The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-01

T~~ md colurht. Tel M.ir IA
ened at almost any moment to break out
on the big ship The great hawsers in
the CONFUSION could not be handled well
and axes were drawn into use to chop
towed down into midstream and then
far up. the river. Her tows were slightly
burned.
Womnn's Terrible Death.
Five minutes after the fire broke out a
woman jumped from one Of the ships
in a vain effort to reach the water The
flames drove her from the ship and she
plunged helplessly in the direction In
into burning lighter alongside the ship,
and when an officer on board the ship,
who still stood by the doomed vessel,
saw her and realized what would be her
fate. he plunged down after her. hoping
to drag her out OF the burning lighter
into the water. He followed her within
. couple of seconds. and both went down
into the flames In the lighter and persisted
The rapid spreading OF the fire is ac-
counted for by the shifting OF the wind.
When the fire. broke out the wind was
the flames across to the pier above tho
one on which II started. Within a few
minutes the wind shifted almost directly
to the opposite point Under the great
pavilion on the lend end the flames were
soon in absolute control. Had not re-
course TO dynamite been taken to de-
the flames might have gone on. All the
firehoats and tugs in the harhor would
not have stopped them
Ftremcn's Terrific Struggle.
The flames in the cotton kept the FIRE at
an intense heart, the firemen suffering
greatly. Time and time again It seemed
rs IL they must abandon the fight The
vantage points at which they could at
tack the flames were few and their ef-
forts were necessarily hampered.
The smoke which poured out OF the
flames and assembled high into the air
blew almost directly eastward. and main
tained its column for a distance of about
seventy miles, 1t was seen clearly be-
yond Babylon. L. !. one man In the hos
pital with burned hands and face was
rescued by another man more severely
burned than himself. He said he was
helpless in the water when the other
threw an arm about him and buoyed him
up The others face was fearfulfy burned
and the one arm was useless. put ne
trended water and foated skillfully and
they hoated down the river where tug
told the story said he tainted after be-
ing rescued and did not know II MS
rescuer had also been taken out OF tho
water.
eo,a NJ those who went into the water
and we're rescued and but slightly Injured,
say that when others were caught between
the fire and water and saw death coming,
they went insane. Men babled or home
ard friends during the few brief moments
tbat they and the others faced death. The
heat OF the furnace which lay between
them and the land hereft them OF their
senses There were acts OF cowardice as
well az heroism Men chung to others anu
refused 10 let them go, even though the
act meant death TO both; one Of tne sur sur
chung TO him frantically and refused 10
let him 20.
The man. who was later saved had 70
beat his companion into iusensihihty be-
tore he could loosen his hold and plunge
When the Hoboksn hremen reached the
IRE at Arrt they set out To conftne u TO
the pier on which II started They got
their lines out on the two adjoining piers
and even ran their apparatus out TO pump
from tho river. When the flames spread
the hose on the pier was lost. Some of
the apparatus narrowly escaped being con,
sumed. and as II was, one hose cart ana
It's two horses were burned; 49,, -, all
the hose possible and sent II to Hobokcn
hremen in wagon for use Win TINS
streams were later gotten on The IRE, but
IL was then under control, having burned
Itself out,
Fire stiii Burning.
the are Is stii burning brightly and.
a Brilliant spectacle. No estimate % the
less 81 life fails below I'M The bodies
on the deck and In the hold 81 the ~aAle
will probably be recovered by divNrs al
once but OF the dozens W ho jumped into
tho North river some viii never be found
az ali The steamboat men lost are near
ly all Germans and many have no friends
or relatives tn this country No tttempi
has Yet been made to compile a list % he
dead
TNc steamer saale drifted down 20 the
Battery about 6 ~ O'Clock She was abba ~
and hor crew was ON 3eck. capt Smith
{ ~ the police boat put Ma men IN los
and ran e. tina burning ship When the
tur reached the SaAlc thirty seven 81 ths
tatter's crew were taken ~ Most II
! them we're conscious some suffered from
smoke inhaled Ambulance were called
. from tsouvcrncur 81 NlUccnts and Hudson
street hospitals Police patrol wagons
! we're called also The injured men were
! taken o. these convcsances 20 the dircr-
emit hospitals Al appear t1 - Foreigners
Noua could talk English ans not ever
{ thrfv names were learned AZ The pier
While the crew was being taken m
cart smith noticed several bodies % neH
I on tho ships deck Whcu the tax made
second "trip to ta' saale Al tatse
Z ,or9sos we're sutmerEed TIE ship ha 4
4 lea the meantime ariftei Go che Jersey
b coast and sunk IN fhe mus - she fa's
I The pairolmen dragged VITA gvRpp.!n 1
hoods az two ncurs. re Az -sQrt 20 re-
! cover re Bodies They secured hl'
: Two apparently tr-k hands. They wsrc
] burned hrSoul recoEuNtNu