Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-03-25
DOCKS All oeokEN suRN.
Steamer British Queen and Phoenix
Line Wharf Are Destroyed.

| steamer British Queen and Phoenix
Line Wharf Are Destroyed.
Roaring haLes licked up St000,6t
worth Of steamship property in Hoboken.
N. j.. fuesday night within three hours
They DESTROYED ehcs 300-foot pier or the
| Phoenix Steamship Company parts or
two other piers the steamer British
| Queen of the Ihoehix company, seven
lighters and vast amount of freight.
Half dozen men jumped into the sea
from the deck OF the British Queen. They
are believed 20 ke safe. however. Chief
Engineer Scott of the steamer and a
sailor of the name of Jansen are believed
to have been burned TO death. Eight or
more persons were badly burned and are
ia hospitals.
While the danes swept through great
piles Of co,ton and hay in bales. the rcd
glare lighting up vast region upon and
shout the Hudson river band of twen-
ty-fye ChinaneD fed from the peril OF
FIRE only TO encounter the muzzles OF Il
score of reyolyers, Officers OF the fed
eral government, fearing that the China
nen, who composed part OF the crew of
one of the menaccd vessels, might take
advantage of THE opportunity to enter
the United States in violation Of the ex
elnSion act. headed of the fleeing men
and, after soaring them nearly to death,
dragged them TO Jail until they can be re-
turned TO their ship.
The estimated losses in detail arc:
Piers, $500. 900; British Queen, $40o.@il;
cotton and lighters S250,000; seven ligat-
ers. damaged To extent OF $4,000.
The scene Of the FIRE was Seventh and
River streets Together there are the
docks and basins OF the Phoenix lire. the
Iolland-America line aud the BARRIER
line. The Phoenix line pier was
wooden structure, covered with frame
shed. On this were many bales of hay
and cotton. How the FIRE started is ncf
known. Some declare that il started in
the British Queen. which lay in the basin
between the Phoenix line dock and the
Holland-.ArneIiea dock; others that il aad
its origin at the end Of the pier.
The flames burst out quickly, driving
The steyedores and sailors from the Brit
ish Queen to thy street for the vessel
was being unloaded. The vessel had been
Iaade fast to the pier and could not be
tacked out and soon lighters and other
water craft which lay alongside OF her.
some of them holding such inhamnahle
stuff as oil cake. quickly caught FIRE
The captain Of the lighter Tonawanda
saved hmself hi4 wife and his child by
pushing a cotton bale into the water,
placing his family and himself upon il
and padding his strange life raft into
the river
From the Phoenix line pier the fumes
spread 10 the pier OF the Barber line aud
then to the steamer Heartburn of this
company, newly arrived from Hongkong,
with cargo of tea. Among the crew OF
the steamer Heartburn were the thirty
two Cinnamon, who scampered TO the
pier for safety and were later locked M.
The captain of the Heartburn was not
aboard His wife and children were. hut
were rescued by the mate
The Holland-America line docks, are
below those Of the Barber line. They
caught fire, but were only slightly daia-
aged The companys big steamer Mas
dam was towcd ont into the river as soon
as the danger became apparent
The fire was fought by Hoboken and
Jersey City fire engines and from the
water side ny tugs and New York fire
depa'Nment boats, Employees of the Hob
lind America aud Bremen steamship
lines assisted these forces. MS did he
crew of the United States ship Ports
mouth, lying at the pier next ehoye the
Phoenix line. This vessel is in use Ivy
the Jersey naval reserve as training
ship and is in command of Lieut.. Dayrn-
port 1t was through their efforts hat
the Tonawanda's captain and bis family
were saved.
The fire started about S:35 o'clock and
by 1880 it was well under control.
The British Queen, still ablaze. WIS
lowed out into the river Three lighters.
all ahrc. were directed down the river by
tugs. but owing 10 the wind and ctrrcat
they once or twice came near setting FIRE
to property on the New York side. Two
of them finally drifted TO the east shore
of Governors Island. setting fire Ia The
new landing pier there The army Off
Gers quarters were greatly endangered
and the soldiers stationed on the island
were employed in fighting the flames.