The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-15
BLAZE ON ELLIS ISLAND.
The Government Immigrant station
Burned But no Lives Lost.

burned But no Lives Lost.
New York, June Is. $50 a. m.-The
United States government migrant sta
ton on Ellis Island, in New York harbor,
was destroyed by fire this morning, but
probably with no loss of life. The fire
was first seen this morning at 1888 o'clock
by the lookout from the harbor police sta
ton. He noticed a flame about as large
as a mans hand coming from a window on
the second floor, towards the east end. The
fire spread rapidly. At 1:O5 o'clock the
caves along the roof began to fall, setting
fire to the wooden piers and docks on either
side.
At 1:12 o'clock the whole island was
mass Of flames, Illuminating the entire in
ner harbor. and the lower part of New
York city.
As quickly as possible two sections of
police, twenty men, and the police patrol
launches were sent to the island.
An alarm was Immediately sent 10 the
lower precinct police stations of the city,
and twenty-five men were ordered to the
scene. The fire boat New York was soon
under headway, with flremen, policemen
and others. The fire boat sophar Mills
was sent to the island as quickly as she
could be made ready Later many per-
sons went over in tugs and row boats.
The end of the building In which fire
started was used for sleeping, cooking and
eating by the immigrants. The detention
pen, In which there are always a consid-
aro - a
for investigation, was soon consumed.
Ellis Island was formerly government
storage station for powder and shells 1t
contains about fourteen acres of ground,
which is being constantly increased. This
acquisition Of territory is comparatively
easy, as the water is very shallow around
the island.
Besides the buildings mentioned
there are a hospital offices Of
commissioners, laundry. a dis
injecting department and great
cistern, in which are stored large quanti-
ties of rain water gathered from the spa
cious roofs of the buildings. The physi-
clans and minor officials live in detached
smaller buildings
1t is presumed at this hour that these
and all the other buildings on the island
will be destroyed. The valuable records
are undoubtedly destroyed.
Two hundred immigrants were safely
transferred from the island to the barge
office at the Battery, leaving no one on
the island, except few attendants.
The ferry boat John G. Carlisle which
plies between the Battery and Ellis ISL
and, arrived at 1870 o'clock this morning
from the island with seventy-hve men
and forty-six woaneh. Twenty women
were sick, one Of them suffering from
typhoid fever. and said to be in a serious
condition. With the party were also the
doctors and nurses. Before the ferry boat
Carlisle arrived ambulances had been
summoned from the Gouverneur and Hud-
son street hospitals, so that the sick
brought to the city could be cared for
DR.. White said that so far as he knew no
one had been burned or injured. He said,
however that there were many of the i'm
migrants who refused to leave the ISL
and. All about there were ferry boats
tugs and small boats, willing to bring the
people to the city but the immigrants, in
their excitement, feared to venture on
the water.
The buildings on Ellis Island were sim
ply vast wooden sheds of the most inflam-
mable material. The main building was
404x1A feet and three stories high. 1t was
constructed entirely of pine. The first
floor was devoted to the baggage room,
the custom house offices, the pens of the
immigrants and the offices Of the express
men. The second floor was occupied by
immigrants. 1t was a vast open space,
divided into pens by picket fences The
third floor was a gallery, from which the
crowds below could be inspected without
coming in contact with the inspectors.