The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-03-04
rHE LIFE BOATS cAps,zEo
Captain Ordered Small Boats Mannss
and Filled With Women and Chill.
dren, but Heavy Sea lmmsdi.
atsly Overturned Them.


H. RUCKLEY, both drowned.
Members of the crew:
A. NIELSEN.
]. NIELSEN.
p. FREITAs.
Stewards:
w. H. ENEMAN.
NJ. SOMERS.
H. DOUGLASS.
A. DONNELLY.
= RAYMOND.
Engineering Department.:
PETER MULLIN.
NJ. FLYNN.
While off the mouth of the Columbia
river, the Queen caught fire in her after
saloon in some unexplained way. With
indescribable swiftness the fire gained
Roadway and threatened soon to END
velop the whole ship. To add to the
horror the heavy seas running meant
death to any sent away in the lifej
boats. The flames became more and
more threatening, until when it seemed
a choice of deaths, Captain Cousins or
dered the lifeboats launched. They
were manned by the crew and ordered
to email close to the ship. Into thesd
the women II children were placed
Hardly, however, had the boats been
cast loose than, eunable to weather the
fierce waves, two Of them were cap
sized.
The passengers and those of the crew
who remained on board continued
their fight against the flames with In
creasing success until 7:4O a. m. the fire
was brought under control. When IL
was thought the danger from fire was
past Captain Cousins recalled the life
boats and the were taken
aboard.
The Queen was headed for the mouth
or the Columbia river, and about 8
o'clock the steamer Santa Monica was
Etphta6 Tho OJ1nn, etroo1o5 500
asked her to stand by until temporary
repairs could be made. When eyeryJ
thing had been made safe the Queen
continued on to the mouth of the Coz
lumbia river. only to find the bar was
too rough to pass in. The distressed
but bad fortune still pursued, and
when she rounded Cape Flattery SID
encountered a terrific electrical storm.
With difficulty she weathcred the galei
and arrived here without further misj
hap md proceeded TO Seattle, where
she arrived at about midnight.
How Lives Were Lost.
Ten Of those who lost their lives werd
spilled out Of the small boats. threa
men walters on the vessel were a,,fl
located before they could reach tho
outer air from their hunks in the aftl
er part OF the ship, and enc woman
died later from exposure.
According to the stories told by
passengers and the crsw the vessel
was off Tillamook and about thirty
miles from land when the fire was
There was a heavy sea on,
n the ship was pitching badly. When
smoke was discovered coming out Of
the vessel the crew was Immediately
hurried out and the small boats
manned, while the stewards went from
cabin to cabin waking up the passen-
gers. There was no disorder. either
among the crew or passengers. When
captain Cousins discovered the extent
OF the fire. which embraced practically
all of the rear portion Of the vessel,
he Immediately ordered the lifeboats
launched.
-Four filed with women and children
and sufficient men to mar them were
dropped over from the windward side
of the vessel. each containing about
sixteen people. The first boat capsized
almost as soon as it touched the water
by getting drawn under the ship. All
the passengers in this boa were deg
by the other small boats, with
the exception of a Miss Steiner, a flrst-
class passenger, who was drawn under
the ship when the boat capsized. The
second boat capsized while being low
cred. There were no passengers in It
at the thine. but the crew Of four men
was spilled out and lost. A third boat
filled about half a mile from the Queen.
and all but four of its passengers and
crew were rescued by the other small
craft In the vicinity.
Heroic Work in Fighting Fire.
The lifeboats that We're noated safely
and the two RATS that were brown
over to pick up any hat might be
in the water remained in the
vicinity Of the burning vessel and with
IN view of 1T while the fire was being
fought by the crew and those among
the male passengers that remained on
Every available stream Of water was
thrown into the burning cabin. Every
man kept his head n worked hard to
subdue the flames.
Despite their efforts, however, 1t was
alter 7 o'clock before the fire was I'M
der control n the signal given to the
small boat to return to the vessel.
The passengers when interviewed la
:er stated that everything possible was
done by Captain Cousins. Had 1t not
been necessary to send off the boat,
not a life would have been lost, but al
t was dark when the fire started and
t was impossible to light the vessel OF
% confine the women to their state.
1t was absolutely necessary to
send them away to avoid a panic.
Practically the entire aft Of the shir
Is in ruins. The intense heat Of the
flames bent and twisted the intcrio,
ron work into a shapeless mass, and
sailors viewing the ruins today state
that they do not understand how 1t wal
possible to get control of the flames
crew and passengers behaved with
The utmost GOODNESS the vessel u
doubtedly would ave been destroyel &
and the loss Of life would have bee
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