The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 24, 1902, Page 1

VOLUME XCII-NO. 116. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, f— FR—— 1902. PRICE FIVE CENTS. RIVER STEAMER MODOC BURNS ALMOST TO THE WATER’S EDGE THREE-SCORE PERSONS NARROWLY ESCAPE AWFUL DEATH AND FURTHER STRIFE IN COLOMBIA Another Revolution Breaks Out in Republic. Uncle Sam Prepares to Place Fleet in Caribbean. Admiral Coghlan Will Have Command of New Station. to The Call 406 G STREET, N. Sept. . 23.—Another probably require the n of a United States warship was the Navy Department to-day, t of a Boston fruit com- d to Secretary Moody turbances have arisen at rear the mouth of the | Colombia. It is stat- at telegraph and rallroad communi- or otherwise inter- nd the Navy Department is re- its attention to the sit- ver, now at La Guaira, can be anta Martha for the pur- g American n ment vaiting | ntic advices of the | nited States Con- been asked to in- important now is used £ he trans- | orcements for Colom- | nt troops now on the isth- | - It is supposed that the sts have attacked Santa Mar- he hope of interrupting this move- r forcements. CONFERE WITH COGHLAN. Rear Admiral J. B. Coghlan, second in orth Atlantic squadron, to-daY and con- Moody regarding imus of Panama To a Caribbean di- Atlantic squadron an in command The formation | ern waters Passengers Save Themselves by Jumping Overboard and One bf the ABANDONS Crew Imprisoned in the Hold Has Thrilling Experience. 2 n reported that her then be reads the epairs | to | probably to re- completed h sailed from extra guard of ere she will be | ent in case Francisco The San Fran- | Coghlan’'s ‘ sed of | Cincin- | Commander | | the the Pan- NES ARE MOBILIZED. | ry Moody has implicit confidence Coghlan’s abllity to han- is expected the dis- e’quieted sufficiently in it the Caribbean divi- fon in the winter maneuv- the make-up of that fleet be slightly changed. d marines have been mobil- orfolk to be sent to the isthmus e Prairie, now at Boston. The is ready to sail whenever she may cation. The mobilization of is infthe nature of a pre- and unless they are needed it is tention of the Navy Department x them for the south. EXPIRES IN HER CHAIR WHILE READING BIBLE SE t 23.—While waiting for a party of Women's Relief | bers who were coming to en- n her and others, Mrs. Martin, an mate of the Women’s Rellef Corps Evergreen, died suddenly yes- The department officers Corps, in company with A and Phil Sheridan Corps of city, had planned to spend a day at € eXpress purpose of en- ged inmates. It is an an- and one to which those at e looked forward with pleasure. morning Mrs. Martin dressed b and went down to the She complained of not | and after a short time said return to her room and await of the party. Soon afterward had occasion to go through » building and, looking into Mrs. Mar- tin’s room, found her sitting in a chair, dead. In her lap was a Bible she had been re ng, and one of her lifeless fingers pointed to the lines of the psalm “In the midst of life we are in In her other hand was a bottle of smelling salts stom | IZU/S 1 LLER— o0 HAD B FEM CLOSE CAZIL - ——— RHABLYL - WRE NCITY FIRE PEPARIIMENT AT WORK " ARG g v g HE river steamer Modoc was | bady damaged by fire yester- day afternoon as she lay at her berth at La Rue's wharf, between Market and Mission streets. ‘No lives were lost, but two persons may die as the result of injuries received in escaping from the flames. One of these, a fireman, was {m- prisoned In the steamer’s hold- and his rescuers were compelled to cut a hole in the vessel's side through which they dragged his unconscious form. The other, a woman, jumped overboard and may have fractured her skull. A number were burned or more or less seriously injured otherwise. That all on board were not cremated is due largely to | the fact that the vessel was fifteen min- utes late in starting, and when the fire broke out alongside the wharf in reach of assistance instead of being well out on the wind-swept bay where the flames would have had free pla could not have been secured in time. Deeply laden with combustible freight and having on board more than fifty souls, some of them in thelr berths asleep, her lines were just about to be | cast off when the cry of fire rang out from the midships section of the main deck. In a moment and before any of those on board could realize the meaning of the warning, clouds of ‘heavy smoke poured from the side ports and gave awful warn- ing of the terror to follow. Before a move could be made toward resculng the passengers, while, in fact, Captain Fouratt was still blowing his de- parture signal, the smoke gave way be- fore the flames, which, like a thirsty monster of many tongues, almost and where help | in- | with startling rapidity, stantly enveloped the vessel and made its thickly peopled decks the center of a flery furnace. FLAMES WREATHE VESSEL. Screams of women mingled with the hoarse shouts of strong men. The flames which wreathed the vessel’s ralls also took possession of the companionways leading from the upper deck and for an interval it seemed that the most horri- ble of deaths was to be the fate of all on board. As the flames shot up around his vessel Captain Fouratt tied down the whistle cord and left the Modoc's siren scream- ing the story of the steamer’s plight while he took charge of the work of res- cue. Ashore, in the immediate vicinity of the wharf, confusion reigned almost equal to the panic that prevailed among the fire- surrounded passengers. Farther away, however; there were cooler heads. Car Starter Glocker from his station at the corner of Sacramento and Market streets saw the first smoke as it mounted above the ferry postoffice and promptly turned in a fire alarm, and Policeman Russell, who was stationed near by, fol- lowed this by sending in another call for police assistance. Tke fire signals were promptly respond- ed to by the city department and by the fire tugs Governor Irwin and Governor Markham, which were lying at the end of Union-street wharf. The tug Ida W was moored at Mission-street whart just across from the Modoc and when he saw the flames Captain Dan James took his little boat alongside the blazing hull and commenced the work of rescue. The fire took possession of the Modoc but almost as | his crew and two small boats, had organ- soon as Captain Fouratt realized that his vessel was on fire help was speeding toward him as quickly as swift gaited horses and imprisoned steam could drive it. It arrived none too soon. Hose was run cut on the wharf by employes of the har- bor board “and although without pumping apparatus they were unable to cope with the blaze on the steamer their efforts saved the wharf and prevented the spread of the flames to the postoffice bullding, which for awhile was seriously threat- ened. LANDING THE PASSENGERS. Meanwhile the work of landing passen- was going on as expedi- tiously as the flames and excited condi- tion of those on board ghe Modoe would allow. Some of the passengers jumped through the flames to the wharf, where they were caught in strong arms and hurried to the Harbor Receiving Hos- pital for examination. Others leaped | overboard and were picked up by Cap- tain Dan James of the Ida W, who, with gers ized an impromptu life-saving service that did most/effective work. Captain Fouratt, his officers and crew dig splen- did work in getting ashore the passengers &nd members of the Fire Department did their usual share of the work of rescue. One of the passengers, a Japanese wom- an, had gone to her stateroom and was | in bed when the fire broke out. Fred Swint, the cabin boy, informed her of the impending danger. Clad only in her night robe the little woman rushed out on deck and at the sight of the flames went into violent hysterics. Swint was unable to do anything with her and turn- ed her over to Pilot Stephenson, around whese neck she flung her arms.” Try all | R RESCUING PARTIES TAXING PASSENGERS FROM THE BURNING STEAMER MODOC AS SHE LAY OFF LA RUE'S WHARF, FIRE FIGHT- ERS AT WORK AND SOME OF THE SAVED. - o he cculd the pilot could not disengage the little brown arms and as In her deadly embrace he could help neither her nor himself he was obliged to adopt heroic measures and reduce the woman to semi- consciousness before she released her grip. He then lowered her over the side, where Dan James' rescue brigade took charge of her and landed her on the whart. Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson, who lives with her daughter at 82 Folsom street, was a passenger on the Modoc and may not survive the shock sustained in seek- ing safety. She was on the upper deck when the flames took charge and, becom- ing confused, ran to the after part of the vessel and jumped overboard. Before reaching the water she struck her head cn the steamer’s guard and may have fractured her skull. She was picked up by ore of the rescue boats and t: the Harbor Hospital, where everything rossible was done for her. IMPRISONED IN FORECASTLE George Fouratt, a son of the captain, who acts as second mate and night watch- man, was asleep when the fire broke out. Nobody called him, he says, but the con- tinued whistling aroused him and by the time he had partly dressed the flames had reached his room. He fought his Wway out and reached the deck with part cf his clothes burned off him. He saved himself by jumping into the arms of esome firemen on the wharf. He was the last man, he says, to leave the ship. When the fire was at its hottest and the total destruction of the Modoc seemed assured the spectators that thronged Mission street wharf were horror-stricken to see the face of a man appear at one ge 5, Column 3. Ps Coatinued on WESTERN JOURNEY President Rooseveit Is Placed Under the Knife. Surgeons Induce Him to Submit to an Operation. Carried From Hospi-= tal and Placed on Home Train. INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 2. —President Roosevelt's Western trip came to an un- timely end in this city to-day. He was found to be suffering from a swelling of the left leg between the knee and ankle that required immediate surgical atten- tion and instead of being taken to the train to continue his journey to Fort ‘Wayne and Milwaukee he was conveyed to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he was operated on. The operation occurred at 3:45 o'clock and lasted only a short time, when he was taken to a private room in the hospital to rest. After taking a light luncheon at 7 p- m. he was conveyed on a stretcher to his train, which had been backed up on a “Y"” near the hospital, and at 7:50 o’clock the train left for Washington. The first intimation that anything was wrong came in rumors to the great crowd that was patiently wailting around the Columbia Club and the Saiflors’ and Sol- diers’ Monument for the President to ap- pear. It was about 6:30 o'clock, half an hour after the time set for the President leaving the city, that a few of the favored ones in the crowd received Intimations that the President was sick and that the rest of the trip would probably be aban- doned. These statements were promptly denfed as fast as they gained currency, but soon the rumors began to take on a more serious character. RUMORS ARE AFLOAT. “The President has burst a blood ves- sel,” was a. whisper that went around among the police officers and soldiers. “This cannot be true,” said others, “for the President is in the corridor convers- ing with Senator Fairbanks.” Then it was sald that the President was sick, that'he had fainted, and finally @ rumor was started that he had been shot. These rumors, however, did not appear to reach the crowd and the thou- sands stood patiently after the speech by the President from the balcony to see him make his way out of the club. The minutes began to slip away and still he did not come. A half hour or more pass- ed, and finally it was noticed that a movement of some kind was on. The President’s carriage stood in front of the | entrance of the club, with Colonel Wil- son, the Governor's private secretary, in- side holding the large bunch of American Beauty roses that had been given the President in the hall. The soldiers of the Naticral Guard were drawn up along the street just in the rear. The secret vice men and the local police and detec- tives crowded the sidewalks in front of the club, keeping back the people. The command was given to make room, and a path was cleared from the club en- trance to the carriage, and as if in an- swer to the rumors of his fllness the President, accompanied by Senator Fair- banks, came down the steps of the club and hastily entered the carriage. ESCORTED BY CAVALCADE. Colorel Wilson got out and Senator Fairbanks, Secretary Corteiyou and Gov- ernor Durbin took seats in the carriage with the President. The carriage started immediately, the horses being urged into a trot. The second carriage contalning the secret service officers followed close- ly in its wake, and a third one, contain- ing Assistant Secretaries Loeb and Barnes and Drs. George J. Cook and J. J. Richardson, closed up the rear. No sooner had the carriages started than Battery A, with twenty mounted artil- lerymen and as many mounted police, surrounded them and in a few seconds the cavalcade swung at a rapid gait down Meridian street. The crowd in the circle had hardly got a glimpse of the carriages béfore they were gone. Much to their surprise the soldiers were left behind, and also a number of the carriages. Yet they sent up a cheer and apparently took it for granted that there was nothing un- usual in this method of leavetaking. The cavalcade started south on Merid- ian strest, between rows of banked-up Lumanity keld back from the street by Topes. A slight rain had begun to fall and this appeared to furnish the reason why the carriage containing the Presi- dent should be entirely closed. Amid the gound of many horses trotting upon the asphalt and the rattling of the carriages could be heard the cheers of the people, who, though they could not see the Chief Executive of the nation, thought they were bidding him a good-by. For three squares along South Meridian street the carriages and escort went at a good gait, afstancing those who had attempted to keep up with them by running. Finally the station was reached and a slight de- 1ay arose in crossing the tracks because eof a train that was about to leave. The engine was stopped as it started om its way across the street and the carriages went galloping over the tracks and on to South street. The crowd that had gathered at the ser- 2, Coclumn 4. Continued on Page