Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-05-24
STEAMER NAOMI BURNED.
CROSBY PASSENGER LINER DE-
STROYED WHILE COMING TO
MILWAUKEE,.
FIVE LIVES ARE LOST
Three Steamers Near at Hand When Fire
Broke Out and Rescued Passen-
gers and Crew.


Especial. Five lives were lost and
about seventy-fve people had perilously
close escape from death and a property
loss of $25O,0OO was caused when the
passenger and freight steamer Naomi OF
the Crosby Transportation company
burned early today in the middle OF Lake
Michigan while on her regular night trip
from this port to Milwaukee.
Dying Men Begged for Help.
Four of the victims We're coal passers
penned down in the forecastle by the
flames where many of the rescued pas
sengers from the decks of the tre1Shter
Kerr and the steamer Kansas saw them
at the port holes vainly imploring tor
help. J. NJ. Rhoades of Detroit, pas
senger was the fifth victim. He was ter
ribly burned in his berth and died soon
after reaching a hospital at Grand Rap
ids, Mich. The steamer was burned TO
the waters edge, and has been toWeo
into this harbOr where she lies at hef
dock, a smoldering hulk.
Fire Starts at 1880 A. M.
The fire broke out about 1870 o'clock
between decks in the forward end of the
steamer. 1t spread with tremendous
rapidity and it was apparent almost
from the first that it was vain for the
crew to fight the flames. They lmmedl-
ately turned their attention to arrous1ng
the passengers and getting them on deck.
Headed by Steward Phillip Rossbach
and Purser William Hanrahan the mem
bers of the crew worked like heroes to
save the sleeping men, women and chill
dren.
Steamers to the Rescue.
Capt Trail sent up signals for help
as soon as he discovered that his ship
was afire and in a few moments three
steamers whose lights could be seen a
| few miles away came to the rescue.
| They were the steel freighter Kerr, the
| Kansas, a Crosby liner and the SaXonla.
| Several of the life rats and boats on the
| Naomi were destroyed before the crew
could get them lowered. By the time the
| three steamers had reached the scene the
| Naomi's boats were in the water filled
with people and a number OF passengers
were still huddled on the stern OF the
| burning ship.
| Men Are Brave.
| All of them were loud i'll their praise
| of the NaomiS crew and their bravery
| and GOODNESS. Steward Rossbach and
| purser Hanrahan, who rescued Rhoades
from his berth when the cabin was h5le1
| with flames, were especially commended.
The captain of the Kerr ran his big
| steel ship up under the Naomi's stern SO
| close that the imperilled people leaped to
! her deck.
| Then the screams Of the imprisoned
coal passers were heard from the bow
portfolios. Vainly they begged for help.
| The port holes were too small for them
| to pass through and they were compelled
to fall back into the smoke and fire
where they burned to death.
| The Kansas took on board the half
| clad and terribly shocked and frightened
passengers and brought them to this
| port.
On Way to Milwaukee.
The Naomi left here last night on her
usual run to Milwaukee. There were
| about fifty passengers on the boat. She
| had reached midlake and had passed her
sister boat, the Kansas, on her way from
| Milwaukee to Grand Haven when the
| fire broke out.
The lookout on the Kansas noticed a
| bright light on the Naomi and a moment
| later saw that the ship was on fire. He
| gave the alarm and the Kansas turned
her course toward the Naomi, the crew
of which seemed unconscious OF the dan
| ger.
The fire started in the vicinity of the
| kitchen, between decks, and spread so
rapidly that the whole ship was a seeth-
| ing furnace before the crew could get the
fire apparatus working. Fire swept the
whole length of the ship and the upper
works burned like finder.
Passengers Awakened.
AS soon as the Naomi crew discovered
| the fire, the passengers were awakened
and warned to remain calm. There was
| little time to be lost and the frightened
| passengers rushed for the boats and life
| RATS. The fire ragged furiously and adj
| vanced toward them.
When the alarm of fire was sounded,
| the officers and crew succeeded in pre-
| 81 SnpiNnS manic Tho
were marshalled to the side of the burn
ing vessel, and were loaded into the life
boats. Several members of the crew
were badly burned.
The steamer Stra ford was near and
came UP to the burning Naomi to help
| i'll rescuing those in distress. The Kan
sas and StratfOrd both lowered boats
and all the passengers were taken off.
Many Lose Everything.
Many escaped clad only in their night
clothes. and the majority lost all their
| belongings. Some We're slightly burned,
but as far as can be ascertained, only
one passenger received fatal burns.
1t was found impossible for four coal
| passers or the doomed steamer to es-
cape from their quarters below, because
of the flames. The screams of the men
| could be heard, but it was impossible to
reach them. One of the officers yelled
to them down manhole to crawl into
the ballast tanks.
Late today when the hulk was boarded
the bodies of the dead coalpassers were
found. The men had been roasted to
death They had been unable to reach
| the ballast tank.
Names of the Dead
The mems names are as follows: Cor
don, Miner. Stanton and one unknown.
There is a possibility that a fifth body
may be found in the hold. The bodies
will be buried in Grand Haven this after
| noon.
There was no sea fortunately, and the
lake lay like Il mirror rejecting the
flames. The life boats were quickly
rowed to the side of the Kansas, and re-
lieved of their loads. A roll call was
made and it was found that none save
the coal passers were missing.
Captains Clothes Burned Off.
Capt. Thomas Trail was the last
man to leave the steamer alive and his