The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-08-10
EIGHT PERISH.
IN FLAMES Of
BURNING BOAT
Steamer Premier Burned to
Waters Edge at warren's
Landing, Man.
CUT OFF BY FLAMES IN THE
GANG WAY AND were sMoTHERED

Miss Povah Of Winnipeg, Who Was q
Passenger on the Ill Fated Steamer.
Was one Of the Victims-Fire's ORR.
gin Mystery.
selkirk. Man.. Aug. 10.-The steam
er Premier, Capt. Stevens of selkirk,
was burned to the waters edge at
Warren's landing Thursday morning.
Six Of the passengers and two of the
crew failed to make their escape and
were burned with the boat. The docks.
freezers and several buildings in the
immediate vicinity were also burned.
The fire started in the hold of the
boat near the engine room, and gained
such rapid headway that escape was
cut on for many Of those aboard. The
loss ts roughly estimated at $4,000,
only partially insured.
Jones. Overton and Fryer were
three boys, who were on holiday
trip. as was also Miss Povah of Win
nipeg. The Premier, the destroyed
vessel. was the property Of the Do
mtnion Fish company of Selkirk, ply
Ing on Lake Winnipeg between Sell
kirk and Warren's landing, which is
at the extreme northerly end Of the
lake.
The dead are: Mrs. Antoine Cou-
ture Of Selkirk, passenger; Walter
Olson Of Gimli, Man., passenger; Miss
Mary Elizabeth Povah of Winnipeg,
passenger; Elmer Jones, son of T. ].
Jones, manager of the Dominion Fish
company. Selkirk, Man.; Osler Over
ton. son Of William Overton, Selkirk,
Man; Leonard Fryer, son Of w. T.
Fryer of Selkirk, Man; Gus Wiel of
st. Boniface, Man, cook; Norman
Smith of Selkirk, Man., assistant cook.
The injured are: Mrs. Messer, mis-
sionary. Norway house; burned on
the arms; Miss Isbister. back injured
by jumping overheard. :.
Those who escaped were: w. E.
HUMPHREYS and wife of Winnipeg; the
Misses Craig, M. Isbister and two
other girls; Mrs. Messer, Tom Jer-
ries, John Wadge of Brandon, J. De-
laney and Miss Menzies. Sixteen
members of the crew escaped also.
The Premier left ,Selkirk for the
north Monday at p. m. with crew
and passenger list of thirty-eight. She
reached Warren's landing Wednesday
evening and unloaded her cargo dur
ing the morning. In the afternoon
Capt. Stevens took on the return car
go in readiness to . sail Thursday
morning. At 1850 in the morning
fire broke out in the hold near the
boilers and before an alarm could be
sounded had cut off escape by the
main companion way. There were
about thirty-1ive sleeping on board
and these were cut off before they
had time to dress. A few got away by
the gang plank but others were forced
to jump into the tug Idell, along
side.
Either Burned or Suff0cated.
Little is known as to how the VIC
Tins Of the tragedy met their deaths.
It is supposed. however, that they
were cut off in the cabin and were
either burned to death or smothered
before the flames reached them. Wiel
the cook and his assistant Smith were
sleeping forward in the kitchen off
the main cabin, almost Immediately
above the spot where the fire started.
Nothing on board was saved, the pas
sengers and crew getting away with
only their. night clothes. Before the
steamer could be cut adrift and showed
into the lake, the flames, driven by a
heavy wind of the water caught the
docks, and in the absence Of all fire
fighting appliances, It was but q few
minutes before these too we're DOOM
ed. As the fire gained headway it
caught the fish freezers on the dock.
the ware houses, and several other
buildings close at hand. The trad
ing post and the houses of the settle
narrow escape.
News Brought by Wolverine.
The first word of the tragedy reached
here by the Steamer Wolverine, which
arrived from the north at 8 o'clock
last night, with the survivors of the
passengers and crew. A member Of
the crew gave graphic description
of the fire.
1--WE arrived at Warren's landing at
o'clock Wednesday evening, and be-
fore midnight were loaded up for the
return trip. Ralph Forrest, the mate,
made final round of the boat at mid
night and left word to- be called at
3:45, also instructing the engineer at
the Same time to have steam up in
readiness to start at o'clock in the
morning. It was 1850 when the
watchman, Anderson, first detected
the fire, and he gave the alarm At
once. Cornish. the engineer, was at
once alive to the danger Of the situ-
alton and. being the first one awake,
started in to call the passengers and
Smashed Cabin windows.
II was awakened by the smashing
Of my window, - Cornish jammed a
stick OF wood through It, shouting
"fire" at the Same time. He then pro-
ceeded down the deck, smashing all
Of the windows a. he went and rous-
ing the occupants with the same cry
40 he went. Mr.. Forrest went inside
the cabin. opening the doors % he
vwA nd 60At "a