Evening star., 1902-03-19
BIC STEAMER BURNS
Serious Disaster at Phoenix
Pier, Hoboken, N. J.
SEVERAL LIVES LOST
FEARS THAT OTHERS PERISHED
IN THE WATER.
Loss on British Queen and Other Yes
sells Estimated at Over
100000.

could be made today of the loss Of life in
Phoenix line pier in Hoboken and 1t was
be known. Patrick Hussey, a Iongshore-
man. who was burned while trying to es-
cape from the Phoenix pier, died today
fl ON the effects Of his injuries.
Chief Engineer Scott, who, it was sup
posed perished in the fire. walked into a
Hoboken hotel today. He was badly
burned about the face, and said he had had
a dreadful experience.
Besides Hussey four 'longshoremen were
taken to St. Mary's Hospital and are now
under treatment there. All were more or
who saved themselves by swimming ashore
say they saw twenty or thirty men leap
into the river.
Feared That Many Perished.
Although some of those who jumped into
the water were picked UP by tugs it is
feared that number sank before they
could be reached by the rescuers. Many of
the longshoremen are single men and have
10 relatives who could report them in the
event of their being missing or having per-
ished IN the fire. The police say that no
one except Engineer Scott has been re-
ported to them as missing. The British
Queen has been beached eff Communipaw,
in the upper bay, and search will be made
as soon possible for the body Of the miss
ing engineer. Hussey, the longshoreman
who died today. was forty years old. He
leaves large family. Superintendent
Mason of the Phoenix line said today that
it would be impossible to definitely state
the loss by the fire in less than two weeks.
He was asked if he thought sl.2anoo9 would
cover it. and he replied that he did not
think it would The British Queen was
worth $4,000, and there was a great guam
tlty of valuable merchandise on that ves-
sci, on the pier and on lighters that were
destroyed. This included cotton, hides, oils,
grains and a quantity of harvest machin-
cry.
Rumor of Incendiarism.
There was rumor today 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 Christianson, who was
at work on the lighter Castleton, which was
lying forward off the dock. Chrfstianson
said the flames seemed to burst forth from
pile of wicker baskets that had been un-
loaded from the British Queen on Monday
He said the fire spread in an incredibly
short time over the outer end of the pier.
SluoeH was SOOIl dudLe, dhd
the men on board had to leap into the
water to save their lives. The lines by
which the vessel was moored to the pier
were burned away, and 1t was then feared
that she might float against some Of the
docks lower down the river and set them
afire. In spite of the intense heat given
out by the burning steamer a tug ran In
under her stern and made line fast to her
rudder. Lines were then passed from sew
eral other tugs to the first one, and In that
he isr cte hanied
the stream. The ruins of the pier We're
still smoldering today.
Fireman Cooney Drowned.
1t was learned today that Fireman Thos.
Cooney Of the fire boat David A. Boody fell
off his boat last night and was drowned.
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 a suf-
ferer from rheumatism, CROPPED his way
along the deck and took refuge in large
cattle pen on the ships deck. Here he was
Joined by one of the firemen Of the ship.
from the pen. Scott then fastened a wire
rope to stanchion and threw one end
overheard. He then slid down the rope to a
lighter lying alongside the burning steamer.
said he did not see the fireman after he,
Scott, made his escape, and does not know
what became of him.
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 fed from the steam
ship Heathburn when that vessel was en-
dangered by flames, and who were captured
by United States customs officers, were re-
turned to their ship today. The Cinnamon
were arrested in order to prevent a possi-
BILE violation Of the Chinese exclusion act.