickly followed. The smoke
and flames also came up through the
ventilators and it was apparent to all
on deck that below decks was a roar
ing furnace.
Then it dawned on the officers and
crew that the unfortunates in the steer
age were probably burning to death.
Captain Wilder saw his crew driven
back from the companionway and the