Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-17
NINE LOSE THEIR LIVES
BURNING OF A NEW YORK STEAM
Err EARLY THIS MORNING.

NEW YORK December 1T4-Nine per-
sons, including two passengers, lost their
lives early today in the burning of the
steamer Glen Island. bound from New
York to New Haven. The steamer drifted
aground on Captains Island, In Long Is
land sound and was burned to the waters
edge.
The vessel left her pier In North river at
0 o'clock last night with ten or twelve pas
sengers and a heavy cargo.
The fire was discovered before midnight
off Execution Point in the sound How it
started is not known. but suddenly the
whole boat seemed to become filed with,
smoke and the electric lights were extin-
guished.
Boats were hurriedly lowered and all but
two passengers and seven members of the
crew escaped. One of the lost passengers
was man and the. other a woman, resi-
dents of New York. None of the names
has yet been learned.
A tug which sighted the Glen Island afire
dashed to the scene and picked up the pas
sengers and crew from the small boats.
They were placed aboard the steamer Corn
ing and brought back to New York
The Glen Island belonged to the Starin
transportation line. Her cargo was a valu-
able one, but the loss is not yet known.
a list of the dead follows:
List Of the Dead.
Unknown woman passenger, resident OF
New York; unknown male passenger from
New York; Robert Hanley, deck hand; Q.
Bird. deck hand; Frank Bush, fireman;
Tunsman Miller, fireman; William Burke.
fireman; Otto -, fireman: William Hen
derson, assistant engineer.
Among those saved were: Mr.. and Mrs.
FRANK b. Street Of New Haven, Conn;
two daughters of the Streets; Max Levin
Of Norr
dar street. New Haven
The Street girls are students at .Vassar
ana were on their way to New Haven for
the holiday vacation at home
The Glen Island was running up the
sound at her usual speed when the fire was
discovered. How and where it originated
is something of a mystery, but it is be-
ileVed TO nave started in q dynamo located
DeioW ana near the center of the vessel.
Nearly all the passengers were in their
berths when the vessel suddenly became
filled with sitting smoke and the lights
went out.
Passengers Aroused. -.
Captain McAllister sent men through the
cabin, and the passengers were quickly
aroused. Owing to thesfact that consider
able Ice was banked along shore, it was
not possible to reach safety, in that direc-
ton, and the vessel drifted toward Cap
tain's Island. Efforts to check the spread
lifeboats were prepared. With life belts
about them, the passengers were quickly
transferred to small boats Eight persons
got into one and f1fteentinto another. Ice
smashed some Of the boats, and to this the
loss of life is supposed to have been due.
So heavily laden was the second boat that
it threatened every monaent to capsize
The lifeboats hung about the burning
steamer in the hope of picking up some of
the missing, and in a few minutes the tug
Bully, towing some barges, appeared. The
towline was instantly severed, and the
Bully ran up to the scene. The tug ran in
as close as possible, but nothing could be
seen Of the nine missing persons, and all
hope of saving them was given up. Those
in the lifeboats were taken aboard, and
after the burning wreckage drifted ashore
on the island the tug headed for New
York. On the way she met the steamer
Erastus Corning, also of the Starin line.
and the rescued were transferred to that
vessel. They reached the city shortly be-
fore o'clock this morning.
Beyond their having suffered severely
from the cold and nervous shock none was
injured.
The Glen Island which was commanded
by Captain McAllister, who was the last
person to leave the wreck, was constructed
from the ruins of the City of Richmond.
The latter, curiously enough, also was
burned. After having been rebuilt the
steamer was christened William c. Eyer
ton, and later was renamed Glen Island.