Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-12-18
NINE LIVES LOST ON
BURNING STEAMER
Quick Work of Rescuers Saved
Many From Death.
ORIGIN. OF FIRE is NOT KNOWN

ORIGIN. or FIRE is NOT KNOWN
Terrible Disaster Happens at Midnight
on Long island sound-All on Board
Except Two Passengers and Seven
OF the Crew Escaped.
New York, Dec. 17.-Nine persons,
including two passengers, lost their
lives early today in the burning OF
the steamer Glen Island, bound from
New York to Mex Haven. The steam.
eT drtfted aground on Captains Island
in Long Island sound and was burned
to the waters edge. The vessel left
her pier in North river at 9 o'clock
last night, with the ten or twelve pas.
sengers, and q heavy cargo. The
fre was discovered before midnight
off Execution Point, in the sound. How
1t started is not known but suddenly
| the whole boat was seen to become
| filled with smoke and the electric
| lights were extinguished. Boats were
hurriedly lowered, and all but two
| passengers and seven members Of the
crew escaped. One of the lost passen.
gers was a man and the other a wo-
man, residents Of New York. A tug
| which sighted the Glen Island afire
dashed to the scene and picked up the
passengers and crew from the small
boats. They we're placed aboard the
steamer Coming and brought back to
New York.
The Glen Island belonged to the
Sterin Transportation line. Her car
go was a valuable one, but the lost is
,net yet known.
The dead:
Unknown woman, passenger, resi-
| dent of New York.
Unknown male passenger, Of New
York.
Robert Hanley, deck hand.
o. Bird, deck hand.
Frank Bush, fireman.
Dunman Miller, fireman.
William Burke, fireman.
Otto -, fireman.
William Hendricksen, assistant en-
gtneer.
Among those saved were Mr. and
Mrs. Frederick Street, Of New Haven,
and two daughters OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Street
Maxey Levy, Of New York.
The Street girls are students at
Vassar and 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 believed to have started in
dynamo located below and near
the center Of the vessel.
Nearly all the passengers were in
their berths when the vessel sudden.
ly bcame filed with sitting smoke
and the lights went out.
Captain McAllister sent men through
the cabin and the passengers were
quickly aroused. Owing to the fact
that considerable ice was banking
along the shore it was not possible to
reach safety in that direction and the
vessel drifted toward Captains island.
Efforts to check the spread of the
flames were without avail and the life.
boats were prepared. With life belts
about them the passengers were quick.
ly transferred to small boats. Eight
persons got into one and Is into an
other. So heavily laden was the sec.
ond boat that it threatened every mo-
ment to capsize. The life boat hung
about the burning steamer in the
hope of picking up some of the miss.
ing, and in few minutes the tug
Billy, towing some barges, appeared,
The tow line was Immediately severed
and the Billy ran UP to the scene.
The tug ran as close as possible,
but nothing could be seen of the nine
| missing persons, and all hope of say.
ing them was given up.
Those In the lifeboat were taken
| aboard and after the burning wreck.
age drifted ashore on the island, the
tug headed for New York. On the
way she met the steamer Erastus
Coming, also of The Starin line, and
| the rescued were transferred to that
vessel. They reached the city shortly
| after o'clock. They report having
| suffered severely from the sold and
| uarvoua shncI-s h,yt MONA uas il, f,,rad
The Glen Island, which was com
manded by Captain McAllister, who
was the last person to leave the wreck,
was constructed from the ruins of the
City of Richmond. The latter, curious.
| ly enough, was also burned. After
having been rebuilt, the steamer was
christened William G. Edgerton and
afterward named Glen Island.
According to First Mate Larsen,
the fire broke out in the forward part
of the steamboat when she was off
| Captains Island. Larsen declares
that it seemed to have gained a head.
way which it was hopeless to attempt
to fight, and in few minutes the en-.
tire vessel was ablaze.
Those of the crew who perished were
| in the hold and could not escape be-
| fore the flames swept over them. The
two passengers reported dead were
missing when the survivors reached
the boats lit is supposed they were
| caught in the cabin and burned to
| death.