A STEAMER BURNED. DESTRUCTION OF A FERRY BOAT. PART OF A RAILROAD TRAIN IN FLAMES. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE PASSENGERS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 332, 9 January 1889, Page 4

A STEAMER BURNED. DESTRUCTION OF A FERRY BOAT. PART OF A RAILROAD TRAIN IN FLAM ES. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE PASSENGERS.

jSTi.w Yokk, December 7. The bijj steam ienv'nont Maiyland, the second Itti Lfesab craft, <>t hor kind in America, which biinga Bosron trains from Mott Haven to .)ei>oy City, wao burned to the wateTs edge tonight, and with her two bleeping eai:-, a mail and a baggage cai. There wore twenty people asleep in the cars at tho time the fire was diseoveied. When the alarm, was given they hud to lleeas bebt they could. They all escaped with their live?, but lost everything they had with them. Tho Maryland was lying in her blip at Mott Ifaven. near the Hud&on-river depot of the Kew York, New Jlaven and i lartiord Railroad. The tire was discovered about 11.30 o'clock. With almost incredible speed the llames spread ,until the vast steamer was a mass of lire. Some of the paaseugors hgd veiy nanow escapes from feuOoeation,

Xi.w Youk, Dec. 8. The flames cut oil all approach to the land and spicad w ith vuo^lama/ing rapidity. JnfcLfiH^ly almoob thd cutiio boat was filled w ibil btnoko, and the porters rushed through, shaking up the .ileoping pa:-scngcis and gelling vi lire ' " There were about twenty people in their berths, including four ladies. Most of thorn had not time to put on clothing. The men rushed out in their nightdresses, but three of the women had time to put on pkhts. They were all in their stocking fee tabt hoy iledtowaidtheend of the hoat pointing out into the liver ami huddled there, while the (lames crept clo>;ci , until a tugboat backed up to the Maiyland and took them all on board. There they were Uansfcried to the station of the nulload company, wheio they weic made a^ eomtoi table as possible w hile the official^ ot the load made up a new irain to torward them to (heir destination. r>y tin, time ! they wcie housed the big- boat was a rums ot flames Meanwhile tlit employes hud pushed the ears towaid the land thiough tho I'mme-. Theieisan incline fiom the boat to the whnif, and tho cai-> lolled down this !o the land, whno they weie bide-u.ieked and icHtobe ili j^troycd. Then the men v.eie albo taken o!F the stem ot the Man l.md by a lug, and bi ought to the station. Theiiie 1 eoinmunicatcd to heveial piei-, and at two o'clock this morning was la^injj iiereelv. "Nothing is lett of the biy feny boat hub ihe iion hull, and fom cars, with all t hey contained, wem binned down to the ttacks. Alaiiy ot the pusbenj^evto luul imiiow oK'fvpo. Mr ot lialtimoie \\;h ta-t asleep in hi- hex th when he was arouted by the poi tei's cr> offhe. The car v, as t nil or Miioke, but he managed to grope hiss w.i^ to the dooi'tind ;^et out, with nothing on but his nicriit&hii t. Mr.-s J-\o-e Kimball ot Jjaltimore Mary Malone, from I'hiladciphia for Spiinglield, were tra\elling together. The elder woman had time to put on a dicf-*, but the younger one wrapped hei>clf in a blanket, and both were led out ol the eai. W. If. Nti«h was> in the M^agenta whon he iolt the hot bicath of the tire in his face. He sprang up and {led with Ins clothing under his arm. Rev. l<\ Israel, of Baltimore, who \v!i^ in ihe Cycinu", left all his clothing heliind hini, E. J. A\eiy> ot Chicago, became ay. aie of the lire by sparks falling in his face. He was piobably the last one to lwue the ear. He was nearly su (located by the bmoke and could only] oil out upon the floor. On his handb. and kneeh he giopcd his way to the dooi and rolled out upon the deck of the boat, when ho was rexived by the cold air. A. Z. AJiller, on his way to Meviden, Conn., ]>ieked nj) his clothes and lied, lea\ ing a gold watch which he valued at and £105 in bills under the pillow William lJuggau rti^hed out in his .stocking feet and was taken ofl'by Ihe tug. The conduetoi in charge of tlu train. 3.. E. Edwards, .said : " Upon entering the slip I found a \olume of fcmoke suddenly rising in front of me, followed by cries of 'Fiie!' Upon looking 1 btvw the whole floor of the Maryland one kiim of flames and one of the ears also burning. J immediately gave the alarm to the passenger and tugboat coining up. They wcie all placed aboard and lauded on the dock. The boat in three-quarters of an hour was a total wreck. All agreed that it' the (ire had broken out while the boat was in tho stream, ton minutes before it did, there would have been immense lo&b ot life. At 10 o'clock a ti.iin was made up, the passengers pub abuiiul and immediately h bar led lor the liast. A. L. Conger, member 6f tho Republical National Committee of Akron, 0., was on his way to Boston from Wash ington, where ho had attended the meeting ,of the convmlbec on Thursday. He losb everything bub tho clothes on his back.

The imports of Australian wines into England during 1888 weic 70,000 gallons in exc?ss of the quantity imported in the previous year. Kilruin, the pugilist, ha? accepted a challenge from J. L. bullivan to li glib in a 24t'eot ring for 10,000 Uollais a aide and tho championship of the world.