The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-10

[hs SteaTaEs'
NEW YORK. May 9,-Ths Mallory
Zine steamship Leona. bound from this
nd, for Galveston. put back arriving at
s.r dock about o'clock, almost COM
r,s,ely destroyed by FIRE. The Are made
so.A rapid headway that before the pas
,.pgers In the steeTaEe could be awaken
a Bthlr,esn Of them and three OF the crew
were suhocated and died.
The dead were thirteen steeraGe pas
..1gsrS and three members OF the crow
no 1locuu,bed TO terrible IRE which
o,,uyred on the Delaware capes az an
S,Tly hour this morning. The horror OF
~ story can hardly be told Tonight.
'bsse who arc dead were penned UP be-
i,v deck and although frantic Efforts
s..ra made by the officers OF the vessel 20
ave them, tho fire had gained such ter
81 Roadway before the danger was dis
sov.rpl that ell escape W'as cut on The
S,saner carried in her cargo many bales
- s,.ton. II was not certain how the
a.. ,-iFinated, but when Il was dtscOy-
s,e5 4 burst forth with such fury that Il
vas impossible 20 reach the steeraEe.
Even then the steeraSe passengers 0p-
1arently were unmiudful of the danger.
sise the smoke and flames had not reach
ed them. a..
aroused, and In such n manner as 20 oc-
casl0n htfie alarm. When Il became ap-
parent that the tiro had cut OF the steer
1Ee. che captain and his men poured
rTs.s quantities of water down the venti-
is,or and ttlo most frantic efforts were
,nsBs for the escape OF those penned up.
Ia thls way eight OF the steerlge pssSen-
gers made their escape.
The dead are:
s,eerage passengers: Bridget Sullivan,
r. Catlane, Mrs. c. GuzEa, Miss GuEzas
Mlss Hannah solomanEon, Mrs VAL
ciekn. Miss VLlciclls, Sophie Schwartz,
Maria WadeS, two unknown children.
Two unidentified.
me crew: Alfred Hardy. waiter. Il
Year, old, New York: Alfred Lang, wait
.r. 10 years old. New York; II. Hart.
mann, butcher. q years Old, New York.
APaissnEsr's story.
The Mallory line steamship Leona left
her pier Saturday at p. m. bound for
Galveston, with eleven saloon passcn-
GERS. She carried q general cargo of
merchandise. Captain Wilder was in
command. with first mate Wallace and
second mate Sweeny asziFtins. The
CHIEF engineer was Taylor. with three Hs-
s!s.ants and 4 crew OF about seventy
1--WE men. including fremeu and deck
hands.
Among the passengers were S. V. Win
slow, OF Rutherford. n. ]. on HE re-
turn 70 this city late tonight, Mr. Wins
low told the following graphic story OF
the Gre:
we let the pier at O'Clock yesterday
afternoon with clear skies and beautiful
weather. We passed through. making
excellent time, the chief engineer con-
graduating himself that all was wei.
and even making ;he remark 10 one OF his
assistants that he could not believe this
good luck could continue. for the trip had
started under such favorable auspices.
Sandy Hook was passed and the ughts
Of tho Jersey shore were stil! visible when
We went TO bed. BY the time we passed
BRrnegat light, at 10 o'clock all the pas
EenEers we're In bed. The passengers In
the steerage had also retired 10 their
hunks. The watch going of at Il O'clock
reported everything well and no susp!c-
ION Of any FIRE or other trouble. The sea
was very smooth, and there was no wind.
The moon was shining brightly,
First Mate Aaliace was pacing the
bridge about a m. when he thought
that ne snelled smoke coming from the
f1recaStle. He went down the forward
90 the companlonwRy and opened tho
door 20 the gteerage. The moment he did
thlB there was burst OF fame which
burned his face.
Wallace turned md ran on deck and
cried the alarm OF FIRE 10 the forward
watch. telling him TO wake the steward
and have nll the passengers aroused as
quickly as possible. without creating any
excitement. The steward did this in a
quiet manner, going 20 each EtateroOm
Unl waking the occupants
lie said In calm tones that there was
n slight fire In the forward part OF the
ship and It might be ndisl BILE FOR the
passengers 20 get their things toaHthcr.
II might be possible, he added, that the
Eh!p would have 20 be abandoned.
ATsTTibis sIluS'ion.
There was no excitement among the
snIoon passengers. Most ot them pack
el taeir luggage md carried It from
their Ftaterooms into the main saloon.
The galleries IN the saloon and the re-
mnlnIsr and those OF tho officers had
showed them there was no immcrIaie
danger, they took matters quietly.
The Etewurd made frequent trips
forward and then came back with re-
ports OF the progress Of the flames. He
said they were confined between decks
and Ms the flames dd not rise very
nigh the passengers dl1 not folly real
ize Che extent OF their peril
Captain wilder rushed on deck nt
the FIRST alarm. clad only In an under
SHIFT and trousers Re assumed com
mand at once and ordered the men 10
rescue the stnrrlgc passengers, on the
same deck with the RtcprnHe on the port
side large quantity Of cotton bdgglng
was stored, separated from the 6teerdgs
passengers by a board petition.
The mlln deck was almost complete
" filled with freight, cutting on all exit
from the steernEn 10 tho after part OF
tho ship. The only way out from the
Etcorago was up the forward cOmpan-
!On-wAy.
The crew. on the captains orders.
rushed f1r tho companion and 10
doE0ud. They were driven back by the
dense volumes ot smoke. and flames,
quIckly followed. Tho smoke ana
flame also came through the vcntllator5
and II was apparent to an who were on
deck that between decks was IL roaring
furnace.
Then II dawned on tho oHleors ana
crew that the unfor;unltcs Ia the steor-
age were probably burning 10 death.
q - a ID.