The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-10

cutting off all exit from the steerage
to the afterpart of the ship. The
only way out from the steerage was up
the forward companion way.
The crew, on the captains orders,
rushed for the companionway and at
tempted to descend. They were driven
back by smoke and flames quickly fol-
lowed. The smoke and fame also came
up through the ventilators and it was
apparent to all who We're on deck that
below decks was roaring furnace.
Then it dawned on the officers and crew
that the unfOrtunateS in the steerage
We're probably burning to death. Capt.
Wilder saw his crew driven back from
the companionway and the realization
OF the horror below made him desperate.
He rushed to the stairs and boldly at
tempted to go below. He did not get
down more than half dozen steps
when the smoke and flames shot up
around him and drove him back on
deck. He stepped back to the shelter
of the pilot house. His face was
scorched, his eyebrows burned away,
and he stood there daZed and overcome
for a moment. Then he exclaimed: My
God, no man can go through that and
come out alive
"When the steward aroused me L
jumped up hastily and dressed. The
| captain was just coming out of the
to go below. I stood by and tried to
look down the hole. but the heat and
smoke were so great that l was driven
back, and the thought came over me,
like it had over the captain and crew,
that there were helpless people down
below who were probably burning to
DEATH l listened for sounds, but could
| hear nothing save the roar of the flames
as they grew steadily in volume be-
| low and rolled round and round in the
| narrow quarters There was not
scream, not Shrek, no signs of life
! below
"On deck there was only the hoarse
shouts of the captain and the hurry
and hustle of the crew as they rushed
| about laying lines of hose and pouring
| streams of water down the companion-
! way and through the open ventilators
"On1y slight wind was blowing from
| the southwark that carried the volumes
I of smoke aft over the full length of the
! ship and enveloped her in a shroud of
choking black, until the captain gave
orders to change the course completely,
Sc that the smoke would be blown over
the bow The speed of the ship was first
slackened. then the order was given to
keep up bare steerageway. I stood in
the lee of the pilot house, watching the
officers and crew making futile efforts
to reach the steerage.
'The horror of the situation was at
first paralyzing. 1t seemed as though
the men and women whom I had seen
go into the steerage the day before
were being cremated beneath my feet
The deck was getting blistering hot
! The flames began creeping higher and
higher through every outlet from be-
meath the deck. The pouring of water
| down the companionway and through
| the ventilators had no effect save to
send up the smoke in great puffs and
f! cause angry spurts of fire to dart
nenacingly into the faces of he crew."
| when the news of the fire reached
| the lower depths Of the ship, where
| the stokers were feeding the Boilers,
they deserted their posts and rushed
to the deck, ten of them in all. They
clambered into the second boat on the
port side and began cutting it away,
First officer Wallace and Chief Engi-
neer Taylor were after them in a mo-
ment.
Get out of that boatr thundered
Wallace.
"The stoSers refused to obey ana
went on cutting away the lashings
of the boat.
| Taylor, reaching for his revolver; 1
will shoot the man who cuts away the
| boat.
1.-The Spaniards looked at the chief
! engineer, and then sullenly obeyed
During the excitement of the first
hour we did not know that any one had
gotten out of the steerage alive, but
later we found in the cabin that eight
Of them had managed to get out. Their
! hunks had been nearest to the COM
! panionway and they had been awaken
ed by the part of the crew rushing out
of the forecaste. 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 envelored him. Capt.
Wilder ordered signal lights of distress
burned. and in a very few minutes
there flashed up in the darkness far
to the north, an answering signal. 1t
ca ne from the City of Augusta, Of
the Savannah line, which came along
side about daybreak.
'In the meanwhile the deck forward
Of the pilot house was burned away.
leaving the iron crossbeams bare and
red bot The iron plating of the ships
side glowed red hot"
The passengers We're all transferred
to the City of Augusta In safety and
the work of fighting the fire was con-
tinued About 4 o'clock in the morn
ing the flames were under control and
the steamer out of danger The pas
sengers were sent back to the Leona,
| and the City of Augusta continued on
her way to Savannah. The Leona put
about and returned to port under her
own steam.