The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-14
Big YACHT DELAWARE BURNED
SHE AND THE COLONIA TLLUMT-
NATE THE BATTLEFRONT.
Zig Loss OF Commodore Frederick q.
bourne OF New York Yacht Club-Ice
Interferes With Work OF Firemen--ships
Worth More Than Half Million.

|
Commodore Frederick G. Bourne's big
steam yacht Delaware. lying ice locked
| in the Weehawken Basin, and his smaller
steam yacht Colonia. were practically
destroyed by fire last night. Within an
hour after the blaze was discovered aboard
! the Delaware she was Quilted from stem
| to stern and the Colonia had sunk. The
loss ia said to be in the neighborhood OF
$500 600 as the Delaware cost about $500, :
900 and the Colonia about 100000
Commodore Bourne. who has been COM
modore OF the New York Yacht Club Tor
the last few years, laid up the yachts last
fall for winter in the basin. They were
anchored close TO the piers of Fifteenth
street, HobokeH, frozen in the heavy shore
ice Above them lay the old wooden sloop
OF war Portsmouth, used now IA a
training ship for the New jersey Naval
Reserves.
The Delaware and Colonia were anchored
about 800 feet from each other. On board
we're oaretakers.
How the fire originated on the Delaware
is not known. Maybe it started in the
engine room. Several people on the Fiji
tenth street docks saw tongues OF fame
called policeman, who turned in an alarm.
which was followed in few minutes by
second and a third
About the same time the watch ON the
Portsmouth saw the flames, and Commo-
dore Davenport. in command OF the old
training ship, got his men ready for action.
By the time the Hoboken fremen got
to the pier the Delaware was burning briskly,
sending up tall sheets Of flame and showers
of sparks that endangered the Portsmouth
and Colonia, as we'll as the docks and smaller
vessels tied up for the winter.
The men had hard job getting their
apparatus TO work on account OF the icy
streets and piers, and because the nearest
hydrants were at Fourteenth street, a
block away.
BY the time the hose was rugged up and
stretched to the Fifteenth street dock
and then across the shore ice to the Della
ware the Colonia had caught from sparks
and was burning fast. So quickly did the
fire eat into the smaller yacht that she
sank within thirty minutes.
The crew OF the Portsmouth rugged
the ships pumps. moved the ancient weasel
as near as possible to the Delaware and
threw streams of water from range
of 200 feeti Three big tugs, whose captains
had seen the blaze from down the river,
came ripping through the ice and joined
in the work. These were the Gilkinson,
the Westield and the Fuller.
Water poured into the Delaware in cata-
racts from three sides. By 1880 o'clock
the FIRE was whipped, but the big yacht
was left not much more than charred
she'll All that could be seen Of the hand
some little Colonia was the tip of one mast
sticking out of the deep water. The heat
from the fire was 80 intense that the heavy
ice for rods around was melted.
Il was q spectacular blaze and drew
thousands of folk To- the water fronts
at Hoboken and across the river. Dozens
of citizens threw off overcoats and dragged
hose with the filemen or helped wet down
the piers.
The danger to the Fifteenth street pier
was considerable. Part Of the fire force
was assigned TO watch the pier during the
burning OF the yachts.
The Delaware was one Of the finest vessels
under the flag OF the n. Y. Y. C. She meas
ured 1861 tons gross, was 253 feet long
over all, 81 feet inches broad and 20 feet
4 inches deep. She was very fast, Com
modore Bourne was fitting her up for
spring cruise to the West Indies. She was
q single screw.
The Colonn was twin screw steam
yacht of $50 gross tons, 1se feet over all.
22]l feet beam and Il feet depth Of hold.
Both yachts we're elegantly equipped.
Commodore Bourne. 1t was said at the New
York Yacht Club last night, is in the South.