Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-17
Another New York Steamer
Destroyed by Fire.
NINE LIVES WERE LOST
ALSO PROPERTY ESTIMATED AT A
QUARTER OF A MILLION.
Vessel Abandoned When Swept From
Stem to Stern by Flames-In
Long Island Sound.


estimated at a quarter Of million dollars
was destroyed
That more lives were not sacrificed un-
| doubtedly was due to the personal courage
of the officers and crew. and the excellent
discipline maintained when horrible death
for all seemed almost a certainty.
When the steamer was abandoned she
yet tie only persons who lost their lives
were those whose escape had been entirely
cut off by the fire before the alarm reached
them.
NEW YORK, December l7.-Of the thir-
ty-one persons including ten passengers,
who sailed away on the Glen Island for
New Haven. Conn. last night, twenty-five.
| including eight passengers, were brought
back today.
The dead are:
Passengers: Unknown Hebrew woman,
said to have resided At 3i Hamlton street,
New Haven, unknown man. supposed 10 be
a New Yorker. crew: w. +. Hendrichson.
assistant engineer: Luman Miller fireman:
| Frank Bush fireman. John Burke, fireman.:
! Otto l.. Alolfran. fireman; o. Berg. deck
hand; Peter Bcnsen deck hand.
Among the passengers rescued were Mr..
and Mrs. Frederick b. Street New Havens
two daughters of the Streets; Max Levin.
Arthur Wallace. Wellngford. Conn.
The unknown Hebrew woman referred TO
above is believed to Rosa Schalfski
On Regular Trip to New Haven.
The Glen Island left her dock Lere at
$50 last night on her regular trip for New
Haven. There were ten passengers and a
crew of twenty-one men. including Capt.
Charles E. McAllister, First Mate Ira Lar
sen, Pilot Thomas McMulIen and Quarter
master John O'Brien. The trip down
through the sound was without incident,
and just before midnight, when about three
miles west of Greenwich, Conn, Captain
McAllister left the pilot house and went
| below for his midnight lunch.
At that time there was indication of
| trouble OF any kind, but hardly had the
captain 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 extnguished. When
the captain rushed to the deck smoke was
pouring from passaeeway and flames We're
sweeping up through the aperture around
the walking beam.
Captain McAllister sent in the alarm for
fire drill and the men came tumbling out
of their hunks. In the meantime the steer
ing gear had been blocked. and the pilots
finding themselves unable to direct the
course Of the steamer hurried to the assist
ance of the other members of the crew in
saving lives.
Life Boats Launched.
Captain McAllister ordered McMullen to
go to the hurricane deck and losen one of
the boats, while he went to the main deck
and tried to loosen the two large life boats
Captain McAllister managed to loosen the
port life boat. The other lfeboat was
frozen to the davits, but smaller one was
soon ready to be lowered away.
While the offices and crew were working
there was a fearful scene of confusion
among the ten passengers. They ran about
the saloons in disarray. The woman a,ho
lost her life had been aroused by the stew
ardess and was on her way to one of the
boats when she suddenly turned and dash
ed back into the flaming cabin.
1t is supposed that she went back for
must have perished. There was no possi-
bility of waiting for the rescue of those
who failed to appear at once. In the large
boat fifteen people were afioat.
Tug Boat to the Rescue.
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 latter ran up and
jumped in just in the nick of time, he,
tco. would have perished. The smaller
boat which Pilot McMullin had managed
to free. carried seven passengers. The two
boats We're rowed as far away from the
burning steamer as was necessary to eScape
destruction. and waited there and watched
the boat burn They made every effort 10
find any possible survivors, but there was
none to be found.
The burning steamer drifted away toward
the Long Island shore. In the meantime
the tug Bully, which was passing with a
string of barges in tow, sighted the burn
ing 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 alter-
ward. We're transferred to the latter and
brought TO New York.
iDed Like Roasted Rats.
Capt. McAnster of the Glen Island said:
II believe Assistant Engineer Hendrcl1-
son must have been burned at his post
1T was impossible for the six members
of the crew to get from their hunks in the
first hold, where they Were sleeping. We
heard their cries. but there was no chance
for them They died like roasted rats"
Regarding the death of the woman pas
senger, supposed to be Rosa Schalfski, the
captain said when all We're ready TO en-
bark in the boats she returned to her state
room for her purse. The flames cut off her
escape, though the captain could see her
at the door of her room.
Both Went Down to Death.
Fireman Miller, who had dragged lot
of people out of their hunks, says TO me-"
continued the captain, 81 can't see that
woman roast to death there. I'm going TO
get her
II told him It was impossible. but Miller
says. Well, it's worth try, anyway and
he plunged right through the fire AMI reach
ed the woman. He picked her up, and as he
turned to either jump overheard wiz her
or to try to come back where VIC were. We
could all see that his clothes and Eer dress
were afire. 1t was awful.
Miller was about to make a dive with
the woman for the water when the deck
under him gave way. and Ire and the wo-
man went down into the flames. both oe
them being killed.
Location of Burned Steamer
Captains Island where the Glen Island
drifted ashore, lies off Greenwich, Conn,
not far from the north shore of Long Is
land sound. Survivors of the burned
steamboat arrived In this city about day.