New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-11
400 IN PANIC DURING
M|D-R|vER FERRY FIRE
Blaze Bursts Through Hurricane
Deck of the LaCkawanna,
Famed by High Wind. Z
HERD PASSENGERS BELOW
Patrolman on Board Helps the
Deckbands Prevent Scream
ing Women from Jumping
Overheard in Terror.

Fire Oh the ferryboat Lackawanna
while she was i'm the middle of the Iiud-
son River last night terrified four hun
dred passengers. Deckhands. aided by
patrolman who was on board had 10 herd
the terrified passengers together TO pre-
vent women from loaping overboard The
boat reached the Manhattan side safely.
Fire engines were called and extinsuished
the blaze without a great deal Of damage.
\ fire occurred i'm the same place on the
boat al II o'clock Yesterday morning.
The boat. which is one of the regulars
IN the Lackawanna ferry service. LEFT
River street. IIOboken. at 10 o'clock with
a crowd bound for this side of the river
she was halfway over the stream when
Il Gcckhand. walking on the hurricane
deck. noticed blaze in the woodwork
Of the ''roundhouse," Just next the fun
rel The dcckhand raced 10 the piiot
house and told Captain Crocker who
ordered the other dcckhands and porters
TO send all the passengers 10 the lower
deck
Imploye- rushed through the saloon
hall OF the upper deck, and sent the
women and children down. Their orders
created great excitement, for the Dassen-
gers did not realize what was happening
Soon the word fire" was noised about IN
the throne gathered on the lower deck
and women screamed.
team of horses near the bow seemed
TO know the danger and began to Kick
and plunge. The driver ran to their heads
and kept them from running through the
crowd TO the chains that guard the bow
OF the boat.
Patroman Murphy. Of the West nth
street station. had just left his home N
Honoken To- 60 on duty at the station
lie grabbed his night stick and helped the
dcckhands. who had to strain against the
waiting room doors TO keep the crowd in
side. one woman managed to squeeze out
and ran to the rail. but bis deckhand
showed her back into the cabin.
Captain Crockor. N the pilot house, on
the hurricane deck. had rung for full
speed a. soon a. ne was told o. the fisc.
aud he stood beside the steersman az the
Lackawanna sped on across the dark
river Behind him the supcrstructure was
blazing. and despite the buckets OF water
dashed on IL by the men. the sparks con-
tinued to rs. Some fell aft TO the deck
OF the boat and created more panic
The fire hose was brought into play and
the fire died down for "A while, but a stiff
breeze was ON the river. and the men
found IL desperate work for time. Cap
tain Croker had the Lackawanna's big
siren whistle working and all over the
river craft answered.
Another I.ackawanna fcrryboat. the
Hamburg. was one Of the first TO reach
her side. Her captain leaned out OF the
pilot house window. and then proposed to
shove alongside and try To take the Lack
awannas passengers on. but the people
were 80 terrified that Captain Crucker
deemed this unwise.
By that time. however. be- Was nearing
the New York shore. anyway. The tide
was bearing heavily against the Lacka-
wanna. and 90 save time her captain
SWUNG her into the I'd street slip Of the
Jersey Central ferries. The passengers
piled ashore still frightened. but all safe.
Fire alarms had been runs when the
boat was still In the river. and few
minutes after the LackaWanna docked,
men stood on her hurricane deck chop
ping away the burning structure Deputy
Chief Morton was In charge Of the Fire
Department
The tire Yesterday morning occurred in
the same place a. the one last night.
POrtcrs. however, put out the blaze