Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-03-08

Portland, Me-, March 7.-CaJchlng
| fire from some unknown cause shortly
after she had docked upon arriving
here from New York early today the
steamer Manhattan owned by the
Maine Steamship Co. was totally de-
stroyed. The loss was placed at $780,,
600 One fireman of the crew was re-
ported missing.
The vessel had been at the Franklin
docks on Commercial street about an
hour when the blaze was discovered
burning between the decks just for
ward of the engine room bulkhead,
over the coal bunkers on the port side.
AS soon as the flames were exposed to
the strong wind blowing they We're
swept through the cargo Of 1relSnt
and within a few minutes the entire
forward part of the ship WAS mass
Of fire.
TO prevent the flames from spread
ing to the docks the Manhattan was
towed out into the stream to the South
Portland side by the ocean tug Honey
brook and several harbor tugs. There
the fireboat Intellectually poured tons of
water into the blazing vessel
With the exception of a small space
aft she had been burned over entirely.
on this spot stood Captain Pierce Lew
is Of Portland with several of the crew
md refused to leave his ship until COM
pelled to do so by the flames. 1t was
expectod that the Manhattan would
Ln, no nSnIOGn
on the Manhattan when she cauSht
fire were six passengers and ere" VI
80 men. With the exception of the
fireman reported missing all escapeo
safely and saved most Of their effects.
The fireman's name is unknown. ne
was seen to come up out of the hold
while the fire was in progress pu'
whether he went back again could not
be learned
The steamer Manhattan was built
at Rath in 1891 for the Maine Steam
shin co. She was a wooden boat OF
1892 tons gross and $500 horsepower.
Her length was 1893 feet; beam 40.'
feet and depth 24.3.
Cant. Lewis was of the opinion that
spontaneous combustion in the coaI
bunkers was responsible for the IRE
He believed the missing fireman was
burned to death as no man could ilFe
below a short time after the hre start
ed. Thirty sailors from the Revenue
Gutter Woodbury. worked hard ABOUT
the Manhattan's decks handling nose
after she had been towed across the
harbor Agent Fl. A. Clay stated thdt
there will be practically no lntef1er-
ence with freight service and that
freight ship will be here tomorrow
night to load out Wednesday morning
The fire continued to burn all day
although the hulk was flooded with
water pumped into it from five tugs
and the fireboat The steamer was
grounded at high tide at a point on
the South Portland side of the harbor
near the breakwater, and was clear OF
all shipping.
Up to noon no trace had been found
| of the missing fireman, Spaniard
shipped in New York Saturday, ana II
was feared he had lost his life after
returning to the hold. There was a
rumor that the fire started shortly
after the steamer passed Cape Cod
! but this was denied and considered
improbable 1t was officially stated
| that the losses on the steamer and
cargo We're fully covered by insurance
The losses were practically total 1t
| is expected another steamer will he
available for use in two or three days
| The crew left at noon FOR New York
| in readiness to take charge of the
craft
The last steamer fire of consequence
here was in 1872. when the New York
Liner Dirign. the Halifax steamer Car
lotta and the Boston steamer Montreal
were totally destroyed and eight lives
were lost on the Dirigo.
New York, March THE steamship