The age-herald., 1902-03-19
FLAMES ATTACK
 HOBOKEN PIER S1,OOO,OOO Worth of Property
 Quickly OeVOuIed LOSS OF LIFE NOT KNOWN
Steamer British Queen, Loaded Down With Cotton and Hay, Was Burned to the HuIk-SeveraI Mar.
 row Escapes.

New York, March 1S.-A swift and in many of It's details a picturesque fire, to- night destroyed the pier of the Phoenix steamship line on the HoboKen, N. J., river front with many bales of cotton and hay burned that company's vessel, the British Queen, to hulk; consumed several lighters and their cargoes; dam aged dock belonging to the Barber steamship line, and for time threatened the property of the Holland-American line and the huge Campbell stores.
 The loss, according to estimates tonight. will approximate $1.o0o.ooo.
 Whether any lives were lost was most difficult to learn. While the confagration was at its height, and after 1t had been reduced by the firemen and fire boats, ru- mors were rife that several men perished. It was tolerably certain at midnight that Chief Engineer Scott of the British Queen was burned to death on her, and that sailor named Jansen met the same fate. One of the men who escaped says he saw several men leap into the water when the steamer became enveloped in fire, and he saw few if any of them rescued.
 Crew in Forecastle.
 The Quartermaster of the ruined ship said that the crew were in her rorecastle, and he surmised that if all escaped they did so with difficulty. Nevertheless some of the British Queens officers said they were quite assured that all were safe save Engineer Scott, who they simpiy
 Tk 1I.v |, some of the longshoremen and stevedores, who swarmed about the vessel, may still have to be accounted for.
 The estimated losses in detail are:
 Piers $500 GOO, British Queen $4OO. GOO. cot ton and lighters $250. .000
 Seven lighters are more or less dam sged
 The scene of the fire was Seventh and River streets, Hoboken. Together there are the docks and basins of the Phoenix Line, the Holland-American Line and tho Barger Line.
 The Phoenix Line pier was wooden structure 300 feet long, covered with 8 frame shed. On thIs were many bales of hay and cotton, which burned rapidly. How the fire started Is not known.
 With the barest warning the flames burst out quickly, licking up the pier and the cotton upon 1t and driving the steve dcres and sailors to the street, for the | vessel was being unloaded, having arrived | here Friday from Antwerp cotton-1aden. The fire flared up from the steamer with as great suddenness upon the pier, and since the vessel was made fast to the pier and could not be backed out, lighters and other water craft lay alongside of her, some of them holding infiammable stuff, as oil cake, quickly catching fire. Escaped On Bale of Cotton. The captain of the lighter Tonawanda saved himself, his wife and child by pushing a cotton bale into the water, placing his family and himself upon 1t and padding his strange life raft into the river. The stiff wind which had blown all day gave impetus to the fire. Cattle pens upon the upper decks of the British Queen were the first part of her consumed but presently her hull was afame.
 From the Phoenix line pier the flames spread to the pier of the Barber line and then to the steamer Heathburn of the company, newly arrived from Hong Kong, China, with cargo of tea.
 Among the crew of the steamer Heath- burn were 322 Chinamen who began to scamper wildly to the pier when the flames broke out, seeking safety. and began to make their way to the streets of Hoboken. There was large force or custom officers on hand guarding proper ty. As soon as these officials saw the frightened Chinamen they became alarm ed that the aliens would make an Illegal entry into the country, so with drawn pistols they ordered the Chinese to halt The command was needed. and then, sur rounded by guards. the foreigners were marched tv a pier some distance away and there locked up, under surveillance for the night. The captain of the Heath burn was not aboard. His wife and child ren were, but were rescued by the mate.
 The Holland-American line docks are