The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-18
STEAMER BURNS ID THE WATERS EDGE Nine Lives Are Lost in Long
 Island Sound MANY SAVED BY7THE CREW No One Seems to BeAAble to Account For Origin of the Fire Which
 Spread Rapidly Over the
 Boat.
MANY SAVED BYs1HE CREW

New York, December 17.-By the burn ing of the Starin line steamer Glen Island in Long Island sound today nine lives were lost and property roughly estimated at a quarter of a million dollars was de- stroyed. That more lives were not sacri- floed undoubtedly was due to the personal courage of the officers and crew and the excellent discipline maintained when horrible death for all seemed almost certainty. When the steamer was aban- doned she was flame 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 thirty-two persons, including ten passengers, who sailed away on the Glen Island last night. twenty-two. including eight passengers, were brought back to- day.
 Captain Gives the Alarm.
 The Glen Island left her dock here at 9:3O o'clock last night on her regular trip for New Haven. Just before mid night Captain McAllister left the pilot house and went below for his midnight lunch. At that time there was no indi- cation of trouble of any kind, but hardly had the captain reached the galley when there came rush of stiffling smoke from tho hold of the steamer and every electric light on board the craft was ex- tinguished. Captain McA1lister sent in the alarm for fire drill, and the men came tumbling out of their hunks. In the mean ffrna the had haor h10r1rnd and the pilots finding themselves unable to direct the course of the steamer hur- ried to the assistance o. the other mem- bers of the crew in saving lives.
 Captain McAllister ordered McMullin 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.
 Captain McAlIister managed to loosen the port lifeboat. The other lifeboat was frozen to the davits, but a smaller one was soon ready, but was blown away.
 Woman Wanted Her VaIuables.
 A woman who lost her life had been aroused by the steward and soon was on her way to one of the boats when she suddenly turned and dashed back Into the flaming cabin. It is supposed that she went back for her valuables OHS was uOL Seeu dBdln tIlu InuSl udN0 perished. In the large boat fifteen people were afioat. They included the eight rescued passengers and seven f1remen, in- cluding the captain. The smaller boat which Pilot McMullin had managed to free carried seven passengers. The two boats were rowed as far away from the burning steamer as was necessary to es- cape destruction and gvaited there and watched the boat burn. They made every possible effort to find any of the sur Nivors but there were none to be found
 The burning steamer drifted away to- ward the Long Island shore. Tn the meantime the tug Bully which was pas- sing with string of barges in tow, sighted the burning steamer, cast her tow adrift and came to the rescue of the persons in these boats. They were taken on the small craft, placed in the fur mace room of the tug. clothing was given 10 them and the steamer Erastus Corn ing coming along shortly afterward. they were transferred to the latter and were brought to New York.