The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-10
SuffOCat6d in Their B6rthS Before Thou COud B5
Reached filter the Flames Were
Discovered.
TIE SHIP WIS Fl ROHRING FUREHOE
Whsn Port OF Safety Was Finally Reached
Passengers Give Graphic ACCOUNTS
OF the Holocaust

NEW YORK, May 9.-The Mallory
line steamer Leona, which left her pier
on Saturday, bound for Galveston, took
fire at sea, put back and arrived in
port tonight with sixteen corpses OIL
beard. The dead were thirteen steer
age passengers and three members OF
the crew, who succumbed to terrible
fire which occurred off the Delaware
Capes 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 efforts were made by the officers
Of the vessel to save them, the fire had
ger was discovered that all escape was
cut off.
The steamer carried in her cargo
many bales Of bagging.It is not certain
how the fire originated, but when it
was discovered it burst forth with such
fury that it was impossible to reach
C..
passengers, apparently, were unmind-
full Of the danger, else the smoke and
flames had not reached them. The sa-
loon passengers were first aroused and
in such a manner as to occasion little
alarm. When it became apparent that
the fire had cut off the steerage, the
captain and his men poured great
quantities Of water down the ventilator,
and the most frantic efforts were made
for the escape of those penned up. In
this way eight Of the steerage pas
sengers made their escape. The dead
are:
STEERAGE PASSENGERS
BRIDGET SULLIVAN.
r. CATINE.
MRS. C. GUZZA.
MISS GUZZA.
MISS HANNAH SOLOMANSON.
MRS. VALLEICkS.
MISS VALLEICKS.
SOPHIE SCHWARTZ.
MARIA WADES.
TWO UNKNOWN CHILDREN.
TWO UNIDENTIFIED.
THE CREW.
ALFRED HARDY, waiter fortyone years
old New YORK.
ALFRED LANG, waiter, nineteen years oio'
New York.
years old, New York.
The Mallory line steamer Leona LETT
her pier Saturday at p. M, bound
for Galveston, with eleven saloon pas
sengers. She carried a general cargo
of merchandise. Capt. Wilder was IN
command, with First Mate Wallace
and Second Mate Sweeney assisting.
The chief engineer was Taylor, with
! three assistants, and a crew of about
seventy-five men, including firemen
and deck hands.
Among the passengers were 5. V.
Winslow, of Rutherford, N. j. On his
return to this city late tonight, MI.
Winslow told the following graphic
story of the fire:
1--WE left the pier at 8 o'clock yes
terday afternoon with clear skies ana
beautiful weather. We passed through
making excellent time, the chief engin-
eer congratulating himself that all was
| we'll. and even making the remarks to
| one of his assistants that he could not
| believe this good luck could continue.
IOT The lIlp lletu Sleil ICeN uAiNNA SN>,'
| favorable auspices.
| "Sandy Hook was passed and the
lights of the Jersey shore were still
visible when we went to bed by the
| time we passed Barnegat Light, at 10
| o'clock, all the passengers were in bed.
| The watch going off at II o'clock re-
ported everything well. There was no
suspicion of any fire or other trouble
First Mate Wallace was pacing the
q
| that he smelled smoke coming from the
forecastle. He went down the forward
| hatch to the companionway and opened
! the door of the steerage. The moment
| he did this there was purSt OF name
which burned his face Wallace turned
| and ran on deck and cried the alarm OF
! fire to the forward watch, telling him
| to wake the steward and have all the
passengers aroused as quickly as pos
| sible without creating any excitement.
| The steward did this in a quiet manner.
going to each stateroom and waking
| the occupants. He said in calm tones
that there was slight fire in the for
ward part of the ship, and 1t might be
advisable for the passengers to get
their things together. 1t might be poss1-
BILE, he added, that the ship would
eventually have to be abandoned.
"rThere was no excitement among the
saloon passengers. Most OF them
packed their luggage and carried it
from their state rooms into the mann
saloon. They gathered in the saloon
and remained there. and after the ofti-
GERS had assured them that there was
no immediate danger they took matters
quietly. The steward made frequent
trips forward and came back with re-
ports of the progress of the flames
He said that the fire was confined
below decks. and, as the flames did
not rise very high, the passengers did
not fully realize the extent OF their
peril.
capt Wilder rushed on deck at the
first alarm, clad only in an undershirt
and trousers. He assumed command
and at once ordered the crew to rescue
the steerage passengers. On the same
deck. with the steerage, on the port
side of the ship, a large quantity 3f
cotton bagging was stored, separated
from the steeragel passengers by a
board partition. The main deck was
almost completely filed with freight,