The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-19
A FLOATING FURNACE.
MALLORY LINE STEAMSHIP LEONA
ABLAZE.

MALLORY LINE STEAMSHIP LEoNA
ABLAZE.
Sixteen Lives Lost-steerage Passengers
Burned Like Gage Rats-A Passengers
Grape Story of the Fire.
The Mallory line steamer Leona,
which left her pier in New York on
Saturday bound for Galveston, took
fire at sea, put back, and arrived in
port Sun day night with 16 corpses on
board. The dead were 13 steerage
passengers and three members of the
crew, who succumbed to terrible
fire at all early hour this morning.
Those who are dead we're panned up
below decks, and although frantic eff
forts were made by the officers of the
vessel to save them, the fire had
gained such terrific 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 certain how the fire originated,
but when it was discovered, it burst
forth with such fury that it was i'm
possible to reach the steerage. Even
the steerage passengers apparently
were unmindful of the danger, else
the smoke and flames had not reached
them. Among the passengers was
s. V. Winslow of Rutherford, N j.
On his return to the city Mr.. Winslow
told the following graphic story of the
ire:"We left the pier at 8 o'clock yes.
terday afternoon with clear skies and
beautiful weather. We were making
excellent time, the chief engineer con
glatulating. himself that all was well
and even making the remark to one
of his assistants that he did not believe
so good luck could continue, for the
trip had started under such 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 the passengers were in bed:
The passengers in the Storage had
also retired to their hunks. The watch
going off at IL o'clock reported every.
thing well. The sea was very smooth
and the moon was shining brightly.
First Mate Wallace was pacing the
bridge about 2 a, M, when be thought
he smelled smoke coming from the
forecastle. He went forward to the
companion way and opened the door
to the steersge. The moment he did
so there was a burst of flame which
burned his face. Wallace turned and
ran on deck and carried the alarm of
fire to the forward watch telling him
to wake the steward and nave all the
passengers aroused as quickly as pos
sible without creating any excitement,
The steward did this in a quiet man,
ner, going to each stateroom and wax
ing the occupants. He said in calm
tones that there was slight fire in
the forward part OF the ship and 1t
might be advisable for the passengers
to gel their things together. 1t might
be possible, he added, that the ship
would eventually have to be aban-
doned. There was no excitement
among the saloon passengers, most OF
them packed their luggage and car
ried it from their staterooms into the
main saloon. They gathered in the
main stateroom and remained there,
and after the officers had assured them
that there was no immediate danger,
they took the matter quietly. The
steward made frequent trips forward
and came back with reports 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.
Captain Wilder rushed on deck at
the first alarm clad only in an under
shirt and trousers. He assumed COM
mand at once, ordsred the crew to res
cue the steersge passengers. On the
same deck with the steerage on the
port side of the ship, a large quantity
of cotton bagging was stored, separat
ed from the steeraae passengers by a
board partition. The main deck was
almost completely filled with freight,
cutting off all exit from the steerage
to the after part of the ship The only
way out from the stee-age was up the
for ward companion way. The crew
on the captains orders, rushed for the
companionway and attempted to de-
scend. They were driven back by
dense volumes of smoke, and flames
quickly followed. The smoke and
flames also came up through the ven.
tilators and it was apparent to all who
were on deck that below decks was a
roaring furnace. Then it da wned on
the officers and crew that the unfor'
tunates in the steersge we're probably
burning to death. Capt. Wilder saw
his crew driven hack from the com
panion way and the realization of the
horror below made him desperate.
HE rushed to the stairs and boldly
attempted to 60 below. He did not
get down more than half g. dozen steps
when the increasing clouds of smoke
and the flames shooting up around
him drove him back or deck. He
stepped back to the shelter of the pi'
lot house: His face was scorched
His eyebrows were burned away. He
stood there dazed and overcome for a
moment. Then he exclaimed: My
God, no man can 60 throug gh that and
come out alive When the steward
aroused me I jumped up hastily and
dressed. I ram forward to see how
eytensiva the fire WAS. The captaiu
was Just coming out of the c2mpan
ionway after his fruitless effort to GO
below. I stood by and tried to look
down the hole, but the heat and
sro Ola 1rara 60 oraat thara / Vas driQ: