Evening journal., 1902-03-19
SERIOUS BLAZE AL
HOBOKRN PIER
Phoenix Line Wharf and SOV-
OraI Vessels Burned
Flames Spread Rapidly and 1t Is
Thought That SteYcdOrCS and
Sailors PeriShed

New York. March ia swift, and |
IN many of its details. picturesque FIRE |
last night destroyed the pier of the |
Phoenix steamship Line on the Ho-
bolSen. n. j.. river front, with many |
bales of cotton and hay, burned that
company's vessel the British Queen, !
10 hullk;, consumed seven lighters
and their cargoes; damaged a dock
belonging to the Barber Steamship
Line. and for a time threatened the
property of the Holland-American
Line and the huge Campbell stores.
The loss, according TO estimates, Will
approxim ate S1,000000
The Phoenix line pier was wooden
structure, 800 feet long. covered with
a frame shed. On this were many
bales OF hay and cotton, which burned
with the utmost rapidity. How the
fire started is not known. aome state
ments are that Il started in the British
I Queen; others that It had its origin
at the end OF the pier. At all events
with but the harost warning, the flames
burst out, quickly licking up the pier
and the cotton upon 1t, and driving the
steyedores and sailors TO the street,
for the vessel was being unloaded,
having arrived here Friday from Ant
werp, cotton laden. The fire fiared
I'D from the steamer with as great sud
deuness as upon the pier, and since the
vessel was made fast to the pier and
could not be backed out, lighters and
other water craft which lay along
aide Of her. some OF them holding such
infammable stuff as oil cakes, quickly
caught fire too.
The captain Of the lighter Tona
wanda saved himself, his wife and his
child by pushing a cotton bale into
the water, placing his family and him
self upon It and padding his strange
life raft into the river. The stiff wind
which had blown all day, gave impe
tus 70 the fire, whose glare reddenet
the North river for a long distance
Cattle pens upon the upper decks o.
/ the British Queen We're the first par
of her consumed, but presently hel
hull was afame
From the Phoenix line pier the
flames spread TO the pier Of the Barber
e line and then to the steamer Heath
r burn OF the company. newly arrived
a from Hong Kong, China, with a cargo
S OF tea.
Among the crew OF the steame
/, Heathburn were % Cinnamon. Whel
the flames began to run over the yes
sci they all scampered to the pier TO
safety and began TO make their wa
to the streets of Hoboken. There wa
,s a large force of customs officials o
hand guarding property. As soon a
= these officials saw the frightene
Cinnamon they became alarmed tina
the aliens would make an illegal entr
m into the country. so with drawn pi'
!" tolls they ordered the Chinese TO hall
The comamnd was needed, and theI
ed surrounded by guards, the foreigner
he were marched TO a pier some distanc
ah away and there locked up.
ay While the condagration was at II
he height rumors were rife that severl
wv men had perished. It was tolerabl
on certain that Chief Engineer Scott, {
the British Queen, was burned
nu death on her, and that a sailor name
Jansen met the same fate. One {
the men who escaped says that
saw several men leap into the watC
when the steamer became envelope
y, in FIRE. and he saw few, IL any. of thes
~ rescued. The quartormastor of II
80 ruined ship said that the crew we're
~ her forecastle. and he surmised thi
II all escaped they did so with diff
Guilty. Nevertheless, some OF the Bri
eu ish Queens officers said last nigl
use they were quite assured that all wei
ow safe save Engineer Scott. It is NJ
'iu unlikely that some Of the longshor
men and stevedores who swarm'
about the vessel may still have TO
accounted for.
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