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Show FIRE DESTROYS SHIP AT SEA I Passengers Rescued When Call For Help Brings Steamers to the Scene. Marshfield, Ore., Sept 14 Fire to-, to-, night completely destroyed the PacI-L PacI-L flc Const Steamship company's liner Congress, two miles off Coos Bay. Several vessels, which rushed to her 1 assistance in response to distress calls, helped remove her passengers ! and crew. It is believed that no lives were lost, although this will not be ; established beyond a doubt until all boats which went to the scene have returned here. When the dredge Michie and tho gas schooner Tillamook reached the Congress, they found the liner almost completely shrouded in smoke and the passengers fighting frantically to enter en-ter the lifeboats. Despite the stress of the situation, Captain N. E. Cousins Cou-sins and his crew managed to maintain main-tain control and the work of transferring trans-ferring the people on board to the rescue vessels was carried out in au orderly manner. Before the last boatload, in which was Captain Cousins, left the Congress Con-gress the smoke and heat were almost al-most unbearable Flames were shooting shoot-ing put of the ventilators and up the passageways. Shortly after the last lifeboat got away half the vessel was on fire. Soon afterward the flames enveloped her from stem to stern, lighting the sky to a crimson hue. With the wind and tide the steamer then began drifting drift-ing in toward the spit on Coos Bay. Life Savers Reach Ship. The crew of the life-saving station lit a power boat reached the Congress shortly after the Michie and the Tillamook Tilla-mook arrived, and helped remove the passengers and crew to the two latter lat-ter vessels. According to word reaching here, the fire was discovered at about 15 p. m. near the second hold in the steerage cabin. No word was received receiv-ed from the Congress, however, regarding re-garding the fire until nearly 5 p. m. The main wireless set of the liner became be-came disabled at about -1 p. m., and 1 ho operator flashed calls for aid by mpnns nf nn mixIUnrv soL irpltlnsr the Coos Bay station by that line. By that time the steamer was running for Coos Bay. She was compelled to come to a stop two miles off the entrance. The Great Northern was the only steamer on the outside to respond to the calls for aid. As she was some distance south and could not reach tho scene before 10 p. m.. word was later sent by the Michie that she need not come. The Congress came to a stop off the Coos Bay bar at about 4:30 p. m. TUc dredge Michie was soon at the scene. Boats were lowered at once and people from the shore saw them taken across the intervening space to the dredge. It was daylight and yet the flames were plainly visible breaking from the stern of the craft. The work of rescuing res-cuing the passengers went on with great precision, and those with glasses glass-es saw the forward deck covered with many persons getting away from the fiercest of the flames. The gasoline schooner Tillamook arrived just before the last of the passengers were removed. The scene as night closed In was weird. The heavy smoke of the burning burn-ing vessel obscured her from sight at several points along the beach, but those who went to the lighthouse had an unimpaired view. Several small boats were coming down the bay, and they were lost to sight as they entered en-tered the smoke which hovered over the burning ship. |