The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-01
FIRE IN HOLD.
Flames Ragged for Hours on
Transport Meade.
Many Men Were Overcome by
Deadly Fumes.
THREE OF THESE DIED
The Ship Was Flooded in Order
to Save 1t.
Was to Have Sailed for Manila
Today With Troops.
THREE OF THESE DIED

A
San Francisco. Feb. Shortly be
fore II o'clock last night fire was dis
covered in the hold of the United
States transport Meade, which was to
have sailed for Manila today with
more than 1000 soldiers and a cargo
of 5000 tons of army supplies. The
vessel is lying at the Folsom street
dock and despite the efforts of the city
department. which promptly came to
the aid of the officers and crew, the
fire was not entirely extinguished until
4 o'clock this morning. While the
damage to the vessel was not VITAL
three lives were lost and many persons
injured.
FIRE CAPTAIN CHARLES DAAIN
Of engine No. 4 -,
HOsEMAN THOMAS HENNEssY,
engine No. 4, marrled.
The Injured.
Captain George Wilson of the
Meade, shoulder broken
Lieutenant John Gilbert of engine
CAPTAIN d. r. Well of engine No -.
Lieutenant A. Mattiock q engine
First Omcer L.assak Of the Meade.
H Dale of the United States trans
port service.
Louis Cook, foreman truck NO l.
Gabriel Cuneo, nreman-
Alex Lack of the Meade's crew
Morris Foreman ct transport ser
vice
H. J. McCloskey Of engine No. 4.
Others whose names have not YET
been ascertained were more or less
injured.
Charles Gill, operator for Chief
George Brown. fireman engine
No. Il.
WI. Reagan. fireman engine No. j.
The fact that the vessel was on nre
was first discovered by painter on
the main deck. he rushed to Master
at-Arms Morris, VINO gave the alarm
and aroused Sailing Master wilson
.fIarms were then hurriedly turned
In from the boxes in the Vlcinlty-
Deeds of HerOism.
Deeds of thrilling heroism marked
thu fire Sailing Master George VII
son of the Meade fell down hatchWay
and lay crippled and unconscious Wlth
am injured shoulder.
Chief officer Lassak and others OF
the. crew threw themselves down into
the hold and managed to struggle back
out of the pit of death bearing the
body of the master. Who was Dorne
to a berth out of reach OF the names
and there attended to. Lassak was
himself rescued from death by Joseph
Cook. of truck No. /, and an un-
known man. both of whom took their
lives in their hands j. H. Dale, OF
the United States transport service
was overcome and injured while try
ing to save Third officer w ailace
from the fate that overlook him.
Wallace comes from Sidney, Australia
The forepart of the ship, where
the fire broke out, contained the per
sonal effects of the officers OF the Sec
ond infantry and of the Eighth and
Thirteenth batteries of light artillery
and the loss of property was connned
to this part of the vessel
The fear of an explosion prevailed
but did not deter the fremen, who
knew that there was large quantity
oS ammunition on board RMS now
ever was stored in compartment NO.
s. next to the last on the boat, While
the FIRE began in No. compartment
well forward. The flames, however,
were eating their way backward and
AZ . O'Clock had cut through No 3
cOmpartnen and No. 4. and were
eating their way towards the hold,
where the explosive matter was
stored. The utmost energies of those
in charge we're directed towards flood
ing this compartment and cutting it off
nv a volume of water from the en-
croa achment of the flames.
When it was seen that the flames
were eating their way aft Captain
Wilson. who was lying i'm bed uncon-
scious i'm q berth in the cabin. was
Hfed by willing hands and carried
ashore and sent to the harbOr ship.
He was suffering from bad burns in
addition to his Injured shoulder. Eight
thousand dollars in gold. being car
rfed as military treasure to Manila was
rescued from the ship and guarded
by soldiers Lines of soldiers also
guarded the entrance to the dock.
How Captain Died.
Captain Dakin lost his life because
of his unfmching resolution and
dauntless courage in fighting the fire.
The body was found at the foot of
a ladder and carried out. other fire
men stated that Dakin had come out
of the hold alive after entering it and
Is is believed that. enfeebled as he was
BY his first attempt he sttll nanfully
rushed back to the place of danger.
1T is thought he may have been
drowned in the hold.
When the fire broke out Acting
Chief Sullivan was in charge of the
fire forces He opened a hatch and
let a long ladder down into the hold.
To this act of prudent foresight was
due the saving of the lives of many.
If he had not done this the men over
come by the fumes in the hold could
not possibly have been rescued as the
next hatch led into the heavily laden
coal bunkers.
Captain Gilbert of the fire depart
nent was overcome three times by the
smoke. returning time and again to his
work until he at last was carried away
unconscious.
Fireman J. GIcCloskey of engine No
4. was overcome by smoke and carried
out. bat revived and made q heroic
attempt to save his chief, Captain Da-
kin. whom he knew to be in a peril
Gus position. almost losing his own life
in the unsuccessful effort.
while Hoseman Clunie. Mattlock and
Brown were fighting the flames in the
third hold, the former standing nearly
ss she top OF the companion way and