Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-24
|LNESL0ST IN BAY
| LINE STEAMER FIRE
Flames Drive 1856 Pas
sengers Into Chesapeake
Waters From the Virginia.
SURVIVORS COME HERE
By the Associated Press:

| By the Associated Press:
NORFOLK. Va, May 24.-Three, col
| ored flremen are known to have per
| ished and grave fears are entertained
by officials of the Old Bay Line Steam
| ship Company for the safety Of {
number Of passengers who were or
the steamer Virginia when she burned
to the waters edge of Smiths Point
in Chesapeake bay, shortly before
o'clock this morning. Over a hundred
survivors were brought to Norfoll
this morning on the steamer City Of
Norfolk and the remainder were taker
to Baltimore and Washington.
Asleep When Fire Started.
The survivors of the disaster, who
arrived here this morning hall
clothed and showing every indication
of terror-f1lled night. could hardly
give a coherent account Of the dis
aster which threw them into the wa.
ter Of the Chesapeake bay In the mid
die Of the night with scarcely half ar
hours warning. The majority Of then
were asleep when the FIRE was dis
covered and were rushed on deck be-
fore they had time to put on theil
clothes.
Believes 10 or Is Perished.
BALTIMORE, May 24.-The Old Bay
liner Virginian. bound to Norfolk from
Baltimore with 1855 passengers and q
full cargo Of miscellaneous freight
aboard, was burned to the waters edge
near the mouth Of the Potomac river
last night.
Lieut. Commander George V.-Daws
L. s. n, who was a passenger on
board the steamer Florida, one Of the
rescuing ships. stated here today that
he believed ten or fifteen persons per-
ished.
Officials of the steamship company,
however, expressed their belief that
the loss of life would be small. but
they could give no definite figures
until the passenger list ie compared
with the names of the survivors. This
as passengers and members of the
crew were picked up by at least four
other steamers and taken to both
Norfolk and Baltimore.
The fire started in the feight hold
It's origin was undetermined.
for Norfolk last evening with between
$50 and $50 passengers and full load
of miscellaneous freight aboard. The
steamer was valued at about 100000.
The steamer City of Annapolis. also
Of the Chesapeake line. arrived here
sengers Of the Virginia, among them
being Hugh H. Schumacher Of St.
Louis. and John NJ. Warden of Harris
burg, Pa.
Capt. Dougherty's Account.
Capt. Dougherty of the City of An
napolis said that his ship was about
twenty-five miles away when the
burning Virginia was noticed. He
proceeded to the spot at full speed,
as did also the masters of the ships
drumming from Washington to Nor
folk) and City Of Norfolk. When he
arrived close to the Virginia he found
that the fire was blazing 30 dercely
that he could not approach her. He
managed to pick up the four surviv-
ors, who were in q lifeboat.
The steamers City Of Baltimore, with
about 100 passengers Of the Virginia
and the Florida, with passengers and
members Of the crew Of the Virginia
on board, followed the City of An
napolis into port. Capt. w. G. Lane
Of the Virginia was aboard the Flor
ida. He was said to be injured, but
All Passengers Saved.
This afternoon the office Of the
steamship company gave out q list of
survivors that totaled Np to the num-
Der who are said &c have sailed last
night on the Virginia Il is feared,
however. that number OF tbs crew
were lost. Only sixteen of the sixty
two were announced as having landed.
Think Man Was Left on Ship.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va, May 24.-
About fifteen survivors Of the steamer
Virginia were landed at Old Point
this morning from the steamer City
Of Norfolk. They were Of the opin-
ion that one man. whose name Is not
known. was left on the ship when all
the lifeboats had pulled away.