Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-10-06
STEAMER lEOas BURNED.
Arrives in New York on Fire-Firemen Have
Narrow Escapes.

New York. Oct. 5-Coming up tn,
J Thursday afternoon, the Mallory Llncl
4 Lcnna. capt. Wilder. from Galveston
/ WARPED into pier No. 20
4 The speed with which she cafn.. IN
! the river was due to the fact that the
I snip was on iire from the main hatch
! forward to the bow The officers of tn.
: vessel ordered The crew to try to put
out the flames without calling the fir
/ department. This was found to d.
I impossible and an alarm was sent in
by $40 O'Clock 10 streams We're play
/ ing from the fire engines and six
streams from fire boats The trrmrn
had . hard time To- get at the flames.
az the boat came into her dock stern
foremost, leaving the burning portion
out In the water.
The cause of the fire is "A mystery.
Tho boat left Galveston. sept =. ana
made her eight days run without spec
ial incident. 1t was said by one 81
he passengers that three days ago the
matches had been battcned down and
Capt. Wildes said that this was owing
t. high seas. From that time the ship
had gone at full speed toward New
York The passenger said that on sew
eraI occasions he had detected smoke
and had not thought particularly
about it, as the captain said all was
Well
capt Wilder denies that the shin was
on fire at sea and says that the first
he knew NJ the fire was when tn
matches We're lifted, today. after arrival
in the harbor. The fire was at first
confined tn the forward hatchway. d.
ryctIy forward NJ the foremost. The
matches being lifted. q tremendous vol
une of smoke came ou,. making IL i'm
possible for the firemen 70 see. Soon
tons Of water We're pouring into the
vessel and the ship began to list 10
starboard. settling a little Us she ala
50. At o'clock. about ~ flremen. with
the chief ana deputy chief. were IN the
boat working might and main to keep
he fire from spreading toward tn
stern.
It Was found 10 he beyond thu efforts
Of the fremen ana an order was given
t. open the fore and aft port holes in
order to allow the water 10 rnter ana
make her settle. The water which was
pouring into the boat ran along the
hilg" kecls until it had reached aft ana
the ship dangerously listed To star
board. Most of the firemen finally left
the ship. sliding down a hose fastened
to the wheel About half a dozen men
We're on the starboard side of the boat
and We're nable 10 get to the pier. and
kept right on working until the ship
sank. The mon We're thrown into the
water. Deputy Chief Duane ana Fire
men Mcfarland of Engine No. l. hau
IN battle fer life ana We're rescued with
difficulty. chief Duane lost his he'll
met ana was dragged out more. dead
than alive. Several fire boats engaged
iii rcscuing the dremen were nearly
carried down by the sinking of the Lee
ona.
shortly before $ o'clock tonight, three
explosions which shook the deck plates
possibly powder in the forward hold. The
were not serious enough 70
cause a further inflow of wafer At about
y Il. thc flames were under control at th,
main hatchWay and The entire work was
cnniined 10 the forward hatch I'll,
flames there Were not under control Tor /
a lOdg time ANA The fire boat was forced /
to Keep playing On the cargo an night !
Tho cargo valued at from S2o0eJ0 To- $im. /,
iUo. il a total loss. II consisted az cotton |
and tobacco.
rh,. boat is regarded as being little b.,
Ter than a wreck. \ someW nal similar 4
At that time Is stccraee passengers were 4
burned to. death ana capt Wilder VA. 1
for six months for supposed 4
Failure 10 properly take care of the fire