Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-03-19
SAFE BLOWERS
START A FIRE
They Secured 81, 500 from Hotel Safe and
Escaped, Leaving the Hotel
in Flames.
TERRIBLE FIRE AT HOB0KEN
II Was Another Pier Disaster In Which Large humber
of Men Are Reported to Have Lost Their Lives
Twenty to Thirty Men leaped Into
the River

Marissa, Ills, March 19.-Safe blow
ers are responsible for $150,oOO fire
here this morning early They blew
open the safe of the Commercial hote
shortly before midnight, obtaining
$2,5O0 They escaped, leaving the hotel
in flames The fire spread rapidly till
dozen business buildings and several
residences with their contents were de-
stroyed. There We're several narrow
escapes.
TWO BLOCKS IN FLAMES.
ST. Louis, Mo-, March ia special
to the Post Dispatch from Marissa,
Ills says that two blocks of buildings
were destroyed by last nights fire. The
loss is $4,000, with small insurance.
The statement that the safe in the
Commercial hotel was blown open and
robbed is denied. 1t is not known how
the fire started.
ANOTHER PIER DISASTER.
New York, March 19-No estimate
could be made today of the loss of life
by the fire that started last night on
the Phoenix Line pier in Hoboken, and
it was thought the number of dead will
never be known. Patrick Tussey, a
longshoreman, who was burned while
trying to escape from the pier, died to-
day Of the effects of his injuries. Chief
Engineer Scott Of the steamer British
Queen, is believed to have lost his life
on that vessel Third Engineer Ver-
hot
who was suffering from rheumatism,
went to the cabin to lie down before
the fire started. Vereck was in the en-
gine room when the alarm of fire was
given. He tried to reach. Scott, but
was headed off by the flames and had
to leave the chief engineer to his fate.
Or. Helfer, health officer of Hoboken,
says all the men of the British Queen,
with the exception of Scott, have been
accounted for. Besides Hussey, four
longsloremen We're taken to st. Mary's
hospital and are now under treatment
from injuries. some longshoremen,
who saved themselves by swimming,
say they saw 20 or 30 men leap into the
river.
Although some of those who jumped
into the water We're picked up by
tugs, it is feared number sank be-
fore they could be reached by the res
cuers. Many longshoremen are single,
and have no relatives to report them
if missing or if they perished in the
fire. The police say no one except En-
min n q G
missing.
The British Queen has been beached,
and search will be made as soon as
possible for the body of the missing
engineer. Superintendent Mason, of
the Phoenix line, said it would be i'm
possible to definitely state the loss by
the fire in less than two weeks. He
thought $1,25O000 would not cover the
loss The British Quneen was worth
$80O,000, and there was a great quantity
OF valuable merchandise on the vessel,
on the piers and on the lighters that
were destroyed. There was a rumor
today that the fire was incendiary, but
Mason said he was positive there was
no truth in it. He thought the blaze
started in a quantity of Belgian vic
ker baskets on the Phoenix pier and
this is confirmed by Charles Christian
son, who was at work on the lighter
Cast1eson, which was lying forward off
the dock Christianson said the flames
seemed to burst forth from pile of
wicker baskets that had been unloaded
from the British Queen on Monday.
The British Queen was soon ablaze,
and the men on board had to leap into
the water. The ruins of the pier were
still smoldering today. Engineer Scott,
who was supposed to have perished in
the fire. walked into the Hoboken ho-
tel today He was badly burned about
the face, and said he had a dreadful
experience. 1t was learned today that
Fireman Thomas Cooney Of the fire
boat David A. Boody, fell off his boat
last night and was drowned