The Washington herald., 1909-07-26

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water front this afternoon looking toward
Brooklyn where Jerolemon street runs
TO the river could see a steamships lying
at her pier with clouds of smoke Issuing
from her hatchways and skylghts, while
two firebOats and several tugs were
pumping water into her hold.
II was the New York and Cuba Mail
Steamship Company's vessel vigilancia,
Capt. Mckay. but a few hours in from
West Indian ports, with a varied cargo OF
hardwoods hides, hemp. and cocoa, Of
which mahogany and lignum vitae were
the most valuable
The Figtlancia arrived OF the bar at a
little after 9 o'clock this morning. and
II was lust noon when she was warped
into her pier at the foot OF Jerolemon
street. pier IS. and her eighty passengers
went ashore
Three hours later, after Capt. Mckay
and his first officer, Stoddard. had gone
TO their homes in Brooklyn and left the
vessel in charge OF Second Onicer Sea-
strome, one OF the crew reported that he
smelled smoke forward
smoke from VentIIators.
Pretty soon a thin veil drifted up
81
the men got the covers from No. ! and
2 matches there was rush OF smoke. but
no flames were visible.
Mr.. Seastrome ordered two Of the crew
20 get at the seacocks. but It was found
impossible 20 reach them and lines OF
hose were gotten out quickly. The stream
seemed to do little good and an alarm
Of fire was turned in
That brought one engine company with
a high pressure wagon and two fire.
boats. the Hewitt and the BOody. From
the shore side there were three high
pressure streams and from the nreboats
as many more.
The Vigilancia was lying with her bow
toward the stream and her starboard
side toward the pier. As the water was
poured into her matches forward In
vain endelvor to stop the fire in the
hemp that was slowed IN the forward
holds it was seen that the vessel was
listing to starboard The fire fighters
realized that they had a long job before
them and as the ship listed m.re and
more to starboard there arose the fear Of
new danger-what IL she turned turtle
her masts would come plumb against the
roof OF the pier shed and the falling of
that would mean death perhaps 10 many
on shore.
The more water was poured in the
more she listed TO starboard The water
got In on the starboard side forward.
where there was no way for it 10 flow
past the longitudinal bulkhead that ran
as far aft as the engine room, and soon
the decks were at an angle OF forty-fve
degrees and the masts were getting dan
gerously near TO the shed.
Crashes Against Pier.
Three hours after the fire had been
discovered, while the pier was crowded
with fire fighters, the vessel lunged sud
denly 10 starboard, and with a tremen-
dous crash the masts came in contact
with the roof.
The roof gave little shake and
there was a cracking sound and a rush
OF men TO places Of safety, but that was
all. The vessel slid away from the pier.
and turned no farther. The freboats
had before this been pouring their
streams from the port side. but as the
vessel moved away from the pier they
were crowded out OF the dock. and were
compelled 10 come alongside TO star
board The water that was entering the
vessels hold by this time began to flow
in all parts equally, and the ViEilancia
began 70 lose her list TO starboard.
Within an hour she was almost on a
level keel and half an hour after that
she was settled In the muddy bottom
and her decks were level But smoke
still came from her matches forward.
despite the hundreds Of gallons OF water
that had been emptied into her.
The fire had been confined to that part
of the vessel forward Of the engine room
and when II had been drowned out In
the cargo II was eating away at the
woodwork OF the deck houses
At 10 O'Clock tonight, an hour after
the VigilancIa had settled on the bottom.
smoke could still be seen forward and the
number OF streams had not been les |
sened.
As to how the fire started no one
knows. II no doubt had been smolderinR
for some time, for when the Seth Low.
the first OF the firebOats to arrive. threw
a stream against the vessels bow the
water turned TO steam. The Vigilancia
has been known as a hoodoo for some
months past. One OF the crew said that
within six months there had been half 1
dozen small blazes aboard
The loss will not exceed $4,000.