Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1897-05-15
PENNED BELOW DECKS
SIXTEEN STEERAGE PASSENGERS
ARE ROASTED ALIVE.
Raging Furnace of Blazing Cotton in
Steamer Off the Delaware
Capes-Sixteen Dead.

New York, May 1O.-The Mallory steam
ship liner Leone, which left her pier on
Saturday for Galveston, took fire at sea
and has returned with 16 corpses on
board. The dead were Is steerage pas
sengers and three members of the crew.
who succumbed to the terrible fire which
occurred off the Delaware capes at an
carly hour this morning. The horror of
the story can hardly be told tonight.
Those who are dead We're penned up be-
low decks and although frantic efforts
We're made by the officers of the vessel
TO save them, the fire had gained such
terrible 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 it was dis
covered it burst forth with such fury that
IL was impossible to reach the steerage
Even then the steerage passengers APP
parently We're unmindful of the danger
else the smoke and flames had not reach
ed them.
The saloon passengers were first arous-
ed in such a manner as to occasion little
alarm. When it became apparent that
the fire had cut off the steerge. the cap
tain and men poured great quantities Of
water down the ventilators and the most
lIdHllC o1IOrlS were maze Tor the escape
of those penned up.
There was no excitement among the
saloon passengers. Most of them packed
their luggage and carried it from their
state rooms into 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
cn- h1c viii rtC of of 10
flames. He said the fire was confined
below the decks, and as the flames did
not rise very high, the passengers did
not fully realize the extent of their peril.
THE crew, on the captains orders,
rushed for the companionway and at
tempted to descend. They We're driven
back by dense volumes of smoke, and
flames quickly followed. Smoke and
flames also came up through the ventila-
tors, and it was apparent to all who were
on deck that below decks was a roaring
furnace.
SteeraSe Passengers Burned.
'Then it daWned on officers and crew
that the unfortunate steerage passengers
were burning to death. Captain Wilder
saw his crew driven back from the COM
panionway, and a realization of the hor-
ror made him desperate. He rushed to
the stairs and boldly attempted to go be-
low He did not get down more than half
VI
smoke and flames shooting up around him
drove him back on deck He stepped back
to the shelter of the pilot house. His face
was scorched; his eyebrows We're burned
off. He stood there dazed and overcome
for a moment, then he exclaimed: My
God! no man can go through that ana
come out alive
StOl<crs in Il Panic.
when news of the fire reached the low
er depths of the ship where the stokerS
We're feeding the boilers, they deserted
their posts and rushed to the deck Il
of them III ALL They clambeied in,o tS1e
second boat on the port side and began
cutting it away. First Officer Wallace
and Chief Engineer Taylor were after
them in a moment.
"'Get out of that boat thundered Wal
lace.
'"The stokers refused to obey, and Went
on cutting away the lashing of the boat.
Come out of that boat reiterated
Taylor, reaching forward with his hanc
for his revolver I will shoot the man
who cuts away the boat
THE Spaniards looked at the chief en-
gineer, and then sullenly obeyed.
Assistance Came.
The quartermaster stuck to the wheel,
the flames almost enveloping him. Cap
tain Wilder ordered signal lights of dis
tress burned and in a very few minutes
there flashed up on the darkness to the
north an answering signal. 1t came from
the City of Augusta of the Savannah
line, which came alongside about day
break In the meantime the deck for
ward of the pilot house burned away.
leaving the iron cross beams bare and
red hot The iron plating of the ships
side glowed red hot. The passengers
were all transferred to the City OF Au-
gusta, and the work of fighting the tire
was continued About 9 o'clock in the
morning the flames were under control,
and the steamer out of danger. The
passengers were then transferred to the
Leone and the City of Augusta passed
on her way. The Leone returned to her
dock