The Alaska daily empire., 1915-09-29
LINK BOAT
 CONSUMED
 BY FLAMES

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 When the famous Arctic schooner p. J. Abier burned to the waters edge in Gastiucau Channel this afternoon thirty thousand dollars went up in smoke. The fire. one of the most spectacular ever witnessed here, at- tracted hundreds of people to the wa. terfrout an afternoon and 9 score of small boats lowered in the vicinity. At q o'clock this afternoon the vessel was burning aerceiy. great clouds Of smoke rolling from her amidships. As the tide is receding. it is believed the vessel and the great store Of gas oiine aboard win burn an night ii the ship becomes stranded on the Douglas beach, a half mile from Ju- neau.
 Monday night the Abler limped in- to port in a leaking condition, after having discarded her deck cargo. worth S5.000. during Q fearful storm which she encountered at sea, after leaving Wrangen She had been bound to Bethel Alaska. from Seattle.
 How Fire Started.
 At l1.15 this morning, while the schooner lay at anchor near the Chan nel spit. one of the crew of 17 men aboard smelied escaping gas and went into the engine room aft, to inyesti- gate. A spark rom a candle ignited the gasoline. and the crew hastily manned the fre-1ghting apparatus At l2 o'clock the flames were getting beyond coyroi and the schooners whistle began footing an alarm. Two minutes after c. H. Wilbur told Cap tain William Gregory. of the light- house tender Kukui. the latter craft was headed for the scene. while the tenders crew coupled up the fire house and manned the pumps With in five minues four streams from 2- inch hose. were pouring into the Abier The vessel commenced to sink slowly from the weight of the water. but the oil stored aft burned with great fury and when smali gaso- line tanks began popping Captain Gregory decided to withdraw He launched a life boat and took the crew from the Abler and then drew along side the burning vessel At full speed ahead Che Kukui moved when Cap tain Gregory ordered the lines cut loose. and the Abler. carried by her momentum. surged up to the Douglas shore The tender then returned to her dock
 5000 Gallons of oil Burn.
 At 2.15 D. m.. the first of the fifty four 1l0.gallons or distillate exploded, the smoke and flames shooting high into the air. From that time on. at intervals of few minutes, the tanks exploded. and burning oil scattered all over the water around the boat. Grad uaily the flames ate their way for ward. famed by @ stiH breee, and at q o'clock an but the bow was envelop- ed in flames. Tn Che bow of the boat is stored 1000 gallons Of fuel oil.
 "She was worth S35000. over all" said Captain F. D. Hoffman this after noon. "She had on board beside a whole cargo Of food stuns and sup plies for lhe Government school at Bethel and Good News Bay Q large amount Of coal 30.O00 feet of lmuber hardware. 7S rifles. ammunition and groceries
 Just at o'clock the flames evident iy had reached the stock of ammuni- tion which was stored nidships near tank Of oil containing 1000 gallons The explosion was fearful and for a moment the whole craf. was wrapped in flames A gust Of wind caught her just as the ammunition was fired and the boat swung into the channel spurt- ing flames and bits of debris like a gatiing gun.
 Not long after the flames started an effort was made to get off every thing OF value The crew succeeded in securing most of their personal possessions. which were transferred Go the Kukui but were unable to get into the Captains cabin and as the re- suit all the ships papers were destroy ed only one member of the crew lost everything he possessed.
 Left Port on "f3th."
 While at ketchikan trouble arose among the crew. an of whom felt that the boat was overloaded. and that coupled with the facf that she had cleared from Seattle ou the 18th had aroused the seameus' superstitution as well as dlmmed their enthusiasm for the trip. Three oi the crew len the boat at Ketchikan and new men were employed to take their places.
 The Adler was a 2-mastcd schooner 97.2 feet long. 2f9 feet in breadth. and 5.9 feet deep She was fitted with an 80 h.p Standard engine. which hap pened 10 be the second engine Of its type pu, out by the Standard Engine Company of San Francisco. She was built ln 1900 in Seattle and had 8 reg. istered gross tonnage Of 116 with 7S tons net. Edward A. Born of Nome is the owner of the boat