The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-19
NUMBER
May never
Be KNOWN
No Accurate Estimate Can Be
Made Of Those Who Parishad
in Fire al H0bokan.

New York. March l9.-No estimate could
he made today OF the loss of life In the
fire that started last night on the Phoenix
Line pier in Hoboken, and IL was thought
the number of dead would never be
known.
Patrick Hussey, a iongshoreman, who
was burned while trying to escape from
the Phoenix pier. died OF his injuries in
st. Mary's hospital today. Chief En-
gineer Scott of the steamer British Queen,
Is believed TO have lost his life on that
vessel. Third Engineer Vereck, of the
same vessel says that Scott who was
suffering from rheumatism, went 10 his
cabin TO lay down a short time before
the fire started.
Vereck was in the engine room when the
alarm OF fire was given. He tried 10 reach
the engineers quarters 10 awaken Scott.
but was headed of by the flames and had
10 leave the chief engineer TO his fate.
DR. Heller, the health officer of Hobo
ken, says that all the men of the British
Queen, with the exception of Scott, have
been accounted for.
Besides Hussey four longshoremen were
taken 10 ST. Marys hospital and are
now under treatment there. All were
more or less burned. Some of the long
swimming ashore say they saw 20, or 30
men leap into the river.
JUMPED INTO WATER.
Although some OF those who jumped
into the walter were picked up by tugs Ii
Is feared that a. number sank before they
could be reached by the rescuers. Many
OF the longshoremen are single men and
have no relatives who could report them
I'm the event OF their being missing or
having perished In the fire. The police
say that no one except Engineer Scott has
been reported 10 them as missing.
The British Queen has been beached at
Black Tom Island, Confmunipaw. and
search Will be made as soon as possible
for the body of the missing engineer Hus-
sey. the longshoreman. who died i'm ST.
Mary's hospital was 40 years old. He
leaves large family.
Supt. Mason OF the Phoenix line said to-
day that Il would be impossible definite
ly to state the loss by the fire in less than
two weeks. He was asked If he thought
81, $4,000 would cover IL and he replied that
he did not think IL would.
The British Queen was worth $780, 900
and there was a great quantity Of valua-
BILE merchandise on that vessel. on the
pier and on lighters that were destroyed.
This included cotton, hides. oils. grain
and a quantity of harvest machinery.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
There was a rumor today that the fire
was OF incendiary origin but Mr.. Mason
said he was positive there was no truth
i'm II. He said he thought the blaze STRAIT
ed in quantity OF Belgian wicker bas-
kets on the Phoenix pier and this opin-
ion was confirmed by Charles Christian
sen, who was at work on the lighter Cas-
Teton, which was lying forward Off the
dock. Christensen said the flames seemed
to burst forth from a pile OF wicker
baskets that had been unloaded from the
British Queen on Monday. He said the
fire spread in IN incredibly short time
over the outer end OF the pier
The British Queen was soon ablaze and
the men ON board had 10 leap into the wa :
ter to save their lives. The lines by which
the vessel was moored To the pier were
burned away and II was then feared that
she might float against one of the docks
lower down the river and set them afirc.
In spite of the intense heat given out by
the burning steamer tug ran i'm under
her stern and made a line fast to her
rudder Lines were then passed from sew
eral other tugs 10 the first one and I'm
that way the big steamship was hauled
out into the stream.
The steamer Maasdam. which was
towed out into the river from the Holland
American pier, when II was thought the
flames might spread in that direction, was
brought back 20 the dock this morning
The fire was still smouldering today and
two fire engines were playing water on
the ruins.
THE SERIOUSLY HURT.
Those seriously hurt I'm the fire are John
| Jensen, who jumped from the burning
pier and struck his head against beam.
and Peter Carroll, who was badly burned.
| Mrs. Hussey. the wife OF the man who
died i'm ST. Mary's hospital this morning
Is very III at her home. She gave birth
| two days ago to child which did not
| live She has not beers$nformed Of her
| husbands death.
The Cinnamon who fled from the steam
! ship Heathburn when that vessel was en-.
| dangered by flames. and who were cap
tured by United States customs officers
| and taken To the North German Lloyd
| pier for the night, were returned 20 their
ship today. The Chinarnen were arrested
| I'm order 60 prevent n possible violation
4 of the Chinese Exclusion act.