Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-12-23
BOAT BURNS, nine PERISH
Starin Liner Glen Island Destroyed on
Long Island Sound.
The ENGINEER DIES AT HIS POSl.
Only Oae Passenger Was Lost, and Shs
Would Have Been Saved Had She MOI
Rushed Back to the Blazing Cabiu 10 Vel
Her Purse-A Hero Who Ran to Save her
Also Persisted.


a, officer two passengers and SIX me'"-
hsrs of tbe crew of the Starin Line boat
Glen Island-were burned to death ''e''
Caotain's Island, off Greenwich, Conn.,
in a fire which destroyed the boat on IT'S
trip from New York to New fiaVe"
Those who survived were pickeo UP ny
the tug Bully and later transferred 10
the Erastus Corning, of the same line
and brought to this city.
Of the dead, w. E. HendrlckSon' the
second engineer Of the boat, stuck TO MS
post until he dropped unconscious to the
floor overcome by smoke. Four flre-
men toiling in the hold Hel9w were cu'
off from all escape by the thick sfffSSo&Ee
and the flames, and two OF the deck
hands who were killed were asleep IN
their hunks.
One of the dead passengers was
woman. who lost her life by going back
into her stateroom for her jewels.
That more lives were not sacrlhcedi
was undoubtedly due to the personal
courage of the officers and crew ana the
excellent discipline maintained. When
the steamer was abandoned the flames
were sweeping over her from stem TO
stern.
Of the 81 persons, including 10 pasSen-
gers. who sailed on the Glen Island -,
including 8 passengers, were Drought
back on the Bully.
The Glen Island left her pier at 9
o'clock. The steamboat runs as all eA-
cursion craft to Glen Island in the sum
mer months and is used in the winter 10
carry freight, for the most part to New
Haven, for points in Connecticut, having
been running in place of the John RI.
Starin for some time. With the whole
night before her the steamboat was sent
along at leisurely rate.
The trip down through the sound was
without incident until just before lh'uc
night. When about three miles WeSt Vi
Greenwich, Conn, Captain McAlliSter
left the pilothouse and went below lot
his midnight lunch. Hardly had the
Cantaiu reached the galley when there
came rush of sitting smoke from the
hold of the steamer and every electric
light on board the craft was extinguish-
ed When the Captain rushed TO the
deck smoke was pouring from every
passageway and flames were sweeping
I'D through the aperture around the
walking-beam.
Capain McAllister sent in the alarm
for fire drill and the men came tumbilng
out of their hunks. In the meantime
the steering gear had been blocked and
the pilots, finding themselves unable to
direct the course of the steamer, hur-
ried to the assistance OF the other MEM
bers of the crew i'll saving lives.
CAPTAIN McAllster ordered McMullln
to 90 to the hurricane deck and loosen
one of the boats, while he went to the
main deck and tried to loosen the two
large lifeboats Captain McAllister man
aged to loosen the port lifeboat. The
other boat was frozen to the davltS, but
a smaller one was soon ready to be
lowered away.
While the officers and crew were
working there was fearful scene OF
confusion among the 10 passengers ney
ran about the saloons i'll disarray. Inc
woman who lost her life had been
aroused by the stewardeSs and was on
her way to one of the boats, when Shc
suddenly turned and dashed back into
the flaming cabin. 1t is supposed that
she went back for her valuabIes. She
was not seen again. There was no pos.
sibiity for waiting for the rescue OF
those who failed to appear at once.
In the large boat IS people were atioat'
They included the eight rescued pas
sengers and seven of the crew, including
the CAPTAIN. The large boat was just
about to be lowered, when the Captain
ran I'D and jumped in Just in the nick
of time. or he, too, would have per-
ished. The smaller boat, which Pilot
McMulin had managed to free, carried
seven passengers. The two boats were
rowed as far away from the burning
steamer as was necessary to escape de-
struction and waited there and watched
the boat buru. They made every posi-
bic cffor, % find any additional sur
vivors. Tie burning steamed drifted
away toward the Long Island shore.
In the meantime the tug Bully, which
was passing with string OF barges in
tow, sighted the burning steamer, cast
her tow adrift and came to the rescue
of persons in the boats. They were
taken from the small craft, placed in the
furnace room of the tug, clothing was
given to them and when the steamer
Erastus Corning came along, shortly
afterward, were transferred to the latter
and brought to New York.