Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-19
FIRE TAKES PIER AND SHIP
Fierce Blaze Destroys Wharf and British
Queen at HObOksn.
KILLS CAPTAIN or THE FkTED VESSEL
Springs from Unknown origin and
Famed by winds Dehantly
Licks I'D Buch Valuable
Property.

Licks ID Buch Valuable
Property.
NEW YORK. March ls.-A swift. and in
many Of its details. q picturesque FIRE to-
night destroyed the pier Of the Phoenix
Steamship line on the Hobcken IN. - river
front. with many bales Of cotton and hay;
burned that company's vessel. British
Queen, to a hulk; consumed several lighters
and their cargoes; damaged o dock belong
ing TO the Barber Steamship line. and for a
time threatened the property Of the HOl-
land-American line and the huge Campbell
stores. The loss, according TO estimates to-
night viii approximate $1,00o.0 .000.
Whether any lives were lost WIS most
difficult to learn While the conhaEration
was at its height. and after il had been re-
ducsd by the iremen and freboats, rumors
vert rife that several men perished 1t
was tolerably certain at midnight that
Chief Engineer Scott OF British Queen was
burned to death on It and that a sailor
named Jansen met the same fate. One Of
the men who escaped says that he saw sew
eral men leap into the wHter when the
steamer became enveloped in fire and he
saw few II any Of these rescued The quar-
termhster Of the ruined ship said that the
crew was in its forecastle and he surmised
that II all escaped they did so with diff
Guilty. Nevertheless. some OF British
oneens officers said tonight that they
were quite assured that all were safe ex-
cept Engineer Scott, whom they said was
simply missing.
Other Deaths Feared.
1t is not unlikely that some Of the long
shoremen and stevedores who swarmed
about the vessel will have to be accounted
for.
The estimated losses in detail are:
Piers. 100000; British Queen, $500 900;
cotton and lighters, s25O.OO0.
Seven lighters are more or less damaged.
The scene of the FIRE WIS Seventh and River
Etrests, Hoboken. Together there are the
docks and basins Of the Phoenix line, the
Holland America line and the Barber line.
The Phoenix line pier was a wooden
structure 300 feet long. covered with
frame shed. On this were many bales Of
hay and cotton, which burned with the ut
most rRpidity. How the fire started is not
known Some statements are that IT started
in British Queen, which lay in the basin
between the Phoenix line dock and the Hol-
fundamental dock; others that il had its
origin at the pier. In all events. with all
but the barest warning. the flames burst out
quickly, licking up the pier and the cotton
upon it and driving the stevedores and
sailors TO the street. for the vessel was be-
ing unloaded, having arrived here Friday
from Antwerp, cotton laden.
Flashes Up Suddenly.
Tha hre aared up from the steamer With
as great suddenness a. from the pier. and
-.
and could not be backed out, lighters and
other craft which lay alongside Of her.
some Of them holding such innammable stun
as oil cake. quickly caught FIRE. too.
The captain OF the lighter Tonawanda
saved himself. his wife and his child by
pushing a cotton bale into the water, plac-
ing his family and himself upon IT and pad
ding his strange life raft into the river.
The stiff wind, which had blown all day,
gave impetus TO the FIRE. whose glare red
dened the North river for a long distance.
Cattle pens upon the upper decks Of Brit
ish Queen were the first part Of il consumed,
but presently its hull was aaame.
From the Phoenix line pier the flames
spread TO the pier OF the Barber line and
then to the steamer Heathburn, newly ar
rived from Hong Kong. China. with a cargo
OF tea. Among the crew of Heathburn were
/ thirty-two Cinnamon. When the flames be-
/ gan to run over the vessel they all scam
/ pered to the pier for safety and began to
make their way TO the streets Of Hoboken.
There was a large force Of customs on
GERS on hand guarding property. As soon
as these officials saw the frightened China
men they became alarmed that the aliens
would make an illegal entry into the coun-
try, 30 with drawn pistols they ordered the
/ Chinese to halt. The command was Needed
and then. surrounded by guards the for
eigners were marched to a pier some dis
tance away and there locked up under sur
veillanee for the night. The captain OF
Heathburn WAS not aboard. His wife and
children were aboard, but were rescued by
the mate.
The Holland America line docks are be-
low those Of the Barber line. They caught
IRE, but were only slightly damaged. The
eompRny's big steamer Maasdam was towec
out into the river as soon as the danger
became apparent
ViEiiant Battle Against Planes.
The fire was fought by Hoboken and Jer.
Bey City FIRE engines and from the watei
side by tugs and New York fire department
boats. Employees OF the Holland AmericG
and Bremen steamship lines assisted thess
forces, Rs did the crew Of the United States
ship Portsmouth, lying at the pier mex
above the Phoenix line. This vessel is il
use by the Jersey naval reserve as a train,
ing ship and is IN command OF LeutenRn
Davenport II was through their sffort
that Tonawanda'E captain and his fRmiil
were saved.
The IRE started about s:S5 o'clock and b,
1870 IL was well under control British
Queen, still ablRze, was towed out into tn
river. Three lighters. all Rhre, were di
rectsd down the river by tugs. but Owinl
10 the wind and current they once or twio
came near setting fire TO property on tn
New York side Two OF them finally drifte,
to the east shore OF Governors Island. set
ting IRE 10 the new landing pier there
The army ofheers' quarters were great,
endangered and the soldiers stationed o.
the island were employed In fighting tn
flames. In a few houH the danger hRi
passed.
When the excitement attending the fr
had subsidsd the HOboksn police reporte
that hve longshoremen we're in the hospita
there suffering from burns. One OF these
Patrick Huasey. is almost sure 70 die an
the child Of the captain Of Tonawanda IL Il
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