The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-03-03
AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE
Fourteen LivesLost on SteamerQueen
During Fire and Storm.
TWO LlFEsoATs WERE cAPsIzEp
Before Flames Were Subdued, and
When II Seemed a Choice Of Death,
Lifeboats Were Launched - Snip
Pursued BY Misfortune.

lifeboatB Were LdunCned O"P
Pursued BY Misfortune.
Port Townsend. Wash, Feb. %. -
After suffering the most narrowing eX-
perience from fire and storm that has
eyer befallcn n craft on the North Pa
clnc coast. the steamer Queen put In
here to report the loss of II lives.
The list OF dead follows. Miss Stein
er, Clellum, Wash, drowned; Mrs.
Adams. died from exposure. d. News
bury. Texas; II. Buckley. drowned, A.
Nielsen. J. Nielsen and T. Preitas,
stewards: w. H. Eneman. NJ. Somers,
H. Douglass, A. DOnnelly, --- Ray
mond. Peter Mulln and NJ. Flynn.
While Of the mouth Of the Columbia
river the Queen caught fire in her after
saloon in some unexplained way. The
Gre rapidly gained Roadway and threat
cned soon 10 envelope the whole ship.
The heavy seas running meant death to
any sent away in the lifebOats. The
flames became more and more threat
ening until. when il seemed a choice
of death, Captain Cousins ordered the
lfcboats launched. They were manned
by the crew and ordered 10 remain
close to the ship. Into these the women
and children We're placed. Hardly, how
ever had the boats been cast loose
than. unable 10 weather the fierce
waves. two of them were capsized.
The passengers and those OF the
crew who remained on board continued
their fight against the flames with in
creasing success for four hours. and the
fire was brought under control. When
il was thought the danger from fire was
past Captain Cousins recalled the life
boats. and the occupants were taken
aboard.
The Queen was headed for the mouth
Of the Columbia river and the steamer
Santa Monica was sighted. The Queen
signalled and asked to stand by until
temporary repairs could be made.
When everything had been made safe
the Queen continued on 10 the mouth
Of the Columbia river only TO find the
bar was too rough to cross in. The
distressed craft was pointed toward
Puget Sound. but bad fortune still pur-
sued her, and when she rounded Cape
Flattery she encountered a terrific cleo
trical storm. With difficulty she wealth
cred the gale reached here without
any further mishap and proceeded to
Seattle.
Ten OF those who lost their lives
we're thrown out OF the small boats;
three men. walters on the vessel. were
sunocated before they could reach the
outer air from their hunks. and one
woman died from exposure.
According to the stories told by pas
sengers and the crew. the vessel was
of TillamoOk and about 30 miles from
land when the fire was discovered.
There was a heavy sea on and the ship
was pitching badly. When smoke was
discovered coming out OF the social
hall on the after main deck OF the YES
sci. the crew was Immediately hurried
out and the small boats manned, while
the stewards went from cabin TO cabin,
waking up the passengers. When Cap
tain Cousins discovered the extent OF
the fire. which embraced practically
all the rear portion of the vessel, he
Immediately ordered the lifeboats to
be launched.
The passengers when interviewed
later stated that everything possible
was done by Captain Cousins. Had 1t
not been necessary TO send off the boats
not life would have been lost, but as
It was dark when the fire started and it
was impossible to light the vessel or to
confine the women to their staterooms
il was absolutely necessary TO send
them away TO avoid a panic.
Practically the entire aft OF the ship
Is In ruins. The intense heat OF the
flames bent and twisted the interior
iron work into a shapeess mass and
sailors viewing the ruins state that
they do not understand how 1t was pos
slble TO get control of the flames. Were
it not for the fact that the captain,
crew and passengers behaved with the
utmost GOODNESS, the vessel undoubted-
ly would have been destroyed and the
loss of life enormous. The vessel car
ried more than 200 passengers.