Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-15
ELLIS ISLAND FIRE.
The Immigrant Landing Station Dss-
lroysd This &Ornint.
GREAT LOSS TO THE GOVERNMENT.
The Ofllc III X cords and Much Imml.
grants baggage Consumed by
The Flames.

an early hour this morning destroyed
the immigrant landing station that
covered almost all Of Ellis leland.
causing a property loss of about $780,
600 to the United States government.
All OF the government records and the
baggage of the immigrants were
burned.
Two hundred and fifty immigrants
we're rescued from the burning etruc-
lures and brought safely to this city.
Not one Of them received burn.
There were forty patients In the wool
Ell hospital builuiDg in the rear OF the
main structure, who wers carried out
In COTS just before the hospital Il ok
fire, 1ue csuse OF the fire Is as yet a
mystery. Ii started In the east end
Of the main structure, which was more
than 1000 ieet long and three stories
high. The first fiJGr OF tins
building was almost entirely
given up to baggage, while the
eastern end OF the second story
was used Tor offices. The third story
was used as u reviewing gallery. The
middle anu southern portions of the
first Two storits were used for landing
bureaus, IL WAS in this part VI the
buildings that most Of the inning ranta
were sleeping last night. When Chief
Night Watcninan Burke noticed the
ire It WINS licking around on the tow
ers. iHe ~ once summoned the thirty
men employed unuer him, who quick
IyuplOcReu the lion gates leading into
tne detention room and aroused the
sleeping who were reposiDg On
benches anu on wire COTS, which the
bureau provides. One oil the night
watcnmen was ais sent across me
bridge TO the wGmsn's doimltory, con.
rained In Two ,tOry buiiuing IN the
rear OF the landing depot. They were
hustled down alairs into the yard in
the rear OF the landing depot aud then
conducted arr und toe west end OF the
building, and 81 on to the ferry slip,
where Tue fsrryboat John u. Carlisle
was Iyisg with steam up.
McEntime tue men 10 the main
building had been rushed out and
down the main double stairway at the
west end 10 the boat.
surgeon j. ii. White and Assistan t
Surgeons White aud Gideon had been
aroused by this time and they ut once
began to remove the forty patients 10
the hospital. 1t was ie-n al Q glance
that tue big main building was
doomes, and II required quick work
10 carry out the hell iess sick De ore the
blisterlng heat prevented ap approach
10 the hospital building. Doctors,
nurses anu attenda Is heipeu in the
work. Miss A. Boltz, one Of the
nurses, carried out Jour OF the children
herself. Once outside The people carry
ing cots rushed al u quick uot across
~ o 10, ..i..
ping till the patients were landed On
board the boat.
In this way oil Of the forty sick
people were carried into the large caoin
on the Carlisle. Meantime some OF the
emiIranls who had escaped from The
main builuipg had become anxious
ab-ut their baggage, and uespite the
lac, that the vast building was last be.
ing encO mpassed by tue flames, rushed
lack to save IT.
In all the known languages they in.
Hisled that their all was contained la
the boxes and bundles which they had
bIoughs over. Captain Burke and his
men mad 10 ieiriy fight them back on
the boat. They wept anu wrupg their
hands when they found it was imposs,.
BILE to save their property.
The fire ny this time mad the entire
main building In Its embrace AID the
flames illuminated tue whole harbor,
nghting up the entire lower end OF the
New York as plainly as day. Jersey
city and Brooklyn were thrown into
bold relief by ths fiames, which licked
nnd cratkled around the cornioes AUD
shriveied up the great corrugated iron
Iooiot The I'm mig rant uiiding. Lighted
by tnis glare, with the paint bIIatsrinH
from her sides, the Carlisle steamed
ut OF the long slip into the upper bay
sue had been preceded but a few
minutes earlier by the TRANSFER
steamers EmmonP, Hazel Kirke and
Jvhn Il. More, with three OF the big
Immigrant barges. The battery IN
THIS city was crowded by thousands,
who were attracted thither by the
lurid eky aud tue piers along The
Jersey CITY anu Brooklyn water from
contained throngs OF spt clators specu'
lating as to the possible loss OF lie
Every vessel in the harbor could be
teen plaiul Is; even from Fl. Hsmilton
and Staten Island, the burning was
watched aud could be plainly seen,
The wind was from the west aud this
prevented the flames from immediate.
Iy igniting the small buildings in the
rear OF the main depot. Chief Engi.
nter James +. Bacon and EnglnesI
Kelly, who Were in charge Of the
Dynamo, and engine house on the
island, started the pumps and kept two
streams OF water steauily pouring on
the hospital building.
In the meantime two sections from
pier A. hau reached the Island in the
police laul ches aud the fire boat New
Yorker had alsv steamed over TO this
island and all the streams from bel
heaviest pumps were turned on lht
fire.
At2 O'Clock the flames were undeI
coHtrUi; the big station, the hospital
the Laundry, doctors houses and 0
number OF small outbuildings were IL
ashes. The engine htuse was the only
building OF Importance on the islau,
which escaped OBSTRUCTION. Whel
the ferryboat Carlisle reached th'
barge office landing in this city tnil
morning smbuiancss from GsuvernenI
ana Hudson strsot Hospital met th'
boat aud patients from the Ellis ISLAM
hospital were divideds between th'
two institutions.
AT THE SCENE OF DEsTRUCTIos.
New YORK, June To- Ellis islam
touay Ia a mass oil smouluering ruin
The huge buildings which since $50
have housed hundreds OF Thousands Y