The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-06
SHIP AFIRE AT SEA
RACED FOR LIVES OF PASSENGERS
AND CREW INTO HARBOR
OF NEW YORK
BURNED and sunk AT WHARF
CARGO VALUED AT MORE THAN A
QUARTER OF A MILLION A
TOTAL Loss
IRE FIGHTERS BAFFLED

l. -
Flames Had Gained Such Headway
That 1t Was Found Impossible to
ScuttIed and Permitted to Sink
Captain Denies That the Fire
Started on the Ocean-Is Disputed.
NEW YORK, Oct 5.-The Mallory line
steamer Leona was burned and sunk at
her wharf in East river, tonight. Inc
cargo. consisting of tobacco ana o''oo
baIgs of cotton, and valued at $zoo'ooo
to $1,000 is q total loss, and the boat IS
little better than a wreck
It is believed that the Leona, which
sailed from Galveston Sept. q, caught
fire at sea several days ago, since whloh
time she has proceeded at full speed WIN
battened matches, for this port. AT o'oo
This afternoon the Leona came racing up
East river to ker pier, where haste was
made to debark the passengers ana open
the matches. An hour later an army OF
men was vainly fighting fire In tho
steamers hold. Finally the ship was
scuttled.
AS soon as the Leona made fast to her
nier about o'clock, the officers Of The
vessel, commanded by Capt. Wilber, or
Cered the members of the crew to try 10
put out the fire in the hold without call
ing the fire department. This was soon
found TO be Impossible, and an alarm was
sent in. BY o'clock twelve streams
were playing from fire engines and six
streams from fire boats The firemen mad
a hard time to get at the flames, as the
boat came into her dock stern foremost,
thus the burning portion was out in
the water.
The fire was first corfined to the for
ward hatchways, directly forward Of the
foremaet. The matches being lifted
tremendous volume of smoke came out,
making 1t utterly impossible for the fire
men to see. Soon tons OF water were
pouring into the doomed vessel, and the
ship. began to list to starbcard, settling
little as she did so.
At o'clock about seven fremen, with
the chief and deputy chief, were on the
boat working to keep the fire from
spreading towards the stern. This was
found to be beyond the efforts of the
fremen, and an order was given to open
the fore and aft port holes in order TO
allow the water to enter aid make her
sink. The ater already pouring into the
boat was managing TO run along the
bilge keels untii 1t hal reached aft, and
the ship showed evidence of listing to
-tarboard. Most Of the f1remen finally
left the ship by sliding down hose
which was fixed to the wheel.
BATTLE FOR LIFE.
About half dozen men who were on
the starboard side of the beat were un-
able to set to the pier and kept right on
working as If nothing was happening to
endanger their lives. They kept on and
on until the ship commenced to sink,
slow!N.but surely, when, with q final LIST
she went down. The men were thrown
into the water. Deputy Chief Duane and
Fireman Thomas MacFarland, of engire
No. IL, had to battle for life and were
rescued with difficulty Duane lost his
helmet and was dragged out more dead
than alive. Several of the fire boats en-
gagged In the work Of rescutng the fire.
men were nearly carried down bv tho
sinking Of the Leona.
-%t i;5O O'Clock tonight a report that
shook the deck plates forward showed
the presence of gas and, possibly, powder
III the forward hold Another report
came about fifteen minutes later and q
third In about ten minutes. The exnlo-
s1ons were not serious enough to cause
further inflow of water.
At about 8:15 the flames wera nndar
control at the main hatchway, and the
entire work was confined to the forward
hatch. The flames were so persistent
that they were not under control for a
long time.
CAUSE A MYSTERY.
The cause of the fire is a mystery. The
boat left Galveston on Wednesday. Sept
27 and made her eight days run with
out special incident It was said by ona
of the passengers that three davs ago
the matches were battened down, and,
upon questions being put to Capt. VIII
bur, he said the cause was the high seas.
From that time the ship has gone at full
speed towards New York. safely reaching
here today. The passenger said that on
several occasions he had detected smoke
but had not thought particularly a6out
it, as the captain said all was well.
Capt. Wilbur 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 today after arrival
The insurance on the Leona is not
known. Charles Mallory, head of the NAL
! lory line, said tonight that he knew moth
! ing about the fire. He said that if the
boat caught fire at sea, as reported. and
If Capt. Wilbur had kept the fire under
control for two or three days. he deserv-
ed credit for even bringing the boat into
! harbor.
A somewhat similar experience befell
the ship in 1898. On May 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 Au-
gusta, which was passing, was signaled
for assistance. She took the passengers
and rendered all the assistance possible.
Upon reaching this port on May 10 it
was found that five steerage passengers
had been burned to death. They were
found in a blackened heap in the steer
age. At that time Capt. Wilbur was sus-
pended for six months for supposed fail
ure to properly take care Of the fire
During the war with Spain the Leona