The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-20
THE LOSS OF LIFE UNKNOWN.
Fire May Never BE Ascertained.
Property Damage Is Very Large.


New York, March 1s.-No estimate
could be made to-day of the loss of
life in the fire that started last night
on the Phoenix Line pier in Hoboken,
and it was thought the number of dead
would never be known. Patrick Hus-
,sey. longshoreman, who was burned
while trying to escape from the Phoe-
nix pier, died to-day from the effects
of his injuries.
Besides Hussey. four longshoremen
were taken to St Mary's Hospital and
are now under treatment there. All
were more or less burned. Some of the
longshoremen who saved themselves by
swimming ashore say they saw twenty
or thirty men leap into the river.
Although some of those who jumped
into the water were picked up by tugs,
it is feared that a number sank be-
fore they could be reached by the res
cuers. Many of the longshoremen are
single men and have no relatives who
their being missing or having
persisted in the fire. The Brit
ish Queen has been beached
off Communipaw. in the upper bay.
Superintendent Mason of the Phoe-
nix Line said to-day that it would be
impossible to definitely state the loss
by the fire in less than two weeks. He
was asked if he thought S1250, 900
would cover it and he replied that he
did not think 1t would. The British
Queen was worth 100000 and there
was a great qauntity of valuable mer-
chandise on that vessel, on the pier
and on lighters that were destroyed.
This included cotton, hides, oils, grains
and a quantity of harvest machinery
Fire Was Not Incendinry.
There was a rumor to-day that the
fire was of incendiary origin. but Mr..
Mason said he was positive there was
no truth in it. He said he thought the
blaze started in a quantity of Belgian
wicker baskets on the Phoenix pier
and this opinion was confirmed by
Charles Christensen, who was at work
on the lighter Castleton which was ly-
ing forward off the dock. Christian
sen said the flames seemed to burst
forth from pile of wicker baskets
that had been unloaded from the Brit
ish Queen on Monday. He said the fire
spread in an exceedingly short time
over the outer end of the pier. The
British Queen was soon ablaZe and the
men on board had to leap into the
Wdttf 10 save InelF lives. Inc OIL
the pier were still smoldering to-day.
Those seriously hurt in the fire are
John Jensen, who jumped from the
burning pier and struck his head
against a beam, and Peter Carroll,
who was badly burned.
The Cinnamon who fled from the
steamship Heathburn when that ves-
sci was endangered by flames, and who
were captured by United States GUS
toms officers, were returned to their
ship to-day. The Cinnamon were ar
rested in order to prevent possible
violation of the Chinese exclusion act.
1t was learned to-day that Fireman
Thomas Cooney of the fire boat David
A. Body, fell off his boat last night
and was drowned.
Engineer ScOtt's Experience.
Chief Engineer Scott, who 1t was
supposed persisted in the fire, walked
into a Hoboken hotel to-day. He was
badly burned about the fact and said
he had a dreadful experience.
Engineer Scott said that a short
while after he had gone to his room
last night he smelled smoke and on
investigation saw the ship was on fire.
Scott who is sufferer from Theuma-
tism, CROPPED his way along the deck
and took refuge in a large cattle pen
on the ships deck. Here he was joined
by one of the hremen of the
ship. The smoke and flames soon
drove them from the pen. Scott then
fastened a wire rope to a stancheon
and threw one end overheard. He then
slid down the rope to a lighter lying
alongside the burning steamer, where
he remained until rescued. Scott said
he did not see the fireman after he,
Scott, made his escape and does not
know what became of him.