The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-01
LAKE STEAMER
CAUGHT ON FIRE
Blaze discovered While Boat Was
Several Miles Out on the Lake
With Hundreds
Abroad.
WERE RESCUED
ship lowed to Shore Who're Fire
Tugs Began to Fight confiagra-
ton on the City Of
Chicago.

United Press Leased wire SorV1Ce.J
CHICAGO, Sept. with her hold
flames and in a sinking condition,
the excursion steamer City OF Chi
cago, from Benton Harbor, Mich, to
Chicago carrying between 100 and 200
passengers, arrived of the harbor at
~daybreak today. Tugs were rushed to
her assistance and according to the
officers Of the Graham and Morton
Co, owners, all the passengers have
been taken of to the lighthouse q
mile OF shore. Fire tugs are now
fighting the flames.
The boat caught fre miles out In
the lake. Distress signals were flash
ed to the lighthouse and life saving
station at the mouth of the Chicago
river by wireless and several fast
tugs Immediately put out to the res.
cue. Meanwhile the burning steamer
was dashing through an early morn
ing fog toward the harbor. Tugs had
taken OF nearly all the passengers
when the excursion boat, now q mass
of flame, arrived of the light house
where city fire tugs began battling
with the blaze. Several members OF
the crew are reported missing, but
Graham and Morton insist that there
was no loss Of life.
The steamers City Of Grand Rapids
and City of Benton Harbor OF the
Graham and Morton line rescued pas
senger and members Of the crew
that had not been taken on by tugs
and motor boats from the life savins
station and towed the burning vessel
to the pier at the mouth Of the Chi
cago river. Oficers OF the company
said they could not explain the origin
of the fire.
Thrilling Experience.
CHICAGO, Sept. Wrapped In
flames and doomed, the excursion
steamer City Of Chicago. inbound
from Benton Harbor, Mich. raced
more than a mile with death today
Her $50 passengers, most Of them Won
en- and children. we're taken off by
tugs and other excursion boats hall
an hour before the big boat sank at
the mouth OF the Chicago river after
being lowed to her pier.
Fire broke out in the boiler room
as the boat was swinging in from its
nightly excursion trip to Benton Har
Dor. The smoke swept through the
state rooms and dozens of passengers
in their night clothing, ran panic
stricken for the upper decks. Mean,
while tugs from the life saving sta
ton and the sister steamers City OF
Benton Harbor and City OF Grand
Rapids of the Graham and Morton
line, hurried out into the lake in an
swer to a distress signal from the
burning vessel that was seen at the
light house, one mile off shore.
Several passengers leaped into the
water and swan to the tugs as they
approached the steamer, whose sides
we're fast becoming sheets of flame.
Speeding into the harbor, the excur.
sion boat headed direct for the
mouth of the Chicago river and
crashed into the pier. Those pas
sengers who had not been taken OF,
we're then rescued and fire tugs
turned their attention to the burning
boat. She sank in a few feet Of wa
ter.
Passengers lost all their personal
effects. A dozen women and girls
clad only in night clothes, sat in the
company's office at the pier while
clothing was being brought them. FIJI
tv members of the crew who aided in
the rescue Of the passengers, helped
fight the flames until it was seen that
the boat would go to the bottom
While it was reported that one man
was missing, the company officials In
sisted that every person had been &C
counted for.