Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-19
On Trip from New York to New
Haven, Friday Night.
Only 22 Of 81 Persons on Board Are
Taken of.

maintained when horrible death for
al seemed almost a certainty.
When the steamer was abandoned she
was hame-swept from stem to stern,
and yet the only persons who lost their
lives were those whose escape had been
entirely cut off by the fire before the
alarm reached them.
OF the 81 persons. including ID passen-
gers, who sailed away on the Glen Is
land, Friday night. %, including eight
passengers, were brought back, Satur-
day.
The dead:
Unknown Hebrew woman. believed to
be Mrs Rosa Silkcn. aged 60, a pedler,
of FOG Hamilton street. New Haven.
Unknown man, supposed to be a New
Yorker
w. e Hendrickson, assistant en-
gineer
Luman Miller, fireman.
Frank Bush, fireman.
John Burke, fireman.
Otto Y. Alofran, fireman.
o. Berg. deckhand.
Peter Bensen, deckhand.
Among the passengers rescued were
Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick 3. Street Of
New Haven.
Two daughters of the Streets.
Max Levin, New York.
Nathan Dublin, 252 Cedar street, New
Haven.
Arthur Wallace, Wallingford, Conn.
The Glen Island left her dock here at
$50. Friday night, on her regular trip
for New Haven. There were 10 pas
sengers and crew of q men. includ-
ing Capt. Charles f. McAllaster, First
Mate Ira Larsen, Pilot Thomas Nc
Mullin and Quartermaster John
O'Brien.
The trip down through the sound was
without incident. Just before midnight.
when about three miles this side of
Greenwich, CT, Capt. McAllaster left
the pilot house and went below for his
midnight lunch.
At this time there was no indication
of trouble, but hardly had the captain
reached the galley when there came a
rush of sitting smoke from the hold of
the steamer and every electric light on
board the craft was extinguished.
When the captain rushed to the deck
smoke was pouring from every pas
sageway and flames were sweeping up
through the aperture around the walk
ing beam.
Capt. McAlaster sent in the alarm for
fire drill and the men came tumblinS
out Of their hunks. In the meantime
the steering gear had been blocked
and the pilots, finding themselves I'M
able to direct the course of the steam
er rushed to the assistance of the other
members of the crew in saving lives.
Capt. McAllaster ordered Pilot Nc
Mu,lin to go 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. Capt. McAllas-
ter managed to get away the port life
boat. The other lifeboat was frozen to
the davits but a smaller one was soon
ready to be lowered away.
While the officers and crew were work
ing there was great confusion among the
10 passengers. They ran about the saloons
in disarray.
The woman who lost her life had been
aroused by the stewardess. and was on
her way to one of the boats when she
suddenly turned and dashed back into the
flaming cabin. 1t is supposed that she
went back for valuables.
There was no possibility of waiting for
the rescue of those who failed TO appear
at once. In the large boat Is people were
afloat. These were the eight passengers,
six of the crew and 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.
The smaller boat which Pilot McMul-
lin had managed to free. carried seven
passengers. The two boats were 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 to find any posi-
BILE survivors, but there was none to be
found.
The burning steamer drifted away to-
ward the Long Island shore. In the mean
time the tug Bully. which was passing
with a string of barges in tow, sighted the
burning steamer cast her tow adrift and
came to the rescue of the persons in the
boats.
One deckhand Peter Hansing. succeeded
in getting off the boat and swimming to
the tug. He was nearly unconscious from
cold when he was taken on board the tug.
river with the tide, floated past Glen is
land, and again an attempt was made to
get her by life-savers from the shore, but
without success. The river al that pc}nt
was swimming with ice and the tide Was
running fast.
The Street girls are students at Vassar
and were on their way to New Haven
for the holiday vacation at home.
The tug headed for New York. On the
way she met the steamer Erastus Corning
also Of the Starin Line. and the rescued
persons were transferred to that vessel.
They arrived. shortly before A. M. sat
urday. II
Beyond their having suffered seve1 ~
from the cold and nervous shock, ncne
appeared injured.
The Glen Island was constructed from
the ruins of the City of Richmond. Inc
latter also was burned. After having been
rebuilt the steamer was christened VIII
liam c. Egerton and later renamed Glen
Island. -
The members Of the crew Of the Glen
Island WHIP lost their lives n ne Durn-
I'M 81 the( steamer probably belonsea e
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