Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-21
FOUR ARE DEAD
Five Dsy Line Steamer Nsw York --of The Budseu LIue
 Burned 10 Waters Edge
VESSEL TOTAL LOSS

Newburg, Oct 21.-The beautiful steamer New York of the Hudson riv- CT day line was burned to the water line and four negro walters lost their lives this morning at Marvels ship yard in this city where she had been tied up for oyerhauling. The dead are:
 Isaac Jenkins.
 James Jones.
 Alex Bran.
 Joseph Matthews.
 They are all southern negroes.
 The charred bodies of the victims were found this morning below decks in the mems sleeping quarters.
 The fire was exceptionally spectac- ular. Soon after midnight in the af- ter part of the boat, it was soon found to be beyond the control of the Newburgh fire department and as the flames spread throughout the whole great fabric of the superstructure the sky was lurid for miles in all direc-
 
 tions.
 The boat was tied up for repairs, there was no steam in the boilers and therefore the boats own pumps were useless. The new steamer Trojan al- most ready for launching, lay near by and was at times in great peril. She was saved, however, as were num- Der of other boats. though at times the brisk wind carrying sparks and embers started fires in the shipyard. The ship, which cost above half a million, Is an utter loss She was built in Wilmington, Del, in 1887, by Harlan & Hollingsworth and has been one of the fastest and most pa- latial passenger vessels in the -Hud- son river service She carried crew of 73 and was commanded by Captain Arthur H. Harcourt. The New York had a gross tonnage of 1,974. She was 335 feet in length, had beam width of 40.4 feet and drew 11.2 feet. Her engines had capacity of 3,S50 horse power.
 Since the end of the day line sea- son the steamer New York has been moored at the shipyard. Soon after midnight the fire was discovered aft. The Newburghs firemen were unable to stay the flames which soon swept the steamer from bow to stern. The blazing steamer made spectacle which could be seen for miles up and down the river. ts t's-.ss.
 When the New York was docked on Tuesday her boilers were cleaned pre- paratory for inspection There was no steam in the boiler when the fire broke out and the steamers pumps were useless. Had the pumps been In working order 1t Is believed that the fire could have ben extinguished with little loss. The blaze was first discovered by Charles Webster, a waiter. There were 25 colored men asleep on the boat and Webster at once began to awaken them. In their night clothing the men ked from the burning steamer and shiv- cred in blankets on the pier watch Ing the steamer burn.
 The colored men had been paid on Tuesday and they lost their clothing and most of them their money and some as much as $200 each. Four of the colored men on the steamer are missing and 1t is thought that they perished in the flames. One of the victims Is Joseph Matthews, the sec. ond pantryman. Matthews when fleeing with his companions learned that some of them had been left be- hind. He insisted on returning to rescue them. Rushing through the flames and smoke he disappeared from view and never returned. Mat. theWs had worked on theboat for several years. The firemen worked hard to stay the flames and number of them had narrow escapes from ths flames.
 Some citizens who had ventured aboard were almost hemmed in by the fire and barely escaped with their lives. The wind blew hard in the early morning, but blew of shore and carried the flames out in the river away from the shipyard buildings. A small barge lying near the burning steamer caught fire and fioated out in the stream charred hull, at va- rious times during the morning the flames communicated to the shin yard but were kept down by the fire men. Every part of the vessel that was combustible was destroyed and nothing is left this morning of the beautiful river steamer but the char red hull with mass of twisted steel and iron work.
 The origin of the fire is not yet known but it is stated that 1t was caused by the explosion of a lamp be- tween decks. An inquiry into the cause of the disaster will be made by the coroner this afternoon.
 The hull of the New York broke in two this morning. She is total loss. The steamer cost more than half a million dollars and was heightened at cost of s40,000. Some of the woodwork at the storm of the new river steamer Trojan, building for the Hudson Navigation Co was slightly damaged. but not enough to interfere with the launching of the vessel on Saturday.