Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-05-13
DEATHS AWFULFORM
COMES ToiMPRISONED PASSEN.
GERS At SEA.
sixteen Die in Flam mes ON the Mallory
Liner Leona-Ill- Fated Boat Reaches
New York Harbor with Her CHASTITY
Cargo.
Crem a ted on the Sea.


The Mallory line steamer Leona, which
left her pier at New York on Saturday,
bound for Galveston, took fire at sea, put
back and arrived in port Sunday night
with sixteen corpses on board. The dead
were thirteen steerage passengers and
three members of the crew, who suc-
cumbed to terrible fire which occurred
off the Delaware capes at an early hour
Sunday morning.
The horror Of the story can hardly be
told Those who are dead We're penned
up below decks, and although frantic
efforts were made by the officers of the
vessel to save them, the fire had gained
such terrible Roadway before the danger
was discovered that all escape was cut
off The steamer carried in her cargo
many bales of cotton. When the fire was
discovered it burst forth with such fury
that it was impossible to reach the steer
age. The saloon passengers were first
aroused and in such a manner as to oc-
cason little alarm. When it became ap-
parent that the fire had cut off the steer
age 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 nine of the steerage passengers
made their escape.
S. V. Winslow. Of Rutherford. n. j.,
a survivor. told the following graphic
story of the fire:
First Mate Wallace was pacing the
bridge about a. M, when he thought
that he smelled smoke. He went down
the forward to the companion way and
opened the door. There was a burst of
fame. which burned his face.
wallace cried the alarm of fire to the
forward watch, telling him to wake the
steward and have all the passengers
aroused as quickly as possible, without
creating any excitement.
Warns the Passengers.
1.-THE steward said in calm tones that
there was slight fire in the forward part
of the ship, and it might be advisable for
the passengers to get their things to-
gether 1t might be possible, he added,
that the ship would eventually have to be
abandoned.
There was no excitement among the
saloon passengers. The steward made
frequent trips forward. and came back
with reports of the progress of the flames.
lie 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 the peril.
Capt Wilder at once ordered the crew
to rescue the Storage passengers. On
the same deck with the steerage on the
port side Of the ship, large quantity of
cotton tagging was stored. separated from
the steerage passengers by board parti-
ton.
'The main deck was almost completely
filed with freight, cutting off all exit
from the Storage to the afterpart of the
ship. The only way out from the steer
age was up the forward companionway
Try to Save Those in the Storage.
The crew attempted to descend. They
We're driven back by dense volumes Of
smoke and flames. The smoke and flames
also came up through the ventilators. and
it was apparent to all who were on deck
that below decks was a roaring furnace.
When the steward aroused me
jumped up hastily and dressed. l ran
forward to see how extensive the fire was
The captain was just coming out of the
companonway after his fruitless effort
to go below.
when looked down into that horrible
hole the thought came over me like it had
over the captain and the crew that there
We're helpless people down below who
We're probably burning to death.
Suckers Desert Their Posts.
when the news of the fire reached the
lower depths of the ship, where the stok-
ers were feeding the boilers, they desert
ed their posts and rushed to the deck,
q ~ ;,, oil <,lu
ed into the second boat on the port side
and began cutting it away. First Officer
Wallace and Chief Engineer Taylor were
after them in moment.
Get out of that boat Numbered Wal
lace.
1.-THE stokers refused to obey and went
on cutting away the lashings of the boat.
"'Come out of that boat re-echoed
Taylor. Then he reached for his revolt
yer. i will shoot the man who cuts away
the boat
THE Spaniards looked at the chief en-
gineer and then sullenly obeyed.
Nine Make Their Escape.
During the excitement of the first
hour we did not know that anyone had
gotten out of the steerage alive, but later
we found in the cabin that nine of them
had managed to get out. Their hunks had
been nearest to the companionway, and
they had been awakened by the part of
the crew rushing out of the forecastle.
The FIRE crept up through cracks about
the pilot-house and then into the house
itself The quartermaster stuck to the
wheel until the flames almost enveloped
him.
Captain Wilder ordered signal lights
of distress burned, and in very few
minutes there flashed up in the darkness
far to the north an answering signal. II
came from the City of Augusta of the
Savannah line, which came alongside
about daybreak."
1.-THE passengers were all transferred tc
the City of Augusta in safety and the
work Of fighting the fire was continued
About 8 o'clock in the morning the flames
were under control and the steamer out Of
danger. The passengers were sent bach
10 the Leona and the City of Augusta con
tinued on her way to Savannah. Ths
Leona put about and returned to port un
der her own steam"