The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-10-11
BURNED AND. SUNK.
Total Loss of the Mollory Line Steam
er Leona and Her Cargo.

A dispatch from New York says the
Mollory Line steamer Leona was burned
and sunk at her wharf in New York
Thursday night. The cargo, consisting
of tobacco and 5000 bales Of cotton,
and worth over $3.50, coo, is total loss,
and the damage to the steamer is $780,
000 1t is believed that the Leona,
which sailed from Galveston September
27, caught fire at sea several days ago,
since which time she had proceeded at
full speed, with battened matches, for
this port. At $50 this afternoon the
Leona came racing up East River to her
pier, where haste was made to debark
the passengers and open the matches.
An hour later an army of men was vain.
ly fighting fire in the steamers hold.
Finally the ship was scuttled.
AS soon as the Leona made fast to
her pier, about o'clock, the officers Of
the vessel, commanded by Capt. Wilber,
ordered the members of the crew to try
to put out the fire in the hold without
calling the fire department. This was
soon found to be impossible and an
alarm was sent in. By 5 30 o'clock ten
streams were playing from fire eng ines
and six streams from fire boats. The
fremen had hard time to get at the
flames as the boat came into her dock
sternmost, leaving.the burning portion
out in the water. The fire at first was
confined to the forward hatchway, il
rectly forward Of the foremast. The
matches being lifted a tremendous vol
ume Of smoke came out making it i'm
possible tor the fre1nen to see. Soon
tons Of water were pouring into the
doomed vessel, and the ship began to list
to starboard, settling little as she did
so. At o clock about seventy fremen,
with the chief and deputy chief, we're
on the boat working to keep the fire
from spreading toward the stern. 1t
was found to be beyond the efforts Of
the fremen, and an order was given to
open the for and aft port holes in order
to allow the water to enter and make
her settle. The water already pouring
into the boat was managingto run along
the bilge keels until it had reached aft,
and the ship showed evidence Of list
ing to starboari. Most Of the fremen
finally left the ship by sliding down a
hose which was fastened to the wheel.
About half dozen men who were on
the starboard SIDE Of the boat were un-
able to get to the pier, and kept on work
ing as if nothing was happening to en-
danger their lives. They continued un-
til the ship was partially submerged be-
side her pier. The men were thrown
into the water. Deputy Chief Duane
and Fireman Thomas McFariane, Of
Engine 12, had to battle for life. and
were rescued with difficulty. Several
of the fire boats engaged in the work Of
rescuing the fremen were nearly carried
down by the sinking Of the Leona.
At 7.3O o'clock a report that shook
the deck plates forward showed the
presence of gas and possibly powder in
the forward hold. Another report
came about fifteen minutes later, and
third in about ten minutes. The ex-
plosions were not serious enough to
cause further inflow of water. At
about s. Is the flames were under con-
troll at the main hatchway and the en-
tire work was confined to the forward
hatch. The flames were so persistent
that they were not under control for
long time and the New Yorker was kept
at the boat playing on her all night.
The cause of the fire is a mystery.
The boat left Galveston on Wednesday,
September q. It was said by one of
the passengers that three days ago the
matches were battered down, and upon
questions being put to Capt. WILDER he
said the cause was the high seas. From
that time the ship was kept at full
speed.
The passenger said that on several oc.
casions he had detected smoke, but had
not thought particular about it, as the
captain said all was well. Capt. Will
Der denies that the ship was on fire at
sea, and the first he knew Of the fire
was when the matches were lifted to-day
after arrival.