The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-09
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BURNED At SEA.
Clyde Line Steamer Del
aware Destroyed Off
Barnegat.
ALL HER PEOPLE SAVED
Goodness and Discipline
Which Contrast With
French Cowardice and
Incompetence.
LIFE BOATS BRING HELP
But Every Soul Had Already
Been Taken From the
Doomed Vessel.
LIFE BOATS BRING HELP

NEW YORK. July 9. 1sss.-The Clyde
line steamer Delaware left her rier No.
20. East River, this city, yesterday after
noon, bound for Charleston and Jack
sonville. She had on board % passengers,
a crew of 80 men and a cargo of general
merchandise consisting largely of sup
plies for troops in various southern ports.
She was sighted from the life-saving
station at Cedar Creek, N. T., late lass
night sending up signal rockets for as
sistance, and soon afterwards flames
We're seen leaping from her deck. Word
reached the city early this morning that
she had been beached off Barnegat and
abandoned, and that the passengers and
crew had all been saved
Later however, it was reported that
the vessel, with clouds of smoke rising
from her. was drifting off shore.
So soon as it became evident that she
steamer was in distress-some time about
ten oclock-the lifeboat was run out from
the Cedar Creek station. the crew being
still on duty there, and the boats from
the other life-saving stations in the
vicinity and number Of fishermen's also
put out to the rescue. The steamer was
lying about two miles off shore when The
boats came up with her. The great need
of haste was fearfully evident to, the
rescuing crews as they approached within
seeing distance.
The arrival was in the nick Of time;
the passengers had been drivsn from the
steamer by flame and heat, and were
floating on the surface of calm sea- i'll
small boats. and on life RATS. The Cedar
Creek life boat was the first to arrive.
Some of the RATS were found to be dam
gercuslyS overloaded; and they were light
ened in haste until the life boat was full.
The fishing smack S. p. Miller, came lip
SION atterward, and took aboard the re5t
Of the endangered persons At this, time
one heat had disappeared In the darkness.
and some fear was felt for her safety.
The Miller cruised about in search of hes
without success for many hours; she was
finally found when daylight came.
At dawn the Luckenbach Towing Com
pany's tug Ocean King steamed up,
drawn to the spot by the appearance of
disaster. The passengers and some of
the crew were transferred to her. and
she continued on her voyage to this city
arriving at the Clyde Line pier %, East
River, at 1880 o'clock this morning
Mr. NJ H. Clyde announced positively
that no lives had been lost. Among the
passengers were John H. Mabie and his
son, Harold S. Mabie, of Haekensack. N
j. Mr. Mabe said
81 had retired at about a:45 on Friday
night and had barely disrobed when a
steward began hammering at the state
room door, yelling All up.
s'The members of the crew commenced
cutting holes in the saloon flooring with
axes and hatehets and from every hole
thus cut great flames burst forth and be-
gan consuming the cabin furniture. 1t
was apparent al a glance that the yes
sci was doomed. Preparations were quick
ly made for taking to the boats. The
transfer was made safely and without
plete discipline under which Captain IN
gram had his crew. No boat capsized, !,
neither man nor woman got wet and the
Incident was conducted in a manner most
praiseworthy to the officers and crew Of
the ship.
Thomas H. Wholoss. of Austin, Texas,
formerly connected with the State Less
iatuTc ana correspondent of the Gal-
weston News, gave graphic account Of
thc disaster. Said he;-
eWe were informed that the ship was
On Ere. just before ten o'clock This
WAS about ten miles off B5rnegat have
been unat.e to find out from any mem
bers of the crew whether the fire was the
result of combustion. Or carelessness on
The part of the crew. Whatever he cause
theSresult was most disastrous ana in its
detaiI remarkable, grand and awful.
There were three distinct, leuu, eN-
plosions and large number Of smaller
,5efonatfons. i have seen 8 great many