The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-06
STEAMER LEONA BURNED
SUPPOSED To LAVE CAUGHT FIRE on
THE WAY To NEW YORK.
Raced Into Port with Matches Closed,
and Soon Broke Out Into Flames
An Unfortunate ship.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-The Mallory line
steamer Leona was burned and sunk at
her wharf in East river tonight. The
cargo of tobacco and 5000 bales of cotton.
and valued at over $50 900, IS a total
loss. The damage to the boat is $4,000
1t Is believed that the Leona, which
sailed from Galveston Sept. q, caught fire
at sea several days ago, since which time
she has proceeded at full speed, with bat
tened matches. for this port. At $3.50 p. m
to-day the Leona came racing UP East river
to her pier, where haste was made to de-
bark the passengers and open the matches.
An hour later an army of men was vainly
fighting a fire IN the steamer hold. Final
ly the ship was scuttled.
AS soon as the Leona made fast 10 her
pier about 4 o'clock the officers of the YES
sci. commanded by Captain Wilder, or
dered the member of the crew to try to
put the fire in the hold out without calling
the fire department. This was soon found
to be impossible and an alarm was sent in
By $50 o'clock ten streams were playing
from fire engines and six streams from fire
boats. The firemen had a hard time TO get
at the flames, as the boat came into dock
stern foremost, leaving the burning portion
out in the water.
AT . o CLOCK ABOUT seventy uTeIlSH, Will
the chief and deputies. were on the boat
working TO keep the fire from spreading
towards the stern. 1t was found 10 be
beyond the efforts of the nremen, and an
order was given TO open the fore and after
portfolios In order TO allow the water TO
ready pouring into the boat was managing
to run along the bilge keels until II had
reached aft, and the ship showed evidence
men finally left the ship by sliding down a
hose which was fastened to the wheel.
About half a dozen men who were on the
starboard side Of the boat were unable 20
get to the pier and kept right on working
as II nothing was happening to endanger
their lives. They Kept on until tie snip
commenced TO sink slowly but surely until
with a final list she went down. The men
were thrown into the water. Deputy Chie1
Duane and Fireman Thomas Mcfarland, OF
engine No. II, had to battle for life and
were rescued with dinhculty. Duane lost his
helmet and was dragged out more dead than
the work of rescuing the nremen were near
ly carried dow by the sinking Of the
Leona.
AT 7:3o o'clock tonight a report that shook
the deck plates forward showed the pres
ence Of gas and possibly powder in the Tor
ward hold. Another report came at about a
ffteen-minute interval and a third ten min
utes later. The explosions were not serious
enough to cause a further inflow of water.
troll at the hstchway and the entire work
was confined to the forward hatch. The
flames were 50 persistent that they were
not under control for a long time, and the
New Yorker was kept at work playing on
her all night.
The cause of the fire is a mystery. The
boat left Galveston on Wednesday. Sept. q,
and made her eight days run without spe-
cial incident. 1t was said by one of the pas
sengers that three days ago the matches
were battened down and upon questions be-
ing put to Captain Wilder he said the cause
was the high seas. From that time the ship
has gone at full speed toward New York,
safely reaching here to-day. The anne pas
senger said that on several occasions he mad
detected smoke, but had not thought par
ticulaTly about 1t, as the captain said all
was we'll. Captain Wilder denies that the
ship was on fire at sea and says that the
first he knew of the fire was when the
matches were lifted to-day after the arrival.
The insurance on the Leona is not Known.
A somewhat similar experience befell the
/ ship in 1898. On May s she left New York
for her trip South and on the next morning
fire was discovered coming up her hatchway
from the hold. The fire rapidly grew larger
and the City OF Augusta, which was passing,
was ignaled for assistance. She took the
passengers and rendered all assistance pos
sible. Upon reaching this port on May 10
IL was found hat thirteen Storage pas
sengers had been burned to death. They
were found in a biackened heap In the steer
age. At that time Captain Wilder was sus-
pended for six months for supposed failure
to properly take care of the fire.
During the war with Spain the LeOna was
used as a United States TRANSPORT.