The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-05-14
n Bid FIRE ON SH|PBOARD
Sixteen Burned to Death on
Steamship Leona.
THIRTEEN WE'RE IN sTEERAeE
Vessel, Bound From New York to
Galveston, Was Of Delaware Capes
When Flames Were Discovered.

Galveston, Was Of Delaware Capes
When Flames Were Discovered.
New York, May 1.-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 on board.
The dead were thirteen steerage pas
sengers and three members Of 5h9 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, al
though frantic efforts were made by
the officers of the vessel to save them,
the fire had gained such headway before
the danger was discovered that all es-
cape was cut off.
The steamer carried in her cargo
many bales of cotton. 1t is not GER
tain how the fire originated, but when
discovered it burst forth with such fury
that it was impossible to reach the
steerage. Even then the steerage pas
sengers were apparently unmindful of
the danger, else the smoke and flames
had reached them. The saloon passen-
gers were fist reused, 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 ventilators, and the
most frantic efforts were made to aid
the escape of those penned up. In this
way eight steerage passengers made
their escape. The dead are:
Bridget Sullivan, R. Catine, Mrs. C.
Guzza, Miss Guzza, Miss Hannah Solo,
manson, Mrs. Valicks, Miss Valicks,
Sophie Schwartz, Maria Wades, two un-
known children, two unidentified; Al.
fred Hardy, waiter, New York; Alfred
Lang, waiter, New York; III. Hartman,
butcher, New York.
The steamer left here Saturday at 3
p. m. She had eleven saloon passen-
gers and carried general cargo of mer-
chandise. Captain Wilder was in COM
mand, with First Mate Wallace and
Second Mate Sweeney assisting. The
engineer was Taylor, with three assist
ants, and crew of seventy five men,
including firemen and deckhands.
THE SHIP FRANCIS BURNED.
Fire Discovered While or the New
Jersey Coast-Crew Saved.
Beach Haven, N. j., May 1.-THE
full-rigged ship Francis, of New Bed
ford, from San Francisco for New York
with general cargo, caught fire in her
hold while off this coast yesterday
afternoon. She was headed for the
beach, where she struck last night.
Her captain and crew were safely landed
by the Little Egg Harbor lifesaving
crew. The vessel was burned to the
waters edge, and the cargo will prove
a total loss.
The fire was first discovered at 4 P.
M. and was burning iercely in the hold.
All hands were ordered on deck, and
the pumps manned to extinguish the
flames, but they had gained too much
headway, and it was as much as the
men could do to prevent the fire spread
ing SO rapidly as to necessitate their
taking to the boats.s
The captain saw that his only hope
lay in reaching shore, where he could
possibly have chance of saving the
ship and part of the cargo. With this
end in view, he headed the Francis to-
ward the beach, while the crew kept
pouring water in the hold. 1t was we'll
after dark, and the position of the men
on board was perilous. With her bow
pointed we'll on shore, the ship struck
hard and fast. Meanwhile, the fire
was raging even more furiously than
before, and all hands were forced to
leave with nothing but the clothes on
their backs. They were assisted in
reaching shore by the life guards, and
were supplied with needed clothing
and nourishment.
Today, the tugs Merritt and North
America arrived, and endeavored to
put out the fire. They were unable to
accomplish anything, and finally gave
it up. The captain and mate left on
one of the tugs for New York, and the
crew will go by train.