Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-10-13
1.-The Weehawken Burned OF
\ the City of Wilmington.
AWlLL PROBABLY Be A TOTAL LOSS
Vessel Valued at $3oO,oOo; the
Cargo, at $4,000. .


APnhWken was proceeding OUT on Inc
sDelaware River, with a cargo Of oil, a
\ fire started in the hold, about o'clock
n Monday, morning, Just as the hoat had
passed Edge Moor, and she was beaohed
off this city, opposite Fourth street,
and allowed to burn, as there was no
4 possible means of checking the flames.
n The boat, which is valued at $500, 900,
I and the cargo, which is worth some
N thing like $4,000 will, in all proba-
billy, be a total loss.
\ The Weehawken, which is owned by
Nthe Weehawken Steamship Co., Linn
lHted, and chartered by the Anglo
American Oil Co., (the Stan
dard Oil Co.. on Saturday took
yon cargo of 100000 gallons of re-
filmed petroleum, at Point Breeze, Phil
iadelphia, and, after coaling, left the
II Ilwharyes there about 6 O'Clock last even
ling for Venice, to which place the cargo
Twas consigned. When she reached
vi Marcus Hook she anchored for the
N NInight. Shortly after 4 O'Clock this
morning she resumed her outward jour
d|ney Everything was all right at the
thine and the indications We're that an
luneventful voyage was in store for the
IIbig boat.
MI AZ about 5 o'clock, just after the
boat had reached Cherry Island flats,
and while following the channel, as
indicated by tho range lights, she
lscraped on the bottom, evidently touch
N ing bar. She got off without diff
Nculty, however, and 1t was not known
~ that any damage had been sustained
until few minutes afterward, when
III W. Arthur Richards, third engineer,
N who was in the engine room, ran up on
deck and reported to Hubert Coghlan,
}chief officer, who was on the bridge at
the time and directing the movements
kpf the boat, that the bulkheads aft had
been strained by the scraping on the
potion and that oil was pouring into
he stoke hole and had caught fire.
IN Coghlan at once ordered the boat
beached and the pilot headed for. the
Delaware shore and ran as far in as
I POSSIBLE. The tide was running up at
Fhe time and as it was high, tho boat
| Twas run in to within about 400 yards
! Hof shore. There was no timo for any
bthing else, and while this was being
tdone two lifehoats were being put in
4, shape and the crew'of So men were soon
L safe in them. Some of the members Of
| the crew We're asleep at the time, but
there was no unnecessary excitement
and they We're quietly awakened and
lapprised of the danger. None of the
men were able, however, to carry any
thing valuable with them and nothing
was taken off the big tanker except her
III papers and the clothes the men wore.
n The members of the crew were glad to
get away with their lives, as the flames
4 spread rapidly and in an incredibly
u short space of time all of the boat aft
Moi the engine room was like Il seething
Murnace.
4 After the members of the crew had
become settled in the lifeboats they
remained as close to tho burning
ship as long as possible, but Just
as it was about to become too hot for
them and they were compelled to stand
off some distance on account OF the
heat and from fear of an explosion,
they were picked up by the lighthouse
tender Zizania, which was coming
from the Winter Quarter Shoals off the
Virginia shore to Wilmington for sup
plies Capt. @. W. Atkins of the Il
zania was on deck when he noticed the
steamer being on fire, and, realizing
+, that there was danger for the members
Iof the crew, gave orders for his boat to
Igo to their assistance. He was about
1.-TWO miles from the burning boat when
lhe discovered the fire and it was a
pnatter of only few minutes when he
twas alongside and had the members of
IIthe crew of the tanker safely aboard
the government boat.
IN Capt. John Casey of the tanker and
all Of the members of the crew, with
the exception OF five men, were brought
IN to this city on the Zizania. The
Ia five men who We're left, with Second
III Officer Arthur E. Pickett in charge,
remained, and with one of the small
boats kept guard over the burning
craft, SO as to watch her and do any
N thing which might be possible to pro-
tect the interests of the owners.
N Dredgers were at work on the flats in
the vicinity and they allowed the men
II who were left to watch to make tenn
porary quarters on their scows and
4 tugs, and from those bouts iheJ could
watch the progress of the fire ard see
everything that was going on.
The officers and mombers, of the crew
N who were brought to THIS city were
"A landed ut the wharves of the Pusey &
M Zones Co., about O'Clock and immc-
II diately the captain tclegraphed to the
IN agents in Philadelphia, giving full par
[ ticulars. The men were very grateful
n to Capt Atkins and the crew of the
VI Zizania for their quick and efficient
n work in. rendering assistance. Capt.
II Atkins has kindly permitted thempto
can make arrangements to ship on
| some other boat, which some of them
\ will probably be able to do in day or
K 30.
\ Most Of the members of the crew OF
the Inflated boat are foreigners, sew
h eral having shipped at Plymouth, Eng
h land, and as representative of Every
IN Evening was Investigating the catas-
trophe, one of the men made the re-
quest that it be made public that all
of the men who had shipped from
\ Plymouth were safe. He said that
some of the men had families there and
they would like to have it known as
soon us possible that they had escaped
danger, as they knew the news of the
disaster would spread rapidly and
would soon be known by their people at
home. As matter of fact, all of the
men are safe and their relatives need
feel no alarm
The crew had scarcely abandoned the
boat before the flames began to shoot
out of the stack and in very short
/ time tongues OF fire could be seen com
ing through the deck about. the stack,
while from distance the boat ap-
peared like mass Of smoke. For some